One of the many visual treats that Up offers.
Typically, Pixar did not disappoint in 2009 with its annual release Up. Like those that came before it, Up contains a magic that has simply come to be expected of the aforementioned studio. There were three things that stood out to me: Up’s opening sequence, its animation, and its score.
Ponyo magically gliding across the ocean.
I haven’t seen much of Hayao Miyazaki’s work, but I am aware of his reputation. I do know that his imagination is unrivaled, his stories are eccentric, and amazingly, all of his films are drawn by hand. That’s right: no computers or cgi. Cartoons made the way cartoons should be made.
Ponyo, based on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, tells the story of a goldfish named Ponyo who falls in love with a boy Sōsuke (pronounced Soo-skay) and ultimately dreams of transforming into a real human girl. It is a film that thrives on the magic it emits from its craft. To quote Roger Ebert, “This is more than ‘artistry.’ It is art.”
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