I cant say im impressed with the disnification of it, but I am glad it brings a wider audience too a Miyazaki film, I believe they should be watched and enjoyed by everyone (preferably original audio with subs though >.< )

The Gibhli films is one of the rare occasions I will watch the dub. Lasseter keeps an eye on them as he pretty much worships the man and they are so well done. Subtitles are always a distraction and in this case watching the dub lets you get pulled into the world that much more.

I don't want a trailer to tell me what a miyasaki movie is about, specially if they are going to say nature and friendship and... I want to find out by myself, feel it myself, and think about it myself....

It's such a Disney trailer but I highly suspect that the generic voiceover has alot to do with that. Miyazaki is a god among men and all his films are great. Some seem not as good but that's because stuff like Monoke and Spirited Away are that good.

I really just can't watch this. The movie is great, but ugh. I can't stand the voice acting for either Ponyo or Sosuke.

I thought Sosuke's voice was actually surprisingly decent, but Ponyo's... ugh.

Will still definitely watch the dub, though.

Huh. maybe it's just the trailer, but something seems off about the VO. Miyazaki films usually have amazing dubs, but this one.. i dunno.

I saw this last Saturday at UC Berkeley and was really surprised. It is Miyazaki's lightest film in terms of tone, and seems aimed towards a younger audience. The story is simple, but enjoyable.

I have to say that Miyazaki fails to impress me. I've watched Howls Moving Castle and half of Spirited Away (it got extremely boring, so I couldn't sit through it). Some of the animation is fabulous, I will admit, but each of his films will have some very sloppy animation that can ruin a scene for me. As for the stories, yes they are whimsical, but I find they have little action, but at the same time, little heart. People have compared his films to the movie Up, and I have to see I see no resemblance. Up is far more outstanding than any Miyazaki film. Can someone here tell me why he is any better than any other director?

As for Ponyo, I never get excited by voice acting. Voice acting is easy for many actors, so they do it no matter the script. Perhaps these people all signed on due to the script's quality, but that's doubtful. Maybe one or two did, but not all the actors. Also, I saw the great animation, but again, I saw some hideous animation as well. I feel like I'm part of the minority, but... I just don't get it...

You seem to like a more polished/"rounded" style in animation (if that makes any sense). I've watched many of Miyazaki's films and they have a fluid, lyrical grace to them that is simply beautiful. I also noticed that you didn't like the animation in Fantastic Mr. Fox's trailer either. I found the art in that childlike and deliberately "old school" which it seems is an aesthetic choice that doesn't jibe with you.

I can't really say much beyond that personally. I can't tell what you find sloppy in Miyazaki's work. The only thing I'm thinking is maybe some of the creatures and how they move, which I would say, is done to denote their "otherness." In any event, the man's a master and doesn't phone it in.

Besides Up (which I have to see!), what other animated films do you like? Are you much into anime at all?

Actually, after a second look at the trailer for Fantastic Mr. Fox, I liked the style. I just wasn't used to Stop Motion, and had to adjust to it.

The art style isn't my biggest issue. I mean, art style is important, but his stories aren't dynamic to me. The better the story is, the less I pay attention to the style...

I don't watch much anime, but I like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Steamboat Willie, all Pixar films, etc. I believe I even liked the Gumby movie, heh.

I do appreciate you responding to my post with an actual answer and not an uneducated 5 second response of "OMG! HES A GOD!" I know so many people love his films. I just don't know if I'm missing something...

Heh. I hear you...

I see what you mean about story with regards to Miyazaki. The thing is, I think it's something of an acquired taste. If you're not into foreign films yet, and over time, when you start discovering them, you'll see that films like Miyazaki's have a different aim than alot of American films...they're more interested in the viewer focusing on the moment and reflecting on the events as they unfold. He seems to create space in his films for you to anticipate, dread, or wonder...

This can be a real pain in the ass when you're not in the mood for it.

Oh yeah: I'm into the Disney and Pixar stuff too.

You're probably right. Sitting down to watch Spirited Away wasn't the thing to do late at night when I wasn't fully in the mood, heh. I will admit the only foreign film I've seen is Pan's Labyrinth, but it was a more "mature" film, so to speak...

Yeah, that's what it is. If you ever try a Miyazaki film again, watch it in parts. Soon as you start drifting, turn it off and come back to it later...heh!

Sounds good in theory, but when I break my movie up, I lose interest. I like my viewings to be all at once. I'm weird like that.

Yeah, that's actually the correct way to watch a film, but I have to admit, even I had to break up my most recent viewing of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and I love that movie.

You've got to give that one another chance. It really is amazing, but it requires your full attention to 'get it' the first time.

Next time, put on some coffee before you dig in! I think you'll find it rewarding and amazing.

That's what everyone is telling me, so I guess it's what I must do, haha!

Miyazaki has a ton of range. If you're looking for something a bit more mature, check out Princess Mononoke. Howls was far from his best film, and you really need to watch all of Spirited Away to understand all the praise. Hopefully this will get you started on watching more foreign films as well ;)

Oh, I really disliked Howls and that was my first entry into the Miyazaki world! I'll add that film to my Netflix and try Spirited Away again after.

I agree with Devindra; I think Mononoke Hime sounds like it's more to your individual taste. It's Miyazaki's darkest piece to date, yet still retains his trademark imaginative elements. Spirited Away may have been the movie that gained him Western approval thanks to an Oscar win, but I would argue Mononoke is his best work - it engages the mind like all Studio Ghibli creations, but does so without sacrificing good pacing. Now don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed all of the Ghibli stuff that I've seen, and I think it's actually the sheer variety that makes them collectively so well loved. And I did actually enjoy Spirited Away and it's steady gradual build up. I found Latter scenes in the movie to be more hard hitting because of it. :)

Yeah, i will agree that Howls was far from the best of Ghibli. The thing about Miyazaki's films is that they target issues more of the spirit than of the phisical, which is not what most western audiences are used to. And I noted that you said above that you couldnt get into his films because of a lack of action. You need to see Princess Mononoke (or Mononoke Hime for you purists). its quite bloody, and makes you look on in amazement. oh....almost forgot..... OMG!! MIYAZAKI IS A GOD!!! :p (just for good measure)

This is a far better trailer than the first one. If you want to sell a family film, you need to be selling its story and values, not solely visuals.

You know really grinds my gears? When I go see a Ponyo trailer on YouTube, it's always filled with "i'm only watchin diz cuz frankie jonas iz in it" or "FRANKIE JONAS ROKZ <3" or i'm only watchin this cuz the jonas brothers favorited" type of comments.

I love Hayao Miyazaki's films, and will surely be watching this as well.

It's nauseating the way this has been Disneyfied. The trailer voiceover makes me want to vomit.

Focus on the positive things. Without the Disney distribution channels it would be nearly impossible for most Americans to see this in a theater.

Yeah, I think that this movie may be entirely changed by the dub. The plot seems to have changed from when I saw this in Japan. Also, Ponyo's voice was too cute for them to change. I hope they release the original audio track in theaters.

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