Ponyo
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Miyazaki's stunning adventure is geared to younger kids.
Themes in this movie include: family relationships, friendship, honesty, loss
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 5 and Up
The good stuff
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Educational value:
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Role models:
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Ponyo was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
Parents need to know that this stunning adventure from anime master Hayao Miyazaki is one of his most kid-friendly films to date, with strong characters and positive messages. There's little violence, although a few scenes during and after a climactic storm may disturb the youngest viewers. Some scenes in which parents and other characters seem to be missing might also be upsetting. Parents may be put off by the idea that two 5-year-old characters must at one point fend for themselves without supervision -- but this is, after all, a fairy tale-like story.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about Sosuke and Ponyo's journey to be together. What obstacles did they each have to overcome, and what sacrifices (if any) did they each have to make? Is it strange that Sosuke and Ponyo are 5, instead of teenagers?
- Miyazaki loosely based this story on Hans Christian Andersen's original Little Mermaid fairy tale. How does this version of the story compare to the Disney movie?
- Families who want to learn more about anime may want to screen Miyazaki's other films together. How are they similar to each other, and how are they different from most American-made animated movies?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Ponyo
What’s the Story?
Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid tale, PONYO follows a goldfish princess named Brunhilde (voiced by Noah Lindsey Cyrus) who wants to explore beyond the sea. When she ends up nearly lifeless on the shore of a small oceanfront village, 5-year-old Sosuke (Frankie Jonas) rescues her, renames her Ponyo, and vows to take care of her. Ponyo's father, an undersea sorcerer who seems human (Liam Neeson), recaptures her -- but Ponyo is determined to use her father's magic to turn into a girl and return to Sosuke. By unleashing her powers, Ponyo does transform into a girl, but she also disrupts the balance of nature and causes a tsunami that nearly destroys Sosuke and his mother Lisa's (Tina Fey) village.
Is It Any Good?
Despite the Disneyfication of the voice casting (you can just picture the pitch meeting: "We'll get Miley's little sister and the Jonases' little brother!), this is still a classic Miyazaki film, from the enchanting anime style to the recurring theme of humanity's relationship with our surroundings (in this case, the sea). And, once again, there are several unmistakably strong female characters: Ponyo is quite literally a force of nature, and her mother the ocean queen (Cate Blanchett) is even more powerful. Plus there's Sosuke's mom and the trio of elderly women she tends to (Cloris Leachman, Betty White, and Lily Tomlin), who form a sort of chorus for the film. And there is, at the heart of the Ponyo (and every Miyazaki story), a hero's journey.
American audiences unfamiliar with anime or Miyazaki's work may not "get" the movie's magical realism or the utter lack of pop culture references and big musical numbers. Ponyo is just like a real 5-year-old girl -- in awe of the world, adventurous, hilarious. Sosuke, on the other hand, is wise beyond his years, courageous, responsible, and loving. Those who dive in to Miyazaki's world will be rewarded with a humorous, touching fable that will leave young children wide-eyed, although possibly demanding ham (you'll see!).
Movie Details
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Run time: 103 minutes
Theatrical release: 8/14/2009
MPAA Rating: G
Run time: 103 minutes
Theatrical release: 8/14/2009
MPAA Rating: G
Our Members Say
See all 66 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
great movie
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Strong female role models, kids exhibiting kindness and empathy, no snarkiness or sassiness, a beautiful fairytale about love and family and dedication and friendship. (Sounds boring, right? No, beautiful, and funny and touching). Truly one of the best kids films weve seen in a long time. My 8 yr. old and 4 yr. olds loved it
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
I LOVED IT GO TO MILE DRIVE.COM TO WATCH IT FOR FREE WHITOUT A SURVEY!!!!!!!!!!!
I just watched it LOVED it
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
Perfect for little kids
I just love it! It's cutethat Ponyo constantly is asking for ham. This movie did have some problems with the mom getting drunk other than that everything was fine.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
The Master Miyazaki
Another breathtaking marvel from the master Miyazaki. Wow, I hardly know what to say. While every other studio is scrambling to see who can outdo the other in terms of technological prowess here we have a pure concentration on the telling of the tale and the river takes us exactly where we are supposed to be. Mystical mythos fused with a child's wonder we are once again transformed in the eye of the maker who lets us know that we must accept people for who they are, love unconditionally and allow ourselves to be loved. Also, much like "Nausicaa," Miyazaki also comments on how poorly we care for the earth. In a rare foray into the "G" rated category, Miyazaki never fails to delight or teach. I will gladly add this fine piece of cinema and storytelling mastery to my collection upon its release to DVD. See it as soon as you can.
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
A great movie with a wonderful plot and great animation
i love this movie! hayao miyazaki is such a good animator! the movie has a good plot, good message, and is beautifully done. the only thing that i can find bad about it is that the only version i could find online was the japanese one and i had to read the subtitles :P Oh, and the only violence is that Sosuke cuts his finger on a jar. ~SPOILER~ Ponyo slurps up the blood which allows her to grow chicken feet and hands.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Gentle fairy tale with beautiful Japanese setting
Miyazaki is a master of anime (Japanese animation) who creates beautiful imaginary landscapes and stories as full of heart as they are of adventure. Some of his animated movies (for example, The Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle) are more suited to the teen-to-adult audience than to the young children Americans tend to associate with animation. However, Ponyo is a kid's delight and a parent's dream, if you're looking for a delightful movie to share with a young child that you can both enjoy--and approve of, too. A little Japanese boy who lives on the seashore while his father works on a ship discovers a goldfish caught in garbage on the beach, rescues her, and names her Ponyo. Soon he discovers that she's not just a goldfish--she has a human face and is actually a type of mermaid, the young daughter of a sea wizard. Ponyo ventured too close to land out of curiosity; she soon falls in love with the land and wants to stay. But her wizard father warns that by using her magic powers to walk between sea and land, Ponyo is disturbing the balance of nature. The two children (human and mermaid) must display courage and resourcefulness to find the boy's mother after a flood isolates the senior center where she works. They must also pass magical tests to satisfy the wizard and to restore the balance of nature. Ponyo has no serious, adult-style or even teen-style romance or sexuality. The children say they "love" each other, but don't moon over each other or do anything much out of keeping with 5-year-old friends or cousins who are fond of each other. (BTW I can't believe one of the other reviewers called breastfeeding a baby "sexual content"! Breastfeeding is NOT SEX. It is eminently suitable for kids--whattya think our grandmothers did when they had 8 kids, not feed the baby in front of big sister & brother????) This movie also has no real violence, although the sea wizard threatens humans with violence. It might be scary to a kid who has abandonment issues, because the boy's mother leaves him alone to take care of the "seniors" during the flood, and he has a difficult quest to find her. OTOH, children in fairy tales typically get left alone so they can display their heroism. Individual parents have to judge what their child's sensitive issues may be and whether this is likely to be a problem. Parents who dislike the Disney "Little Mermaid" for its stereotypical portrayals of women as victims of love may prefer this Japanese version, with its undaunted (and unsilent!) heroine and good motherly and grandmotherly role models, both realistic (the boy's mother & the old women she works with) and fantastical (Ponyo's mother, whom she describes as "big and beautiful, and sometimes scary"--the human boy responds, "Like my mom!") All in all, this is a beautiful movie, both visually and in terms of storyline, lovable characters, and hopeful message. We all loved it (2 adults & not-quite-6-year-old boy).
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Perfect for people of all ages
Ponyo is an amazing movie, both artistically and storyline. The fish is cute, and father the good and bad guy. overall grat movie.
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Perfect for people of all ages
Ponyo is an amazing movie, both artistically and storyline. The fish is cute, and father the good and bad guy. overall grat movie.
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
While it doesn't compare to Miyazaki at his best, it's still very good.
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I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Very weird movie.
A very odd movie. many confusing parts that made NO sense to my kids and little sense to me! Skip it and save the money!
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I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Very weird movie.
A very odd movie. many confusing parts that made NO sense to my kids and little sense to me! Skip it and save the money!
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
GO PONYO!
This movie is an amazing masterpiece! My kids have memorized the theme song in Englisn AND Japanese, which gave them a great multicultural experience! It also taught them about true love! The only bad part, as fellow reviewer cabbe said, is the part with the mom, the baby, and the soup. Other than that, this was a beautiful touching movie! I cried 7 times!
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My highlights are:
A film for the family that wont dissapoint to much.
Kids under 8 would not get this and it would just go over there heads. Sends good meassege of bravry. altho it is a good movie but felt to short. Subtitles are not to hard to read and don't go to quickly. The film is 1hr 40min but feels like 3 scenes.
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- My highlights are:
Hiyao Miyazaki Makes a Masterpiece Once Again!
My children absolutely loves this movie! The animation was beautiful too. The only bad part was the awkward scene where ponyo offered a baby some soup and when the mother started drinking it she got angry and said it was for the baby. The mother then explained about breastfeeding!
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
Awesome for the whole family
I loved this movie almost as much as my daughter did! It's not very often that I really enjoy and get wrapped up in the story of a children's movie, but I was enthralled. The ending was kind of odd, but my daughter seemed unfazed by it. She LOVED this movie-we'll definitely buy it on dvd.
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I rate this title iffy for age 4 and give it
A boring film that will barely hold your kids interest
Simply put, the movie was boring. Besides being an animated movie, there was nothing there for a kid to enjoy. It felt more like a subdued anime for adults.
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Good for everyone
Loved it. I might get my mom to buy this on DVD because it rocks.
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
Love it it was an educational but a good film at the same time.
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Ponyo rocks.
The movie Ponyo had some scary parts. Ponyo and the boy Sosake basically get married at the end of the movie. Sometimes it has some harsh parts and fantasy violence. It had lots of fantasy stuff about the ocean and that part was sort of violent. And that explains the waves turning into giant fish that Ponyo was running on. It was weird when Ponyo started out as a tiny goldfish, went to a bigger fish, turned into a human, and then Ponyo started changing back into a human/fish and then at the end she was a tiny gold fish again, and then turned back into a human. Some of it was sort of crazy, like when the giant waves were going up like a water volcano. Overall, I think it was a good movie. I will watch it again when it comes out on DVD. The scary parts maybe won’t be as scary on the TV compared to the theater screen. It was sort of cute and at the same time really weird.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 54% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 46% | of parents say there are good role models |
| 29% | of parents say it's too violent |
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