HOME
MOVIES
TV Shows
In Theatres
SEARCH
FRESH
QUEUE
Ponyo
2008
MOVIE IS
genetic
wonderful
imaginative
beautiful
memorable
Close Video
watch now
Reviews
similar movies
cast & crew
tags
See Where to Watch
Ponyo
Positive Reviews
115
Negative reviews
13
Average Rating
3.8
/5
genetic
wonderful
imaginative
beautiful
memorable
All
Positive
Negative
3.0
Older kids and even adults are unlikely to get bored, thanks to the storys unforced sweetness, giddy highs, and stunningly beautiful visuals. Even in ..
Av Club
2.0
Dont tell Walt Disney, but Hayao Miyazaki really holds the keys to the magic kingdom.
EW
5.0
This poetic, visually breathtaking work by the greatest of all animators has such deep charm that adults and children will both be touched. Its wonder ..
Rogerebert
1.5
Ponyo possesses an almost demonic childish energy and a delight in form stronger than reason or narrative.
Variety
4.0
Among the films pleasures are yet another heartbreaking evocation of the trials of childhood (particularly the complexity of forming friendships), a n ..
Time Out
3.0
What held in the animators previous films as eccentrically multifaceted dream logic comes off for once as a series of non sequiturs but really, why co ..
Time Out
3.1
Until its fizzle of a finale, Ponyo, Hayao Miyazakis latest artisanally crafted anim daydream, brims forth with an appealingly willy nilly inventivene ..
4.5
Ponyo isnt Hayao Miyazakis greatest film, but his beautiful, quirky fable has magic other childrens movies cant touch.
3.5
Accompanying adults will likely find themselves just as enthralled as their little ones.
4.3
Sometimes its enough to just sit back and let a beautiful work of animation wash over you, letting the troubles of the world slide past as the picture ..
Paste Magazine
5.0
Ponyo towers over this summer of empty toy related blockbusters. It will end up as one of the best films in American release this year.
E Film Critic
5.0
Ponyo is the kind of dazzling cinematic experience that will resonate in the hearts and minds of anyone who sees it for a long time afterwards.
E Film Critic
4.0
A simple tale, less freighted by foreboding than Miyazakis recent output. In any case, storytelling is less important to him than mood or texture. His ..
Telegraph
5.0
Five minutes into this magical film youll be making lists of the individuals of every age you can expose to the very special mixture of fantasy and fo ..
5.0
The 68 year old filmmaker shows that hes at the peak of his skills, both as a visual artist and a storyteller.
San Francisco Chronicle
4.0
Miyazakis back, and still a force of nature. A weird, wonderful aquatic romp, Ponyo is also a meditation on the state of this blue planet. Catch it.
3.0
A loose adaptation of The Little Mermaid thats full of fantastic visuals and genuine whimsy, but a little lax when it comes to plot logic or meaningfu ..
Cinema Blend
3.0
A hyperactive comedy that owes a lot to anarchic late 70s and 80s flamethrowers like Used Cars, The Goods gets points for being true to itself and ene ..
Ny Daily News
3.8
Its very much a charming kids film, created by a master of animation.
The Globe And Mail
3.0
A charming and enchanting mystical fairy tale about a goldfish who becomes a girl and a little boy who loves her and introduces her with pride to his ..
Spirituality And Practice
3.0
Given its bizarre imagery and offbeat attitude, its like The Little Mermaid on acid. its visually beguiling, and that more than makes up for the stran ..
One Guys Opinion
4.5
Its a movie for anyone who, like Miyazaki himself, can still happily commune with his inner five year old.
Village Voice
3.8
Even though Ponyo is not one of Miyazakis great masterpieces (at least from a narrative perspective), it is so beautiful and immersive that its hard t ..
ReelViews
4.4
A good number of Miyazakis fans will be disappointed by what looks like a step back, but the relaxed simplicity of the new film eventually works its e ..
Combust Ible Celluloid
3.0
Were left to wonder why Sosuke would pledge to love Ponyo because, if truth be told, shes much cuter as a fish.
4.4
With its ever shifting world and palpable sense of magic, Ponyo captures the wonder of being a child.
Usa Today
3.0
While the story doesnt entirely make sense from a Western viewpoint, it is consistent in its view of magic, nature and mankind.
Lariat
3.0
More than enough joy and laughter to outweigh its less than inspired moments.
Eric Ds Nider
4.0
This is a million miles away from the garish and crude cartoons that American studios often churn out, and serves as a reminder that animated films ca ..
Radio Times
3.0
No animator captures the movement of tides and the deep physics of the sea as lyrically as Miyazaki, and the storys themes of rejuvenation and ecologi ..
Independent
3.5
This isnt to say that the film isnt eye catching; it certainly is.
Shadows On The Wall
4.5
In a Summer of senseless mayhem and underwhelming efforts, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is majestic. It easily matches (and in many cases, surpasses) ..
Pop Matters
4.0
Beautifully animated, utterly charming adventure with a strong voice cast, delightful characters and an emotionally engaging, if bonkers, storyline.
View London
1.5
Even when the film feels murky, Miyazakis painterly eye keeps things afloat
News Day
2.0
Its unlike any other animated feature excepting, of course, Miyazakis own.
Cs Monitor
4.4
This exquisite pastel colored, eye popping example of hand drawn animation is still very Japanese, aimed most specifically at children around the worl ..
New York Post
4.5
A goldfish falls for a human boy in this imaginative kids tale from visionary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.
Film Journal International ..
3.8
Miyazaki fans who are expecting the deeper themes in this may be disappointed. And as good as it looks, its not career defining work, its only merely ..
Deseret News (Salt Lake Ci ..
3.8
Nothing in the great animation of a Miyazaki movie stays cute for long. Not the ocean, not the trees, not the critters that live in them. Change is co ..
Boston
4.0
That doesnt quite sum her up, however, since theres not a trace of Danish melancholy about her.
Smh
4.5
ever coheres into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, as Miyazakis true classics have done...
3.8
Its a wonderful place that Miyazaki creates, an alternatively sweet and savage world that defies physics and common sense, as imaginative and impossib ..
Toronto Star
2.0
Depicting the physical and social world from the point of view of a young boy, Ponyo is a narratively simple, visually captivating fable that benefits ..
Emanuellevy
4.5
A charming hand drawn Japanese spin on Hans Christian Andersens Little Mermaid.
Guardian
2.0
Though Ponyo contains images so haunting that its hard to dismiss altogether, this is one of Miyazakis feeblest efforts.
Daily Mail
4.5
Ponyo hasnt changed my mind about Miyazaki. But Im willing to accept and enjoy this little window into the dream life of fish.
Salon
4.5
Ponyo has elements of both a classic fairy tale and an environmental message movie, but it shifts as nimbly between those genres as Ponyo herself does ..
Slate
4.5
Exquisite artwork backgrounds makes us feel we are living the adventure inside a painting, while endearing characters keep us grounded in reality by d ..
4.0
Visually stunning, its a fantastical, enchanting charmer thats bound to delight children and adults alike.
Susang Ranger
4.0
Lets say you have a five year old child whos not all caught up in the details of boring, mundane reality. Heres that kids new favorite movie.
Movies
4.5
When you see Ponyo and you must be prepared for a movie that doesnt abide by Hollywood rules. This is a tale for children (yes, of all ages) who are r ..
Time
3.8
Mixing the surreal with the simplistic, the younger aimed Ponyo doesnt quite match the more mature, thoughtful heights of 2002s Spirited Away , but is ..
The Movie Boy
3.5
Ponyo will sure make you long for the days of hand drawn animation.
Bullz-Eye
4.0
Bar the climactic dip, another Ghibli charmer that finds story, subject matter and style in freewheeling harmony. You havent seen the sea until youve ..
Total Film
3.0
Ponyo is an entertaining fantasy movie for little ones where painstaking attention is given to balancing physical reality with magical reality. Alread ..
Coles Mithey
3.8
For those needing proof that hand drawn animation is still as alive and as viable as it ever was this is the rapturous and elegant proof.
Movie Freak
4.3
The type of glorious filmmaking and storytelling that should appeal to everyone ... a wonderful and magical film that should be seen and enjoyed as a ..
3.8
It doesnt really matter, but it feels like there is an explanation or two missing.
Movie Habit
4.0
The fantasy elements are so seamlessly blended with real elements. There is very little disbelief by the characters, and you want to believe yourself ..
7M Pictures
4.0
With a starry, first rate voice cast and the shortened name, this Disney fied version remains a magnificent animation wonder and a pure delight.
Boxoffice Magazine
3.0
Just as stop motion got a bump earlier in the year with Coraline, Ponyo (already global hit, with $165 million box office to date) hopefully will brin ..
E Online
4.0
Miyazaki effortlessly combines the marvellous and the mundane in his cinema. Visually, Ponyo is an imaginative, exhilarating work, but its vigour and ..
The Age
2.5
Still mildly entertaining, gorgeously picturesque, and wonderfully perceptive to the subtleties of childish innocence that evoke poignant humor, Ponyo ..
2.0
Shouldnt an anime auteur of Hayao Miyazakis stature avoid a story about a sea creature interacting with a human child Isnt that Finding Nemo
Varia Gate
3.0
Theres still plenty of gorgeous eye candy to keep adults going if theyve taken their kids along for some unthreatening entertainment.
Digital Spy
4.0
Miyazaki has come up with another memorable film in Ponyo, which is roughly inspired by Hans Christian Andersens The Little Mermaid... its incredibly ..
Abc
4.4
Ponyo isnt quite as memorable as some of Miyazakis previous works, but its a magical experience thats far superior to most animated offerings.
Stl Today
4.5
Several notches below masterworks, which makes it only, oh, super duper wonderful ... it makes big magic, seemingly effortlessly.
The Stranger
3.8
The films joys are numerous, and most of them are small and simple. To start with, the animation all hand drawn is simply breathtaking.
Christianity Today
4.5
A childlike wonder wedded to dazzlingly imaginative visuals, in a story of surprising simplicity and equally surprising emotional depth.
Hollywood And Fine
4.0
This story is the product of a gentle soul with an unconventional imagination and a vibrant whimsy.
Killer Movie Reviews
4.0
A sweet love story about a boy and his fish, Ponyo is a weird yet wonderful childrens fantasy, and marks another milestone in the career of Hayao Miya ..
Matts Movie Reviews
3.0
Heartwarming, graciously surreal, and pure eye candy, Ponyo is an elevating fantasy that swims enthusiastically in delightfully unexpected directions.
Brian Or Ndorf
4.0
The films pleasures are immensely simple, but this does not make them less real or wonderful.
Antagony & Ecstasy
5.0
With Ponyo, Hayao Miyazaki has accomplished not just an animated masterpiece but a true cinematic work of wonder.
4.1
A magical, uplifting and visually stunning film thats exhilarating for kids and adults simultaneously.
Nyc Movie Guru
4.0
Ponyo is The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo and Fantasia, all wrapped up in one fin tastic movie, and guaranteed to hold the attention of the most CG ad ..
Sky
2.5
And while its illogical, that probably wont bother its young audience.
Sbs
4.0
As usual, Miyazaki treads a thin line between intuitive, unshackled fantasy and simply seeming to makes things up as he goes along, but there is never ..
Entertainment Times Online ..
4.0
The underwater scenes are as rich and teeming as Miyazakis boundless imagination; little Ponyo in her human form, joyfully wobbling around on her newl ..
Entertainment Times Online ..
4.0
Doesnt commit itself to mining our deeper feelings, and as such it feels much more geared to younger viewers; but with that comes dazzling displays of ..
Window To The Movies
4.5
If youre looking for a movie that rewards intense focus, this one fits the bill.
Polygon
4.5
Tiny Ponyo isnt a normal fish, if you havent gathered that already.
Under The Radar Mag
3.0
Forget 3D or CGI: if you really want to be dazzled at the cinema, pay a visit to Hayao Miyazakis hand drawn fantasy world.
Metro
3.0
Ponyo isnt as much of a nature parable as Mononoke was, but it plays a much larger role than it did in Spirited Away and Howls Moving Castle.
Movie Mezzanine
1.5
With the exception of one or two arresting sequences, such as Ponyo dashing pell mell on the crests of the storms waves and the sight of prehistoric f ..
What So
4.5
A story as idealistic and imaginative as any that Miyazaki and company have brought to life, with the kind of vivid hand drawn care that is harder to ..
Or Lando Weekly
4.0
A fantastic looking, inventive and well acted childrens film, but a childrens film nonetheless and thats all it was ever intended to be.
Film 4
3.0
Sticks together disparate bits and pieces of fairy tale, mythopoeia, sci fi and family film with the artless simplicity of a child mashing up Tinkerto ..
Decent Films
2.0
Henry, the tortured protagonist of Audrey Niffeneggers 2003 best selling novel The Time Travelers Wife, has a genetic anomaly against which he is utte ..
Wsj
3.0
Ponyo is a visually arresting work by an anime master, and both cute enough and suspenseful enough to keep pre schoolers in their seats.
Jam! Movies
4.5
When Miyazaki makes films that decry the threat to the natural world, every molecule onscreen resonates with that belief a belief that dissolves the b ..
Ny Mag
3.1
The film is visually stunning, however, with a A list cast of voices that include Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, and Tina Fey.
Boston Phoenix
4.5
Miyazakis ode to motherhood; the sea is the greatest nurturer of all. The underwater sequences are some of Ghiblis most luminous, complex reflections ..
Vue Weekly
4.0
Charming, amusing and firmly anchored in a childs point of view, this movie from the master animator of Spirited Away makes a great introduction to th ..
Orlando Sentinel
4.5
The environments on display are even richer than those shown in Nausica, yet that movie has a much tighter structure. In the end it just doesnt matter ..
Screen Anarchy
4.5
Some may find it too childish, but the movies innocence is infectious, and Miyazakis artistry utterly transporting.
Metromix.com
4.5
The film may hit a particularly sentimental nerve with viewers who had chaotic childhoods, and often craved the peace of normal.
The Spool
5.0
Hayao Miyazaki proves that he is not only a master animator but also a master storyteller. Ponyo is easily one of the best films animated or live acti ..
Kpbs
3.5
Not the spectacle that Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away are, Ponyos beautiful, hand drawn storybook pastels, mesmerising swirls of colourful action ..
The Diva Review
3.5
A moving animated film from Miyazaki, one that subtly illustrate the universe of childhood.
2.0
Stunning bursts of imagination and sensational, almost psychedelic images make the film a garden of unearthly delights.
Movie Mom
2.0
Now presumably, Miyazaki has made a study of the behavior of five year old children, but that doesnt seem evident.
Huffing Ton Post
4.0
Ponyo is a worthy piece of work from an artist who takes his work and his audience seriously.
Kc Active
5.0
The sight of the giddy and newly bipedal Ponyo racing atop the waves of a magically roiling flood may be the happiest and most memorable image of the ..
Gomemphis
4.5
Ponyo is a delight, so long as you accept it for what it is... an empowering, completely upbeat wonder tale.
Sfx
2.0
Ponyo is memorable for the palpable glee of its protagonist a fish out of water who adores the feel of earth beneath her feet and loves her man.
Blog Oregonlive
4.1
That rare childrens movie that actually taps into the unique imaginative power of a childs mind.
D Cist
4.5
While the animation in Ponyo is simplistic, even crude by many peoples standards, there is no denying the films dazzling color palette, masterful atte ..
Brandon Fibbs
5.0
If you want to see something suitable for all ages that will dazzle you sideways and remind you of the awesome power of animation done right, you shou ..
News Of The World
3.0
A warm summer treat amid the gunfights and explosions that reminds us how beautiful a childs innocence can be.
Mania.com
4.0
Perfect family entertainment with a subtle environmental message.
Daily Record
3.8
you get a psychedelic, visually stunning film with a Japanese flavor, instead of one with pop culture flavor (and no talking dogs or balloons).
Dc5
5.0
...a sweetly lovable and visually trippy movie that young tots and their parents can enjoy in equal measure.
MSNBC
2.5
The voice work boasts an impressive coterie of A listers Cate Blanchette, Matt Damon and Tina Fey all voice characters although the casting is sometim ..
Washington Times
4.0
Admirable and enjoyable and beautiful, but its a movie for the littlest of the little ones.
Chud
1.5
They might be a tribute to the physical exuberance of youth, but theyre about as captivating as a typical babysitting session.
Mubi
5.0
Be bold enough to watch someone color outside the lines on purpose
3 Black Chicks
4.5
Beautiful and thoughtful, Miyazaki once again shows hes a master of taking the magical and making it endearing.
Movie Views
4.4
Significantly, Miyazaki creates realistic, valid and memorably attractive characters, such as the heroic vulnerable patient nurturing tough mother, Ti ..
3.8
Compared to the animated garbage that typically passes through stateside theaters, its practically a godsend.
3.8
Minor Miyazaki to be sure, this film pales in comparison to many of his recent features.
Cinema Sight
3.0
His antediluvian underwater creatures are gorgeous, a world removed from Finding Nemo, his sweeping tides and smashing tsunamis are a patchwork of col ..
Screen Wize
5.0
Heralds a return to the child like wonder of Miyazakis enduring My Neighbor Totoro. And what do you know Its another masterpiece.
Empire Online
4.5
Rather theres this innocent and pure form of love thats always shown.
Rogues Portal
3.0
See this film if youre looking to immerse yourself in a sense of delight over the simple wonders of a childs world.
Time Out Sydney
4.0
It is a stunning and joyful experience that I highly recommend for families to watch together.
Rotoscopers
3.8
His twisted version of Finding Nemo meets Splash, the movie wont go down as one of his best, but its still better than 90 percent of animation out the ..
OK! Magazine
4.5
Ponyos considerable charms translate easily to audiences of all ages, making the film not mere spectacle, but something truly special.
Scifi Wire
3.1
My 6 year old enjoyed it. I guess I would just like a little more effort from the filmmakers. Maybe worth a DVD rental, though.
4.5
Theres a miraculous transformation in almost every moment of the film.
See Where to Watch
Ponyo