FLIGHT

Definitely a very sweet, magical film in the same category as Totoro.
Some great character moments, some wonderful animation (the whole storm sequence, wow!).
Like a few people, I guess I was expecting a bit more out of the test of love, but ah well. It's all good.
A bit sad though that Fujimoto's character and personality took a 180 degree turn without any transition. All his rants about humans being bad and pollution and all just vanished.
Then again, he wasn't the main characters but definitely the main protagonist. I don't know.
I'm trying too much to make it make sense when I should enjoy it for what it is. A whimsical fantasy tale.

The storm sequence is one of the greatest things I've ever seen on the big screen, and I'm already planning on a second viewing just to see it again. I think it's the first time I've watched a scene with my mouth wide open in awe since the 7-minute steadycam sequence in Children of Men. I had chills the whole time.

I actually liked Fujimoto's character a lot. I initially expected him to be the villain as well, but realizing throughout the film that he's really just a concerned father was fantastic, and made him much more sympathetic. He's still an obstacle, but not malicious.

I hear a lot of people talking about how nonsensical the film was, for better or worse, and that's actually one of the things I liked most about it. It shows that as long as the characters are true to themselves, it doesn't matter what happens around them. You can craft a compelling narrative with that alone.

Does anyone know if there're any theaters in Los Angeles that are screening Ponyo subtitled rather than dubbed? I'm going to watch it either way, since I'm a huge Miyazaki fan, but I prefer to see it in Japanese if possible.

I don't remember seeing any offering that possibility. You may have to wait for the DVD on that one.

I do love Fujimoto's character a lot too! He's really more than just ranting about humans, he does care a lot for Ponyo.
Sometimes I wonder...if I had handled a story the same way (as if I could ever come up with something that sweet), would I be criticised more for it? Does Miyazaki get away with it because he's Miyazaki?
Sorry, it's the cold talking. All that coughing rattles my brains around.

If any other ordinary artist made a movie with confusing elements, most would call him a bad filmmaker. But since Miyazaki-san has proven himself such a genius at this art, when he does something confusing, it can be hard to consider it flawed. We love him too much.

Fujimoto's an antagonist though a tepid one at that. He's gray and plays like a very tame Eboshi or Gonza. I thought he was a weak character, he wants to destroy humans by filling up that well of doom for years though he never really showed any true hostility towards the humans like Mononoke's San. And when the when the human's destruction is accelerated, he freaks out. At the end of the movie, his role just kinda fizzles and the importance shifts to the goddess. I think I would have preferred to see a stronger character turning point, you know like San stabbing Ashitaka in the chest type of moment or Nausicaa after killing the people who killed her father.

I love this movie. Just can't stop smiling when Ponyo turns into a human. Her smile is infectious.

It has the best car chase sequences ever, even compared to live action movies. The animation totally takes advantage of the medium.

The story is really simple, compared to a lot of convoluted Japanese anime out there, which is why it doesn't meet expectations.

By the way, there's an art book for Ponyo as well, just like other Studio Ghibli movies:
http://parkablogs.com/content/book-revi ... -cliff-sea