If your kids are anything like mine, it can be hard to persuade them to watch anything new. There are a lot of great movies in the world of Disney and Pixar, but it’s also really rewarding to introduce them to something a bit different.
With that in mind, Ponyo is a great entryway to the delightful animation outside of Disney+.
Ponyo is an animated classic from Studio Ghibli, the Japanese masterminds who conjured some of the most spellbinding animated films you’ll ever see.
The likes of My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away are widely loved, critically acclaimed and 100% worth seeing. But for now, I’m highlighting Ponyo as your gateway, because it’s so accessible to younger kids.
This delightful little fable tells the story of Ponyo, a young fish who defies her father, the ruler of the sea, and magically sprouts legs to be with a boy on land. Basically, it’s The Little Mermaid. In Japan, without the songs.
It’s a gentle story, without any bad guys. Admittedly, Ponyo’s father – a David Bowie-esque underwater sorcerer, voiced in the English version by Liam Neeson – chases his runaway daughter. But he’s not exactly a villain, just a loving father who doesn’t always get it right. At least, that’s how I explained it to my kids.
Engaging and emotional enough for the whole family, Ponyo is also a treat for a home cinema setup. The simple character designs are absolutely adorable, particularly the shapeshifting Ponyo herself.
The painterly visuals shift from a rich underwater world to equally gorgeous landscapes, with both appearing richly colourful and vibrant. A standout sequence involves a storm hitting the land, in which Ponyo races across the crashing waves in a giddily madcap race with her friend’s car.
Ponyo is a delight, a lovely little fairy tale of friendship and magic that’s just weird enough to introduce kids to the wonderful world of Studio Ghibli and other animation from around the world.
MORE:
Our experts rate the best movie scenes for Dolby Atmos
Our picks of the best TVs
We rank the best Dolby Atmos soundbars money can buy
