Landon J
One of the more whimsical and very enjoyable message driven Ghibli films. Very heartfelt, with a satisfying albeit not story tale ending.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
11/29/24
Full Review
Psyqx S
Love this movie with fun and inventive art designs with an eco friendly message
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
11/28/24
Full Review
Papy D
"Pom Poko": A Profound Realistic Allegory Behind Fantasy
"Pom Poko" is an animated film directed by Isao Takahata. It presents the audience with a world of conflict between tanuki (raccoon dogs) and humans from a unique perspective and with a fantastical narrative technique, containing profound thoughts on various aspects such as the environment, society, and human nature.
The story of the film is set in a mountain forest that seems peaceful but harbors hidden dangers. The tanuki used to live a carefree life. They possess the magical ability to transform, being able to change into human forms or other objects. This supernatural setting adds a strong touch of fantasy to the film. However, humans' expansion plans have disrupted the tanuki's peace. As the city develops, the tanuki's habitats are gradually encroached upon, and they are facing a huge challenge to their survival. To defend their homeland, the tanuki have launched a seemingly absurd yet courageous struggle. They try to use various transformation tricks to frighten humans and stop the progress of construction projects. Some tanuki transform into terrifying monsters and haunt construction sites at night, while others disguise themselves as construction workers to create chaos. These plots are full of comedic effects, and the tanuki's funny appearances and clumsy actions often make people burst out laughing. But behind the laughter lies the tanuki's deep helplessness and sadness. They are well aware that their strength is so insignificant compared to that of humans, yet they still fight desperately for their last homeland.
In terms of visual effects, "Pom Poko" can be regarded as an exquisite animated masterpiece. The film depicts the mountain forest scenery in meticulous detail. The lush forests, gurgling brooks, and gorgeous seasonal changes seem to transport the audience into a paradise. The design of the tanuki's images is also very cute and full of personality. Each tanuki has its own unique appearance and character traits, from the mischievous young tanuki to the calm and wise elder tanuki, and their images come alive on the screen. The portrayal of the human world, on the other hand, is relatively simple and clear, highlighting the coldness and vastness of urban buildings, forming a sharp contrast with the warm mountain forest homes of the tanuki. This contrast not only creates a strong visual impact but also deepens the audience's sympathy for the tanuki's plight on an emotional level.
In terms of theme expression, the film is far more than a simple story about animal protection. It profoundly reflects the contradictory relationship between humans and nature. In the pursuit of modernization and development, humans often neglect the protection of the natural environment, resulting in many creatures losing their habitats and facing the danger of extinction. The tanuki in the film are like spokespersons for nature, and their struggle symbolizes nature's resistance to human overexploitation. Meanwhile, the film also explores the themes of war and peace. Although the confrontation between the tanuki and humans is not filled with the smoke of gunpowder, the tension and cruelty in it are no less than those in a real war. During the struggle, the tanuki gradually realize that violence cannot truly solve problems and that peaceful coexistence is the ideal choice. The expression of this theme endows the film with a deeper connotation and triggers the audience's reflection on various conflicts and contradictions in the real world.
In addition, the character creation in the film is also very successful. The images of the tanuki are vivid and lively, and they have their own dreams, fears, and emotions. For example, the protagonist, Tanuki Tarou, is brave yet somewhat reckless, has a deep affection for his homeland, and keeps growing during the struggle. The process of his inner struggle and transformation is delicate and realistic, enabling the audience to deeply feel the difficulties and pressures he faces. Although there are relatively few human characters, they are each representative. The developers, who push forward the projects regardless of everything for the sake of profit, represent human greed and blindness in the process of development. And some ordinary residents show curiosity or sympathy for the existence of the tanuki, reflecting the complex emotions and attitudes of humans.
All in all, "Pom Poko" is an animated film with profound connotations and artistic value. It takes a fantastical story as a carrier and skillfully integrates reflections on real issues into it, allowing the audience to reflect on important topics such as humans and nature, war and peace while enjoying the wonderful animation. The film has both light-hearted and humorous plots and cute character images that can attract audiences of all ages, as well as serious and profound themes, which makes it leave a glorious mark in the history of animated films.
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Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
11/28/24
Full Review
Fredi T
The most prominent theme of Pom Poko is its deep concern for the environment, particularly the conflict between natural habitats and the process of urbanization. In the film, the raccoon dogs' home is under threat from urban development, with developers filling in forests and building houses and factories. In order to protect their home, the raccoon dogs decide to take action. This is not just a story of animal resistance, but also a reflection of the reciprocal influence between humanity and nature.
I usually use these two sites for more free movies and short dramas.If you have a better website, please recommend it to me. Thank you
https://omnishort.com/？utm_source=rottentomatoes
https://nightgod.tv/？utm_source=rottentomatoes
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
11/27/24
Full Review
Graham O
This movie is a refreshing delight compared to Ghibli’s more critically acclaimed, serious dramas.
It’s quirky, funny, incredibly animated, and still has those epic themes like nature vs machine.
It’s very dense, and like the other films, one could watch it again and again while noticing subtle details each time.
Even at almost 30 years old, the dialogue and animation age extremely well.
It is a must see for those fans of mononoke, totoro, or spirited away, and could easily appeal to any age group.
This very well might be in my new top 3, alongside mononoke and princess kaguya.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
11/25/24
Full Review
Dave C
Such a lovely tale, told with the typical SG ‘life lessons' and educational threads weaved in to the story. The characters represent the good, the bad, and the ugly in their struggles against humankind, as well as trying to show how we lord it over the Earth. The imagery, animation, and writing are all as you'd expect from SG. I do think the closing of the story could have been tighter, and taken a little more seriously
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
04/02/24
Full Review
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