Don't get me wrong, I really liked the movie, but in my opinion it doesn't stand up to any of Studio Ghibli's other attempts, including "The Cat Returns" (which is quite often deemed as an inferior title).
I don't know, I just didn't feel the movie had enough steam to carry itself throughout 95 minutes.
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It's funny, before I actually saw it I always thought "Kiki" would be one of my less favorites, since the subject matter doesn't appeal to me at all.
But I ended up loving it, it's probably on my Top 3. =)
Kiki happens to be one of my favourite Ghibli films. It has the least extravagence but is still incredibly visually beautiful at the right moments. Its theme is what appealed to me the most - not really the theme but how the theme was portrayed. A truly great coming-of-age film without any feelings of loss.
shareI agree that "Kiki" was one my favorite films (of all time). I got into the coming-of-age stroy and felt it was not played up. It sucks being 13; youth's irrationalness (is that a word?) and self-estem gets in the way.
shareThis was a great film, but I think it is better appreciated in Japan. For me, the hands-down weakest Ghibli film is Ocean Waves. It's a mediocre film with no value added in the animation. Not much better was Yamadas, which seemed to me to be pretentious. There's an animated series in Japan which has been running forever that does a similar thing with much better wit and humility: Sazae-san. The next two weakest films are actually quite good: The Cat Returns and Howl's Moving Castle. Everything else by Ghibli is classic.
shareGood point. "Yamadas" was indeed pretentious.
Which surprises me, since it really isn't Takahata's style.
I guess the film presented itself TOO much as the "ultimate portrayal of a middle-class family in modern japan".
To me, I see none of the Ghibli films as "Weak." It seems so... blegh to just pick 'favorites' among a studio that nearly always has entertaining movies. This movie was no exception, it did get a little twistly near the end, but overall, I liked it.
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Exactlty. The Disney dub of "Kiki" is dreadfull. I found myself wishing Jiji would just shut the hell up (ditto the spanish and italian dubs). While, like many Disney dubs, it also seems to add a lot of contextualizing ("it's all about learning to be yourself Kiki", etc...) that Ghibli concidered there was no need for.
But I love the Japanese language track. "Kiki" may be unelaborate and understated but it is so sweet and also lush to look at.
Totaly disagree with your oppinion on "Laputa" though. I preffer the Disney dub to the Japanese. I think the knock-about nature of it actually suits what is essentialy an action film more than the original Japanese. Wish Optimum had included the Japanese Airline english dub as well for comparision puposes, espetialy as (apparently) the only legal editions were an obscure UK DVD and a Japanese Ghibli Laserdisc boxset (I want I want I want).
"Pom Poko" however is the worst of the Disney dubs simply because it dumbs it down so much. It took me 3 hours to watch the DVD when I first bought it as I kept rewinding it to compare the two tracks to just to see what they'd left out or changed so not as to offend US parents.
The film certainly does meander but is intreging with it. It it's Japanese language version it's possibly my favourite Ghibli title, in English, it's simply a so-so anime movie...
"I think you're a load of old crap too, Mr Mulligan!"
If you want to know what part of the appeal of this film is in Japan, read "Kwaidan" by Irish author Lafcadio Hearn. This is a collection of traditional Japanese ghost stories which is very widely read over there. The stories are constantly referenced during the film - half the fun of Pompoko is seeing your favourite ghostly characters cameo in the background. Pompoko is therefore one of my favourite Ghiblis, but I admit that seeing it without prior knowledge of Japanese mythology would be a bit odd. Rather like watching Austen Powers without ever having seen or heard of a James Bond film? (Incidentally, several stories from "Kwaidan" have been made into a visually gorgeous film of the same name which I can't recommend highly enough.)
sharedefinitely one of the best from Ghibli studio, i loved this movie
shareLong-winded is a perfect term for this film, but I definetly think that this is one of the better Ghiibli films. But then again I strongly disliked Laputa and Kaze no tani no Naushika, so I think that I have an opposite view from others.
sharecouldnt disagree more with the original poster. this is one of my favorite animated movies of all time. to me this is (and please pardon the comparison) the fight club of animated movies. man i felt sorry for the racoons, i sort of wished that they would kill all the humans
shareWhen I first heard of it back in 2004, I wasn't sure if it was any good.
By Summer 2005 when the DVD came I ordered it along with Yamadas.
And with surprise it was a lot better than I expected it to be.
Even though the raccoon balls are visible. And all those Japanese Goblins and gods.
But I think it was very good. I can understand why it was never dubbed in english before due to it being very weird for American viewers. Course it can be interesting to see an example of different culture.
The movie did had some good moments and a good morol to preserving nature.
Isao Takahata is a good director. I've seen his 3 other movies: Grave of Fireflies, Only Yesterday and Yamadas. Which are other great movies.
I can understand why people here say that they think about Pompoko as a weaker one of Studio Ghibli´s great works(weaker but still great!!).
But IMHO its just the movie that is more precise about its subject than any other ghibli movie."Nausicaä" has a message about environmental things and preservation of nature too but it is "covered" in a fictional futuristic world whereas "Heisei tanuki gassen Pompoko" is meant to be in real life.Thats why the narrator is so dominant in this movie and the Tanuki dont speak soo much.
I see this movie as a refreshingly new(more like old-new) style from Studio Ghibli because they normally have stories about kids having to struggle like Chihiro or Pazu from Laputa.
@dballred: Ocean Waves was a movie made for TV.That why it seems not special.
I guess they didnt have the same budget or time for this one.Although the story is the typical kind of Ghibli nostalgic love story like "Whisper of the Heart" or "Only Yesterday" it really is subpar.
Yeah and "Yamadas" is based on a comic strip from Hisaichi Ishii thats why it looks so strange.
This movie seems to be a sort of animated docutainment with an ecological moral suitable for kids aswell as adults.
Thats why for me Pompoko pleasantly stands besides the crowd,making it a special Studio Ghibli movie i appreciated very much.
They're all my favourite. Ghibli ranges from very good to absolutely excellent in my view, so I'd never use the word "worst" when describing them.
shareI agree that Pom Poko is the weakest of all the Ghibli films for me. My Neighbor the Yamadas wasn't amazing either, although it made me laugh a few times, but its style was different from Ghibli's other movies. Kiki's Delivery Service isn't that great for a Ghibli movie, but by itself it's pretty good.
1, 2, 3, 4...Who's punk? What's the score? -- Jawbreaker
By the way, I'm a girl.
Personally, the worst movie I've seen from Ghibli was Howl's Moving Castle. It was just a convoluted presentation that lacked a bit of heart and soul.
All studio Ghibli's movies are great, compared to all the shallow and souless filth that Hollywood and Disney has been dishing out this past few years. In my opinion, there is no less great or inferior Ghibli film. They all stand out like glittering diamonds compared to anything else on the big screen nowadays.
shareMy list(of those ive seen):
My neighbour Totoro *****
Grave of the fireflies ** 1/2(the weakest i thinK)
Kikis Delivery Service *****(also my fave. Animation of all time)
Spirited away ****(really great but worst of those Hayao Miyazaki films, but theyre all great)
Howls moving castle ****
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Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!? How can you say that Grave of the Fireflies is the weakest Ghibli film? thats just crazy talk!!! no, i respect your opinion but i just have never heard any one say that about Grave.
Any way, i dont think that any Ghibli film is "weak" or what ever, but the one i liked least was The Cat Returns.
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I will not compare films that have differant meanings or are a part of differant genre (anime is not a strict genre); it is pointless. But I like "Pom" alot if only because it is the most Japanese. From that I mean that it is strictly geared to the Japanese state-of-mind: the legends and lore, religon(s), and social and environment problems. You actually learn something about Japan from watching this film.
shareare you on crack? this film was great!
shareI haven't seen them all yet, but i didn't like Pom Poko that much,
it was too lackluster in terms of character development.
My personal favorites are Spirited Away and The Cat Returns.
This is how I'd rank Studio Ghibli's Movies. Bear in mind that the ones I rated 10 are each in my top 10 movies of all time. <3
The amazing:
1. Princess Mononoke 10/10
2. Whisper of the Heart 10/10
3. Grave of the Fireflies 10/10
4. Only Yesterday 9/10
5. Spirited Away 9/10
6. Kiki's Delivery Service 8/10
7. Nauicaa of the Valley of the Wind 8/10
The good:
8. The Cat Returns 7/10
9. My Neighbor Totoro 7/10
10. Porco Rosso 7/10
11. Laputa Castle in the Sky 6/10
12. Pom Poko 6/10
The Sub-Par:
13. Howl's Moving Castle 5/10
14. My Neighbors the Yamadas 5/10
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