Ponyo

Name: Ponyo
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Animation, Family
Released: August 14, 2009
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 86

2009

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 29 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 347 Ratings

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7.7

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7.7	Your Score
7.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 347 Ratings

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Ponyo (Studio Ghibli Fest 2022 Fathom Events 20 Second Trailer)

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Movie Details & Credits

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: August 14, 2009 | G

Summary: Ponyo is a story inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Little Mermaid." Already a box-office success in Japan, the story of a young and overeager goldfish named Ponyo and her quest to become human features an outstanding roster of voice talent. (Walt Disney Pictures)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Genre(s): Adventure, Fantasy, Animation, Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 101 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Don't tell Walt Disney, but Hayao Miyazaki really holds the keys to the magic kingdom. Read full review

100

Manohla Dargis

The latest masterwork from Hayao Miyazaki, places emphasis on the natural world, its tumults and fragility. Read full review

100

Michael Sragow

Best of all, Ponyo never ceases to be a genuine odyssey in short pants. Read full review

Peter Travers

Miyazaki works marvels. Sit back and behold. Read full review

Carrie Rickey

You watch a Miyazaki film with the pie-eyed, gape-mouthed awe of a child being read the most fantastic story and suddenly transported to places previously beyond the limits of imagination. It's quite a trip. Read full review

David Edelstein

Liam Neeson has gravely splendid pipes as Ponyo’s father, a once-human wizard who lives underwater and despises humankind for polluting the planet. Read full review

Stephanie Zacharek

His (Miyazaki) stories, and often his character design, just leave me cold. I know I'm supposed to be magically transported by his fanciful tales and his whimsical grandiosity, but they make me listless. Read full review

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User Reviews

greatmovie

Aug 14, 2009

Fantastic. A new great film for kids. Just as magical as Totoro.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

ThomasH

Sep 20, 2009

This is my favorite film of the summer. Miyazaki creates such a wounderful world where anyone, any age, can enjoy watching.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Futuredirector

Feb 22, 2017

Ponyo shows an entertaining and undeniably sweet adventure that the audience will surely consider unforgettable thanks to it's likable characters, colorful storytelling, and brilliantly animation.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

xolve

Jul 6, 2014

4 stars but 5 if you're watching in japanese with overdubs. The "inspired choice" of using big-name hollywood actors for voices, a rising tradition in big-budget animations, fails here. In Japan, voice-acting is a respected and coveted discipline, and the artistic integrity of it is4 stars but 5 if you're watching in japanese with overdubs. The "inspired choice" of using big-name hollywood actors for voices, a rising tradition in big-budget animations, fails here. In Japan, voice-acting is a respected and coveted discipline, and the artistic integrity of it is important. In Japanese, the voices were appropriate and made me laugh, or cry, at moments, purely on delivery alone. In english, the voice acting was 'ok' at best, and distracting (Liam Neeson) at worst.
Visually this is a stunning film, and the plot, while it loses something in it's third quarter, is at least original, despite it's origins.
You can't really trump a Miyazaki film for explorative imaginative scenes, and the best of these are during the water-boating/flood sequences, with a plethora of extinct sealife exposed.
Despite a weak end and lack of an antagonist or any real danger, a solid recommend from me. Just watch in Japanese if you can deal with subtitles.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Summersausage

Jan 23, 2013

This is a cute little movie that encapsulates imagination of the ocean and innocence of youth. I suspect Mark Twain would have liked this movie as it has many similarities to Huckleberry Finn.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

sebastianali

Apr 19, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ponyo se siente como una inspiración del cuento de La Sirenita, aunque dejando de lado la simpleza y con un estilo artístico mucho mas extraño. El estilo de animación me encanta, así como la relación entre ambos protagonistas, sin embargo, esto no es suficiente para que pueda decir que la película es buena. Desgraciadamente, Ponyo confirma mis sospechas que tenia hacia Studio Ghibli y porque sus películas nunca me agradaron del todo (exceptuando Chihiro), y es que dejan muchas ideas sueltas que nunca se explican o nunca se aprovechan del todo. Siempre ellos se toman la molestia de crear un mundo con reglas únicas pero nunca cuentan nada sobre el. No se sabe exactamente cuales eran las intenciones de Fujimoto, que es la "fisura" que mencionan mas o menos en una de las ultimas escenas creo, como y porque se llevan a Lisa y a los demás, que era lo que quería la madre de Ponyo, entre otras tantas cosas que no explican.
Una pena la verdad, porque Studio Ghibli tiene mucho talento y potencial para hacer buenas historias, buenos personajes y universos únicos, pero son pésimos para ordenar bien la trama, que tenga una buena lógica interna y ademas que se expliquen bien los conceptos básicos que rodean a la misma. Al final de cuentas, Ponyo si es una buena película, o al menos una decente, se podría decir que Ponyo la salvo. Es muy tierno y todo lo demás. Lo mismo con la animación y los escenarios que son excelentes! Solo desearía decir lo mismo de la trama en general, que al final, en una película, es lo mas importante.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

RobertB.

Aug 15, 2009

What??? You have got to be kidding me. This gets an 89? What??? A cartoon movie with that high of a score you expect to be funny and/or very moving with a great story line and good animation. No. This is some kind of psychotic whacked out fantasy that only may be halfway cute if someone is What??? You have got to be kidding me. This gets an 89? What??? A cartoon movie with that high of a score you expect to be funny and/or very moving with a great story line and good animation. No. This is some kind of psychotic whacked out fantasy that only may be halfway cute if someone is stoned. Even then they will say it was bad. People, what is going on with ratings??? Where are the truly good movies? I mean really.... did they just quit being made years ago? We left the theater early as you would guess, but we were not the first ones to do so.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful

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10	#10 Best Movie of 2009
39	#39 Most Discussed Movie of 2009
52	#52 Most Shared Movie of 2009