Ranked #313

Porco Rosso

Porco Rosso, in my mind it is one of Miyazaki's finest works. It doesn't contain many of the many annoying story points that plague much of his other work.

Story: The Red Pig, or The Scarlet Pig, whichever sub you choose. I found the story quite entertaining, deep on alot of levels. If you want it to be a kid's story, then it's a kid's story that you don't have to think twice about. But if you really look at it, during WWII and the alliances and what exactly Porco Rosso is doing then you really add another layer to this animation. I found the love story in this also quite endearing, when it comes to alot of Miyazaki's work the romance never really goes anywhere and is quite childish. The romance in this is also slightly childish but it really works. The story never seems forced and goes at quite a nice pace as well.

Art: Ghibli....They really are my bane when it comes to animation. I find their art very ugly, their reuse of characters makes them terrible in my book. Many of their people look exactly the same in every movie and they don't make a conscious effort to improve their craft. You will never however, see another Porco, and his design I quite enjoyed. The rest of the characters dont' stick in my mind at all.

Sound: Old. The sound effects and music used are quite dated, but the movie itself is dated so it altogether works out quite nicely. Some of the sound effects made me laugh, they're incredibly old, but again, they really work for the mood of the film.

Character: Nothing incredibly outstanding. The subtle charm of these characters is something you really have to see. They seem shallow, and some of them are, but there is a level deeper to them, and this, to me, is Miyazaki's greatest achievement with this film. The movie doesn't really allow for a lot of evolution with the characters, but the way their history is revealed is quite cute.

Enjoyment: I love this movie. There were a few boring parts here and there, but all in all the movie is amazing. This definitely has the magic that people who rave about Miyazaki keep raving about. It's here, and if he wasn't directing this film it would have turned out terribly, if you've never seen a Miyazaki film before, or love him without knowing why you do, definitely watch this film, because most likely you'll find out. read more

Often Miyazaki takes his work with a mixture of drama and whimsy, but Porco Rosso is a wonderful look at Miyazaki's funny bone and how the Walt Disney of the anime world can get a few good laughs while still being the same Miyazaki we know and love.

Porco Rosso is the story of a 1930s Italian pilot who is inexplicably also a pig. To further things, this premise, outside of a few intentionally bad puns, is played completely straight. What really surprised and delighted me about the story is how little attention is called to why Porco is a pig, an absolute departure from other Miyazaki lore. Rather, the story is kept simple focusing on Porco's grudge with an American pilot, Curtiss, and how he plans to restore his honor after being shot down at a most inopportune time. The story is fairly light-hearted, holding a few dramatic moments, but most of it is set up for a string of chuckles via visual gags, unexpected dialogue, and the fact that the main character is a pig and no one really cares.

Porco is a fantastic character, never playing up the pig bit and often going against what you'd think someone turned into a pig would do. He's actually a very smart and well-thought-out character, who has a good bit of history to his life but refuses to let his past dictate who he is. All of the supporting characters are very strong well-rounded characters in their own right. Among them, Gina and Fio carry the Miyazaki tradition of strong female characters who don't defy the masculine world but firmly and forcefully integrate themselves into it as equals among their male counterparts. Other characters like Curtiss and the pirates make for great comedy relief and antagonism without going overboard or overstaying their welcome.

Of course, Porco also continues the tradition of amazing Ghibli animation featuring gorgeous instances of continuity, trademark character designs, and massive attention to detail. Nothing is skimped on in the art portion of this. It is dated though, and the key animation tends to show it by being jerky from time to time, it doesn't interrupt with the narrative at all.

With a Miyazaki feature, Joe Hisaishi naturally comes along for the ride with the sound department. As usual, the BGM is in tip-top shape and the aria-like insert and closing are very pleasant as well. Voices especially are dead on, especially Porco's which fits his role to a T.

Overall, I was very pleased with Porco Rosso. It's a welcome depature from Miyazaki's other movies. Yes Miyazaki does do whimsy, but Porco is Miyazaki's only feature to really border on actual comedy, and he pulls it off quite well. It's yet another treat from the still-growing filmography of the legendary director.

Overall, I give Porco Rosso an 8 out of 10. read more