"There is difference and there is power. And who holds the power decides the meaning of the difference." --June Jordan

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Ponyo

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Anytime someone brings up the dearth of good female characters in animated films, I always feel a little sad that more people don't know about Hayao Miyazaki. Girls are front and center in so many of his films, showing strength and courage and curiosity and wisdom and adventurousness -- basically, he knows how to portray girls as multi-dimensional people. Here's the trailer for the U.S. release of his latest offering, Ponyo:



Dan and I both agreed the trailer seemed a little over-Disneyfied, and the heavy use of the Disney voice guy made us feel like we were aboard Disney's Magical Express, but we're excited all the same.

10 comments:

tracy said...

I hate that Disney voice.

Dolly said...

Isn't that the voice we're supposed to think of when we think of God? ;)

PS total miyazaki fan. i am PUMPED for this new movie.

plumpdumpling said...

If I was home and Dan bought me a ticket for this and offered to take me to Max & Erma's beforehand, I still wouldn't go.

Tracey said...

Well, it's a good thing you're not coming home around the 14th, then, because I would so ditch you to go see it.

Kelly said...

I can't wait for this movie. Jessica the Web Mistress saw it in Japan last summer, and even though it was in Japanese (of course) and she couldn't understand any of the dialogue, she STILL loved it.

Tracey said...

Kelly: My comments feed doesn't tell me what post a comment is related to until I click through, so I was worried for a second that you were actually excited about this movie:

http://unapologeticallyfemale.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-may-avoid-going-to-movies-just-so-i.html

I have to say I'm a little relieved.

plumpdumpling said...

Damn, woman. That stung.

Megan said...

If you're hoping that this will be a feminist feature like Miyazaki's other (wonderful!) films, you will be disappointed for sure! It's about as feminist as Disney's Sleeping Beauty.

achilleseffect said...

I agree with the previous comment from Megan. This film does women no favours. It also has a pretty negative message for boys too, namely that they need to endure a harsh separation from their mothers in order to become "men" i.e. show no signs of vulnerability or neediness because that is not what real men do.

What a disappointment this film was.

Anonymous said...

You know when I first saw the trailer for this movie, I thought that it looked okay. But then I saw it again and found out that Miley Cyrus' little sister and the Jonas Brothers' youngest brother are both the lead charectors(I think that I spelled that wrong?whateves...),which I realise that may sound biased(it is), but has anyone looked at their families and the messages they're sending? Like the complete idiocy that Myley displayed at the teen choice awards dancing on a stripper pole. Which I am all for sex positivity but that is not at all what she was trying to do. Like the fact that shes said she looks up to Britney Spears, even now.....Anyways I guess my point is that the same company that produces Miley,Jonas Brothers, and a plethera of princess movies, probably shouldn't be expected to produce anything feminst/progressive/not crap.