New Hayao Miyazaki film opens

Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese animator who I've read is thought of as Japan's Walt Disney, had a new film open in the United States yesterday. It was one of the movies that came out under the radar for me, though I have been a fan of Miyazaki's work for years.

The movie is "Ponyo" and it is about a little boy who discovers a magical gold fish in the ocean near his home. According to the companion site for the movie, it is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's "Little Mermaid." The goldfish longs to become a girl, and soon does, to the alarm of other sea creatures who want her back. Presented by Disney, the American release has characters voiced by Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson and more.

From the trailer, the movie has the look and feel of other Miyazaki movies. He tends to create places where small children discover a magical world around them. Though "Sprited Away" is perhaps his best known film since it had a wide release in the U.S. and won an Oscar, my favorite of his films is "My neighbor Totoro." Miyazaki's movies are often sweet and heartbreaking at the same time and "Totoro" is the perfect example. The movie follows Satsuke and her younger sister Mei as they move to the country with their father while their mother is in the hospital with a prolonged illness. The children discover a creature living in the woods near their home, a giant named Totoro who looks a bit like a cross beteween a cat, a panda bear and a rabbit - basically unlike any animal around. Totoro helps the children cope with missing their mother and their worries that she will not live.

Other Miyazaki movies to see include "Howl's Moving Castle," which is about a young woman who is cursed by a witch so that she appears old to everyone who sees her. The young woman befriends a wizard named Howl in hopes that he will lift the curse. Another is "Castle in the Sky," in which a boy meets a girl who seems to have fallen from the sky. The girl engages him to help her find her home while battling pirates and government agents. Of course, "Spirited Away" is always with a look. It is about a young girl who is unhappy about her family's move to a new city when she stumbles on a world full of spirits that entrances her parents. She has to find a way to free them, and herself, before the spirits hurt them.

I can't wait to see "Ponyo," though I don't think I will be able to fit it in this weekend. It will definitely be a top priority for next week.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com. Hayao Miyazaki is a well known animated filmmaker in Japan who won an Oscar in 2004.