This is the latest animated film by master animated director Hayao Miyazaki. It is set much closer to a child's world than some of his past efforts like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, but it still has his wonderful touch for magic and imagination.
In this, a boy who lives by the sea finds a fish-girl who hopes to become human by the shore and they become friends. When she magically transforms into a girl, they fall in love. Her father, a wizard who lives under the water gets angry and he sets off a chaotic ocean storm sending magic waves to find her. Once she is caught she explains to him and to her magical mother that she is in love with the boy and wants to be a human. They tell her that the only way this can happen is if he fully accepts her and totally loves her.
The story is rather obtuse, however some of the details are wonderful. Setting the waves of the ocean and the tides as characters is a great detail. And seeing the flooded town with all sorts of fish swimming up the streets is great too. I imagine this will be immediately loved by kids who see it.
Still, I wish the story was a bit more grown up and less banal. It's a fairy tale that I've seen/read before (basically the Little Mermaid). Of course I won't get into the silliness of five-year-olds falling in love with one another for eternity.
The movie is visually stunning - as you would expect from Miyazaki - and a totally fabulous thing to behold. His vision is beautiful and his love for nature, humanity and spirits is great.
Stars: 2 of 4
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While it's not at the level of Spirited Away or even Howls Moving Castle (I didn't care for Princess Mononoke), I found the film very satisfying, gentle and sweet and beautifully drawn. I don't think the kids are in love as in romance, but just best friends with the idea that they might/will fall truly in love when older. The scene of the girl running across the waves is great fun. But I also love the still moments -- the girl staring at a baby who stares back, the fish following the road when the town is flooded and so on. Very simple, but nice.
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