Wonderful in many levels, this long movie is a classic. Only for people who don't dislike long and slow films. It has a lot of japanese touch too.
I have been awed and amazed by Studio Ghibli from the first moment I saw SPIRITED AWAY (Awarded Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards - 2003). Consequently, I have watched everything from the Studio, that I can get my hands on (often several times as I've introduced them to new audiences). And, I've learned that the two founders, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata have very different approaches to character, world building, theme and storytelling (and I am entirely in the Miyazaki camp). Although the artwork and animation is stellar in both, Takahata tends to shape his stories as he goes, which makes the stories too fragmented and meandering for my tastes. He tends to chose environmental subjects and natural characters as we see in this story of how the Tunuki (Raccoon Dogs) are affected as we ravish nature to accommodate human sprawl. He does so with hyperbole and humour but tends to anchor his world in real world concerns and identifiable creatures, even when he taps into Japanese myth. For me, this story was too long and lacked focus. The creatures were cute and relatable but the the message was muddled. I give this film a 6 (fair) out of 10. [Animated Feature]
I liked it more the second time. It's possible that I like it waaaaay more than everybody else does.
Thanks to GKIDS, I was able to see Pom Poko for the first time in theaters tonight. I even brought along my younger sister who also enjoyed the film (she's reading subtitles, yay! train 'em while they're young). It has a similar message as in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), the first Studio Ghibli film. We get a view of nature (tanuki/racoons) co-existing in harmony with the modern cities (humans). There were some comedic moments as the tanuki were in training, and some instances made me think of Super Mario Bros. 3 how Tanooki Mario can turn into a statue. I liked the scene with the Yokai (goblins) invading the city at night. There's even some well-known ones (the umbrella, long-neck lady) that I've seen in the 60s Yokai Monsters films like Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (1968). Just before that as the magic was brewing, I spotted some quick Easter egg cameos of Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) and Totoro from My Neighbor Totoro (1988) flying about. See if you can catch them ;-)
Honestly, I believe this is my favorite non-human ghibli film.
It really makes you think about how humans don't think much when doing something; this can cause whole ecosystems to collapse or even unintentional consequences of harming wildlife. Or, corporate greed harming whole ecosystems, like we see happening with the Amazon River.
While Tokyo swells and expands, clearing forest to accommodate its housing needs, a nearby tribe of free-spirited tanuki (Japanese raccoon-dog) hatches plans to defend its turf. That's the intention anyway, if everyone would just sit still and pay attention long enough to chart a course of action. Fortunately, they do have one ace up their sleeve: the long-fabled (and nearly forgotten) ability to shape-shift. Once unlocked and understood, this plays heavily into the tanuki's efforts to subvert construction crews - destructive pranks, mostly - but also their day-to-day appearance.
Effective animation is essential here, and Studio Ghibli is up to the task. Depending upon the critters' moods, they'll slide from super-realistic to ultra-expressive, often several times over the course of a single scene. Ghibli makes it all feel smooth and natural, enhancing the important bits with their usual assortment of small details and charming body language.
There isn't much to the story - all the fun is in the light spirit, zany transformations and oafish nature of the animals - and that's a problem as the duration grows and the climax remains elusive. It holds on for way too long, repeating the same beats three or four times too often. The first hour is a wonderful blast of unbridled creativity and innocent attitude, peaking in a wild parade scene that rivals the one in Paprika, but I was ready for it to end at least half an hour before it did.
so many minutes, so many raccoons, so much boring, too many balls...
Shout by mg_greyBlockedParent2016-05-31T08:44:43Z
this is kinda sad tho. touching, even. one of the few unpopular studio ghibli movies I watched.