Reviews & Columns |
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
DVD Talk Forum |
|
Resources |
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
Columns
|
|
Pom Poko
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment // PG // August 16, 2005
List Price: $29.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
Studio Ghibli may be most frequently associated with the work of Hayao Miyazaki, but he's not the only director to release films under the Ghibli shingle. The studio also enjoys the talents of Isao Takahata, whose filmography includes Grave of the Fireflies and My Neighbors the Yamadas. Disney has been releasing Ghibli's output in pairs, and after a couple of waves of two-disc special editions of Miyazaki's films, Takahata is finally getting the same treatment. The most recent batch includes Takahata's 1994 film Heisei tanuki gassen pompoko, more comfortably shortened stateside to Pom Poko.
Environmental concerns are often a topic of Studio Ghibli's films, and Pom Poko addresses these themes even more directly than usual. Urban sprawl is devastating the forests outside Tokyo. As the humans go about building homes for themselves, they're destroying the centuries-old homes of the forests' animals to do it. Seeing their lands flattened, a couple of factions of perpetually warring raccoons have set aside their differences to combat their common enemy. A five year plan is set into motion, and the younger raccoons are trained in the art of shapeshifting. Their hand is forced earlier than expected, and attempts at using their abilities to disrupt construction are moderately successful, garnering attention in the press and rekindling some of the local superstitions. Still, destroying expensive equipment, terrifying the workers, and even hosting a parade of goblins never seem to achieve the desired result. Even if their schemes snag a few minutes of time on the news, it's shortlived. Equipment is replaced. An endless supply of new workers seem ready to take the place of the few who desert. Their ironclad oath never to reveal themselves to humans prevents the raccoons for taking credit for their elaborate illusions. The devastation continues unabated, threatening not only their survival but the homes of other clans of raccoons as well.
A casual glance at the cute, marketable character designs of the raccoons might lull some viewers into a false sense of security, but Pom Poko isn't a kids' movie. That's not to say it's inappropriate for children, but it doesn't pander to a younger crowd. Pom Poko balances a great sense of humor with a thoughtful story, veering away from the standard issue formulaic plot you might expect with a peek at the cover art and a skim through the synopsis. Instead of having a couple of characters setting off on some sort of feature-length quest, embarking on a second act teeming with wacky misadventures, and having everything wrapped up in a nice, sappy bundle before the end credits roll, Pom Poko's approach feels more realistic...or at realistic as a cartoon about shapeshifting raccoons can be.
The movie has long stretches where it's bright, vividly colorful, and relentlessly cheerful, but there are also a number of sad streaks, particularly in its second half. Although their early successes are enthusiastically celebrated, their inability to stave off the humans' real estate development inspires a variety of emotions in the raccoons -- desperation, depression, and anger. Even if the humans aren't aware of it and even though the raccoons' tactics are often more mischievous than violent, this is a war, and there are losses on both sides. The closing moments of the film are cheery, but it's not exactly what I'd label a happy ending. The movie also doesn't mindlessly divide its characters into good and evil -- humans aren't demonized, and the raccoons aren't portrayed as some sort of pure-hearted, opppressed heroes either. I appreciated that balance...that reluctance to oversimplify everything into black and white. Pom Poko is a case where animation is used as a medium for storytelling, proving again that it's not just the realm of vapid, repetitive movies aimed squarely at kids.
I mentioned earlier that Pom Poko isn't inappropriate for the younger set, and at least as far as my sensibilities go, that's true. However, even though there's nothing gruesome, particularly young children might be somewhat disturbed by the occasional realistically rendered images of dead raccoons. Some parents might also be turned off by the movie's obsession with testicles. Again, it's not graphic, and none of that imagery is used in any sort of sexual context. I guess I'm jaded enough that the frequent sight of animated raccoon testicles -- including moments where they're turned into a giant red mat, parachutes, boulder-sized weapons, or even a mammoth, gilded ship -- doesn't coax much of a reaction from me, but your mileage may vary.
The first hour of Pom Poko is smart, funny, and charming, and things start to take a more dramatic and even more surreal turn in the second half of the film. My interest tapered off in Howl's Moving Castle when its focus shifted largely towards war and romance, and similarly, the more serious second hour of Pom Poko didn't have as unrelenting a grip on me as its first half. A slowdown in the pace accompanies the shift in tone, and although I'd certainly say I enjoyed Pom Poko, I'm sure I'd be more enthusiastic about it if the pacing had been tightened up a bit. There's a lot going on in this densely plotted movie, but the second hour seems to throw a lot of ideas at the screen without really doing much with them. There's a subplot with a shapeshifting fox and a greedy theme park owner that never really seems to go anywhere, to rattle off one example, and the movie shows a couple of characters having children that also don't have any bearing on the plot as a whole. The cast is fairly large; the stars of the movie are the raccoons as a group, and in a movie where so few individual characters are given any screentime, there's something indistinct about them. These are still fairly minor complaints, and they aren't enough for me to discourage anyone from giving this movie a chance. Studio Ghibli has a reputation for crafting intelligent, stunningly animated films, and Pom Poko is a comfortable fit in their catalog.
Video: The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation is in the same league as other releases from Studio Ghibli's back catalog. The animation is gorgeous, complemented by the DVD's beautifully rendered colors and overall crisp appearance. There's barely a speck throughout the entire two hour runtime, and I didn't spot any authoring concerns either. No complaints at all, really.
Audio: Pom Poko includes a pair of Dolby Digital stereo surround tracks, each encoded at the usual bitrate of 192Kbps. There's the original Japanese audio, of course, along with a Disney-fied dub. I didn't listen to much of the English track, but comparing a few minutes of a couple of scenes, the English voice acting makes Pom Poko sound like much more of a "kids' movie". I'm sure that was deliberate, but the original audio doesn't pander to a younger demographic, and it's a much better fit for the movie. The dialogue in the Japanese track is clear and discernable, its score and sound effects are reasonably robust, and there's a decent amount of separation across the front speakers. English subtitles and closed captions are offered.
Supplements: Despite being packaged in a two-disc set, Pom Poko offers fewer extras than many of Studio Ghibli's other releases. Disc one includes eight minutes of trailers and TV spots, and the second disc features a storyboarded version of the film. This alternate version of Pom Poko is also in anamorphic widescreen, serving up English and Japanese audio along with English subtitles. Pom Poko also sports a set of 16x9 animated menus and twenty chapter stops.
Conclusion: Pom Poko falls short of the best of what Studio Ghibli has so frequently shown that it's capable of producing, but despite its flaws, it certainly captures enough of the studio's spirit for the Ghibli faithful to find this DVD at least worth a rental. Recommended, although I'd suggest renting it first before shelling out $25 for a purchase.
Environmental concerns are often a topic of Studio Ghibli's films, and Pom Poko addresses these themes even more directly than usual. Urban sprawl is devastating the forests outside Tokyo. As the humans go about building homes for themselves, they're destroying the centuries-old homes of the forests' animals to do it. Seeing their lands flattened, a couple of factions of perpetually warring raccoons have set aside their differences to combat their common enemy. A five year plan is set into motion, and the younger raccoons are trained in the art of shapeshifting. Their hand is forced earlier than expected, and attempts at using their abilities to disrupt construction are moderately successful, garnering attention in the press and rekindling some of the local superstitions. Still, destroying expensive equipment, terrifying the workers, and even hosting a parade of goblins never seem to achieve the desired result. Even if their schemes snag a few minutes of time on the news, it's shortlived. Equipment is replaced. An endless supply of new workers seem ready to take the place of the few who desert. Their ironclad oath never to reveal themselves to humans prevents the raccoons for taking credit for their elaborate illusions. The devastation continues unabated, threatening not only their survival but the homes of other clans of raccoons as well.
A casual glance at the cute, marketable character designs of the raccoons might lull some viewers into a false sense of security, but Pom Poko isn't a kids' movie. That's not to say it's inappropriate for children, but it doesn't pander to a younger crowd. Pom Poko balances a great sense of humor with a thoughtful story, veering away from the standard issue formulaic plot you might expect with a peek at the cover art and a skim through the synopsis. Instead of having a couple of characters setting off on some sort of feature-length quest, embarking on a second act teeming with wacky misadventures, and having everything wrapped up in a nice, sappy bundle before the end credits roll, Pom Poko's approach feels more realistic...or at realistic as a cartoon about shapeshifting raccoons can be.
The movie has long stretches where it's bright, vividly colorful, and relentlessly cheerful, but there are also a number of sad streaks, particularly in its second half. Although their early successes are enthusiastically celebrated, their inability to stave off the humans' real estate development inspires a variety of emotions in the raccoons -- desperation, depression, and anger. Even if the humans aren't aware of it and even though the raccoons' tactics are often more mischievous than violent, this is a war, and there are losses on both sides. The closing moments of the film are cheery, but it's not exactly what I'd label a happy ending. The movie also doesn't mindlessly divide its characters into good and evil -- humans aren't demonized, and the raccoons aren't portrayed as some sort of pure-hearted, opppressed heroes either. I appreciated that balance...that reluctance to oversimplify everything into black and white. Pom Poko is a case where animation is used as a medium for storytelling, proving again that it's not just the realm of vapid, repetitive movies aimed squarely at kids.
I mentioned earlier that Pom Poko isn't inappropriate for the younger set, and at least as far as my sensibilities go, that's true. However, even though there's nothing gruesome, particularly young children might be somewhat disturbed by the occasional realistically rendered images of dead raccoons. Some parents might also be turned off by the movie's obsession with testicles. Again, it's not graphic, and none of that imagery is used in any sort of sexual context. I guess I'm jaded enough that the frequent sight of animated raccoon testicles -- including moments where they're turned into a giant red mat, parachutes, boulder-sized weapons, or even a mammoth, gilded ship -- doesn't coax much of a reaction from me, but your mileage may vary.
The first hour of Pom Poko is smart, funny, and charming, and things start to take a more dramatic and even more surreal turn in the second half of the film. My interest tapered off in Howl's Moving Castle when its focus shifted largely towards war and romance, and similarly, the more serious second hour of Pom Poko didn't have as unrelenting a grip on me as its first half. A slowdown in the pace accompanies the shift in tone, and although I'd certainly say I enjoyed Pom Poko, I'm sure I'd be more enthusiastic about it if the pacing had been tightened up a bit. There's a lot going on in this densely plotted movie, but the second hour seems to throw a lot of ideas at the screen without really doing much with them. There's a subplot with a shapeshifting fox and a greedy theme park owner that never really seems to go anywhere, to rattle off one example, and the movie shows a couple of characters having children that also don't have any bearing on the plot as a whole. The cast is fairly large; the stars of the movie are the raccoons as a group, and in a movie where so few individual characters are given any screentime, there's something indistinct about them. These are still fairly minor complaints, and they aren't enough for me to discourage anyone from giving this movie a chance. Studio Ghibli has a reputation for crafting intelligent, stunningly animated films, and Pom Poko is a comfortable fit in their catalog.
Video: The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation is in the same league as other releases from Studio Ghibli's back catalog. The animation is gorgeous, complemented by the DVD's beautifully rendered colors and overall crisp appearance. There's barely a speck throughout the entire two hour runtime, and I didn't spot any authoring concerns either. No complaints at all, really.
Audio: Pom Poko includes a pair of Dolby Digital stereo surround tracks, each encoded at the usual bitrate of 192Kbps. There's the original Japanese audio, of course, along with a Disney-fied dub. I didn't listen to much of the English track, but comparing a few minutes of a couple of scenes, the English voice acting makes Pom Poko sound like much more of a "kids' movie". I'm sure that was deliberate, but the original audio doesn't pander to a younger demographic, and it's a much better fit for the movie. The dialogue in the Japanese track is clear and discernable, its score and sound effects are reasonably robust, and there's a decent amount of separation across the front speakers. English subtitles and closed captions are offered.
Supplements: Despite being packaged in a two-disc set, Pom Poko offers fewer extras than many of Studio Ghibli's other releases. Disc one includes eight minutes of trailers and TV spots, and the second disc features a storyboarded version of the film. This alternate version of Pom Poko is also in anamorphic widescreen, serving up English and Japanese audio along with English subtitles. Pom Poko also sports a set of 16x9 animated menus and twenty chapter stops.
Conclusion: Pom Poko falls short of the best of what Studio Ghibli has so frequently shown that it's capable of producing, but despite its flaws, it certainly captures enough of the studio's spirit for the Ghibli faithful to find this DVD at least worth a rental. Recommended, although I'd suggest renting it first before shelling out $25 for a purchase.
|
Popular Reviews |
Sponsored Links |
|
Sponsored Links |
|
Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices
|