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Pom Poko Director: Isao Takahata Number of Items: 1 Format: Animated, Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Running Time: 119 minutes Studio: Buena Vista Home Vid Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2005-08-16 Buy from Amazon |
 "Deceptively complex fable."I am frankly astonished (and pleased) that Disney is actually bringing this strange, complex, wonderful film out in the US. It's a very sophisticated look at how societies balance (or not) urban development and the natural world while touching on issues of ecology, displacement of aboriginal populations, and even terrorism. It's also a very entertaining parody of historical documentaries on TV (the pompous Japanese title is: "Heisei-era Raccoon War Pom Poko"). I can't wait to see what Disney does about the male Tanukis' magically transforming, er..., parts, since I believe their deal with Ghibli doesn't allow edits. "great film, possible cultural problems"i have this movie on japanese laserdisc. this is my favourite studio ghibli film. i lived on the outskirts of a japanese city while i was a child, during the ten years we lived there the neighborhood changed from 3/4 fields of crops to 3/4 private homes, this film resonates with me in way that Miyazaki's more fantastic ecology films don't, tho Totoro has many familiar sights in it. like the previous reviewer i thought this film would run afoul of the MPAA rating system and american puritanical tradition. i'll be blunt. anyone who has seen a ceramic tanuki knows they have huge testicles. in the film they use them as weapons, literally. in one scene the old tanuki teaching the younger ones the art of transforming, informs them the mat that they are all sitting on is his transformed testicles. in another a tanuki swings his scrotum with his hands like a sack of bowling balls in a fight. it's as sexual as the bath scene in Totoro(not at all), still i never thoght this movie could get a PG in america. not sure but, i believe the japanese tried to enter this film in the best foreign film catagory in the oscars. it deserved it as much as the Incredibles did. |
