Precocious five-year-old Sosuke (voiced by Frankie Jonas) stumbles upon curiously natured goldfish he names Ponyo (voiced by Noah Cyrus) only to discover she’s the daughter of the once-human Fujimoto (voiced by Liam Neeson) and the goddess Gran Mamare (voiced by Cate Blanchett), the latter forced to test the little boy’s resolve after her child expresses an irrevocable desire to be human.

CRITIQUE

To quote a little from my original August 14, 2009 review:

“The great Hayao Miyazaki’s (Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service) latest effort the Disney-released Ponyo is a sweetly intoxicating parable of innocence and responsibility suitable for the entire family. While not quite reaching the classic heights of My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke or the Oscar-winning Spirited Away, this animated winner is nonetheless an idyllic joy. It is pleasing proof that G-rated entertainment can capture the imaginations of young and old alike, the lovely odor oozing off of it difficult to resist.

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (itself the basis for Disney’s own hand-drawn 1989 classic), Miyazaki’s script is cemented in a child-like world view that youngsters of all ages can relate to. It also touches upon themes of aging, regret and environmental responsibility instantly recognizable to older viewers, the two sides of the film working together in ways that are constantly unusual and surprising.

For those needing proof that hand-drawn animation is still as alive and as viable as ever this is the rapturous and elegant proof. A massive hit across the rest of the world, Miyazaki continues to craft beautiful entertainments that cross the age, gender and racial spectrum with effervescent ease. A wonderful work, Ponyo is a delightful charmer I totally adored.”

I don’t have a lot more to add than that. This is a movie that is almost impossible not to like, and for small children (probably between the ages of five and eight) it is one I could see them watching again and again and again with no problems whatsoever.

THE VIDEO

Ponyo is presented in 1.85:1/1080p widescreen. Once again, Disney proves that hand drawn animation and Blu-ray are beyond compatible. This is a sparkling presentation, the best any of Miyazaki’s films have ever looked at home, and I can only hope this disc ends up finding success so other Studio Ghibli favorites such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke can find their way to the format as well.

THE AUDIO

Available audio tracks include English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital and French 5.1 Dolby Digital with optional English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. I admit I’d have liked to have had the original Japanese language track in DTS-HD sound as well, but overall this is a wonderful presentation that’s just about perfect.

THE EXTRAS

Extras here include:

• Meet Ponyo – A brief introduction to the film including interviews with producers Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and others that’s a pleasant enough diversion for fans but otherwise a feature kids will probably want to skip.
• The World of Ghibli – A series of featurettes broken up into two parts (Enter the Lands, Behind the Studio) that tells a viewer pretty much everything they would ever want to know about Studio Ghibli and then some. This is an excellent extra worthy of multiple viewings.
• Storyboard Presentation of the Movie – For those interested in seeing how animation goes from page to screen this feature is an absolute must. Totally fascinating.
• BDisney Live Enabled
• Standard Definition DVD of the Feature Film 

FINAL THOUGHTS

While Ponyo is not my favorite out of Hayao Miyazaki’s oeuvre, it’s such a pleasing diversion finding anything all too negative to say about it is just about impossible. Small children in particular are sure to adore it, Disney’s Blu-ray presentation bordering on absolute perfection.