The Thousands

This tale of a bolshy little goldfish (Ponyo) and her human BFF (Sosuke) is a tad conflicting. The hypnotic, hand-drawn opening scene, rendered in soft blues and greens with pearlescent jelly fish drifting through the depths, is pure kindness to the eyes. And the characters, with their gentleness, good intentions, and tolerance for magic, reel you in and make you love them on sight. But fans of Miyazaki’s landmarks (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away) might find Ponyo a bit disappointing as it represents a more pared-down Miyazaki; it’s rated G, and very much a simple fairy tale.

**Having said that, it’s more primal than it looks. Ponyo’s attachment to Sosuke is an unthinking force, as avid and single-minded as the decapitated forest spirit in Princess Mononoke. And the story flows with an unaffected dream-logic: events melt into each other without urgency, and a simple act like making and drinking tea is treated with the same awed gravity as magic that calls enormous wave-monsters into being. So perhaps Disney hasn’t ruined everything after all.

The level of cuteness here is almost stifling and there’s no delicious shadow of threat a la Spirited Away, but it’s grand to be reminded of a time in life when you unquestioningly accept every new surprise that comes your way.