I'm a HUGE Ghibli fan and loved every movie I've seen from them or Hayao Miyazaki, so it's very hard for me to say this...
but I HATED Pom Poko!
It's even hard for me to justify, maybe it's the art direction, transformation of 3 different forms of raccoons.
or the fact there really isn't a typical 'hero' character you cheer for like most other Ghibli films.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
While it's definitely my least liked Ghibli, I didn't hate it.
But to be completely honest, the raccoons did irritate me sometimes, it was their personalities and their voices. But I loved the street parade scene. And I also liked the ending, it was the only scene I felt that really connected to Studio Ghibl, so that made up for it.
But yeah... It's my least liked one. It's nothing compared to Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies and Only Yesterday. (haven't seen yamandas though)
it was the only scene I felt that really connected to Studio Ghibl, so that made up for it.
Let's be honest, if it wasn't a Ghibli movie, nobody would even know the movie, let alone like it.
shareI saw this as well as "The Return of the Cat" for the first time yesterday and was a bit disappointed with both, certainly with Pom Poko which is now my least favourite Ghibli-movie.
My problems with this film:
- The movie seems to be making a point, bring a message, but ultimately doesn't. You get a feeling of your expectations not being met.
- Poor character development. You also don't get that much sympathy for the racoons as they are as bad as humans.
- The tone of the movie is very confusing. Cute and silly things suggest it is for kids, but at the same time it contains elements that are clearly targeted for adults. As a result it doesn't appeal to either.
- It is repetetive and drawn out. Could have been cut by at least half an hour.
Agreed. I liked it, but it's probably my least favourite Ghibli film that I've seen so far and it was definitely too long.
shareNo, I hate it too.
shareIf you don't like the story missing a traditional hero in it, then you probably won't like Mononoke either.
I like most Ghibli films (I just watched Pom Poko, it's kind of .. neat? but not great no) - but I disliked Mononoke the most, possibly more than the cat returns.
The general consensus is that PP is the weakest of Studio Ghibli's films (and possibly the weakest film directed by Isao Takahata - Only Yesterday and Grave of the Fireflies, and his pre-Ghibli efforts Chie the Brat and Gauche the Cellist are considered to be his stronger works). It's not a BAD film, but it can get lost on Western audiences... and the lack of developed characters and story can be a bit of an off-putter, too - if this film were, say... 95 minutes instead of 115, then maybe - MAYBE - I'd raise my opinion of it, because most of the content is just superfluous and does nothing to help drive the plot.
shareNot to nitpick, but although it does seem to have the lowest score on Imdb, I wouldn't say that qualifies as a consensus considering even the Cat Returns has 21,705 reviews while Pom Poko has only 9,462. It's just not enough people have seen it.
shareTales from Earthsea, Ocean Waves, The Cat Returns, and My Neighbors the Yamadas all have lower ratings. From Up on Poppy Hill has the same rating. Also if you look at Douban (China's "IMDb"), Pom Poko has an 8.3 rating, which is even with Porco Rosso and higher than Ponyo, The Cat Returns, Ocean Waves, From Up on Poppy Hill, Tales from Earthsea, and even significantly higher than The Wind Rises.
shareThe general consensus is that PP is the weakest of Studio Ghibli's films
My Ghibli dislike movie is Ged Senki ^^
Pom Poko was a bit boring.
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Lincoln Lee: I lost a partner.
Peter Bishop: I lost a universe!
I think it's pretty good, but definitely not one of the best Ghibli films. I think the main problem is the fact that the characters aren't developed enough. For at least half of the movie I didn't feel like I knew most of them very well at all.
shareI found this one very enjoyable. Very witty. And I always have enjoyed animals being animated more than human characters. Although of course the raccoons do keep transforming themselves into humans. I'm not bothered about the lack of a hero.
shareI could see this as a double-feature with Princess Mononoke.
Both deal with nature and man at odds with each other, though while Mononoke is an epic journey, Poko is fascinating to me for its use of a documentary-style setup.
"Thanks, guys." "So long, partner."
- Toy Story 3 (9/10)