Ponyo

 
Ponyo distributed by Disney.

Plot: After she manages to escape from her overbearing father, a little goldfish girl finds herself rescued by a four-year-old boy. The boy, named Soske, is enchanted by the little red fish with a girl's face, and names her Ponyo. Promising to love her, Soske and Ponyo seem like perfect friends...until the sea reclaims Ponyo. Determined to return to the little boy, Ponyo taps into depths of magic her father never dreamed of. She manages to find Soske and transforms into a girl to stay with him and his mother, but her determination tears the fabric of reality. She and Soske must conquer the sea goddess's challenge to return the world's balance and stay with each other.

Genre: Animation, Movie, Fantasy, Anime

Reading Level: Rated G

Similar Titles: Charlotte's Web, My Neighbor Totoro

Personal Thoughts: While the movie is based on Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid, it has a much lighter feel and sweeter ending than the original. While the movie does hint at deeper meaning beyond the plot, it uses the hints to maintain a feeling of mystery coupled with a desire to explore, much like My Neighbor Totoro. Also, the animators attempted to avoid relying on computer graphics, allowing the simplicity of the character design to give the movie a story-book quality often missing in animation. A good movie for a lazy day.