New film by "Spirited Away" director wows Japan
By Naoto Okamura
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki of Oscar-winning animated
film "Spirited Away" has captured the hearts of Japanese movie goers again,
this time with a tale of a mermaid which will soon be seen around the world.
"Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea," about the friendship between a
five-year-old boy and a mermaid girl who wishes to live in his world, has
become one of the most popular Japanese movies in its home market in its
first month of release.
Box office sales have surpassed 10 billion yen ($91 million), and the film's
theme tune features as a ringtone on thousands of Japanese mobile phones.
The film is also set to be shown at the Venice Film Festival, which starts
next week, and then it will be distributed in the United States, said a
spokesman for Japanese distributor, Toho Co Ltd, although details have not
been set.
"It was full of dreams and heart-warming. I think many people are seeking
something like this," said 39-year-old Miyuki Ueda, who watched the film
with her sons.
"Ponyo was really cute," said Yuta, her 14-year-old son.
Miyazaki has released a string of hit animation films that have helped
revive the Japanese movie industry, directing three of the top five selling
movies in Japan in the past seven years, industry figures from the Motion
Picture Producers Association of Japan show.
As well as 2001's "Spirited Away," about a little girl who wanders into a
spirit world and which won an Academy Award for best animated film in 2003,
Miyazaki has wooed Japanese filmgoers with 2004's "Howl's Moving Castle,"
about a boy wizard who fights for justice in a magical world.
Ponyo's story line is similar to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little
Mermaid," which was also the basis of 1989's popular Disney animated film by
the same name.
"Spirited Away" launched Miyazaki on to the world stage, but film
criticRyusuke Hikawa says it's too early to say if "Ponyo" would be as
successful.
"Miyazaki sticks to creating animated films by hand-drawing. In that sense
his works are old-type animation," he said.
"But that's what makes them universally appealing."
In 2006, local films outperformed foreign movies in Japanese movie theatres
for the first time in 21 years.
While Miyazaki did not have a movie that year, his son, Goro Miyazaki,
carried on the family tradition with animated cartoon, "Tales of Earthsea,"
based on a U.S. tale of two battling wizards. The film was the top grossing
movie in Japan in 2006.
Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com
___________________________________________________________________
How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List
Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L
The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
