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Japan's Miyazaki keeps computers out of cartoons
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-01 12:32 Early reviews of Ponyo, which features Miyazaki's trademark blend of the everyday and magic, were full of praise and the film was warmly applauded in Venice. "It is a work of great fantasy and charm that will delight children ages 3 to 100," wrote the Hollywood Reporter, adding: "Excellent commercial prospects loom." Miyazaki, who won an Academy Award for best animated film in 2003 with "Spirited Away", has directed three of the top five selling movies in Japan in the past seven years. Ponyo, released in its home market last month, has already become one of Japan's most popular movies. Miyazaki's films have often failed to match that success abroad, although he has a cult-like following among fans of the animation genre. He said that by placing a Western classic like Andersen's tale in a contemporary Japanese setting, Ponyo "appeals to anybody in the world" and that, while it was primarily meant for children, he had not targeted a particular audience. Japan looms large over the Venice film festival this year, with another animation film, "The Sky Crawlers" by Mamoru Oshii, and Takeshi Kitano's "Achilles and the Tortoise" also featuring in the main competition of 21 titles. |
