Ponyo English Voice Actors

While it’s no secret that I’m not a big fan of English dubs for foreign movies I have great respect for the reverence that Disney has shown for Hayao Miyazaki’s films. In fact the only dub that I really didn’t care for is the Totoro dub. The majority of the time I still prefer listening to the original version and reading the subs but Disney has done a great job of making the films more accessible to western audiences.

Now with that being said I am a little bit worried about the Ponyo dub. It seems to me like Disney has just tried to get the biggest name actors in Hollywood for the English dub. Here’s the list.

Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin, Betty White, Frankie Jonas, Noah Cyrus and Cloris Leachman.

I am still of the opinion that just because you are a good actor does not particularly mean you are a good voice actor. I think this is one of the many factors that set Pixar apart from competing animation studios. They go more for unknowns, whereas the competition loves to tag as many famous actors on their posters as possible. I honestly don’t care how big the actor is, I’m not going to be seeing them on the screen. I just want them to have a good voice. Now I would be happy to be proven wrong by all of these actors and I’ve only heard Liam Neeson provide a voice to an animated character (Aslan), and of course I was proven wrong by Christian Bale in Howl’s Moving Castle. I just hope Disney isn’t trying to cash in on all of these big names.

Miyazaki’s films are held in pretty high regard in Hollywood and it could just be that all of these actors wanted to be apart of one of these movies. I know I’ve heard other voice actors say that about previous Ghibli films.

Either way I can’t wait to see it in the theaters in the near future and supposedly summer is looking good for a US Ponyo release.

-Dane

Pixar's newest trailer is "UP"

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John Williams is indeed the man

Don LaFontaine passes away

Even if you don't know it you've probably heard this guy's voice before.

"But LaFontaine was most famous for popularizing the phrase "In a world ...," used by seemingly dozens of movies determined to create an otherworldly atmosphere."

Click for the rest of the story.

Book Adaptations

So I got to thinking yesterday what book or book series would you like to see adapted to the big screen? It can be something that is in production or something that might never see the light of day. Here’s my list so far.

C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy

Now I know this would be incredibly challenging and require a lot of alterations but I really enjoyed the story and atmosphere of these books.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

I know that this film is in pre-production-hell and has been for several years, but this classic book would make for a really great original sci-fi film.

I, Jedi by Michael A. Stackpole

Of course this would have to come straight from Lucasfilm but the book’s story was good enough to stand apart from the franchise and it would probably exceed the prequels, at least story-wise.

This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti

Although I read the book a couple of years ago I really enjoyed it and could definitely see a worthy film adaptation, of course with a decent budget.

The Raft by Robert Trumbull

I’m not sure exactly how this would work on the big screen but I absolutely loved this survival story back when I read it.

Here, There be Dragons by James A. Owen

A fun and interesting fantasy that not only pays homage to Lewis and Tolkien but uses them as the main characters in the story. Last I heard, Harry Potter Producer David Heyman was involved with bringing this to the big screen.

Halo: The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund

If the Halo movie ever does get off the ground I hope they start with this story first, because I believe it would make a much better movie than a strict adaptation of the first game.

Post your picks in the comments

崖の上のポニョ Ponyo on the Cliff Review

Note: Due to the fact that the film has only been released in Japan I will not be giving away any of the story.

So far very few companies in the film industry have a track record that can match that of Studio Ghibli. Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki, Studio Ghibli has released a number critically acclaimed films that are adored by animation and film lovers all around the world. Just as with Pixar whenever a Ghibli film is released I always find myself crossing my fingers and hoping that the film will live up to the pedigree set by previous works. Well, I finally had the opportunity to see Ponyo and I was met once again with that apprehension, but after the opening credits those feelings began to dissipate.

Ponyo’s story is not as deep as some of Miyazaki’s other films like “Spirited Away” or “Princess Mononoke”. It is very simple and a great portion of the beginning of the film lacks a lot of dialog, but just like Pixar’s “Wall-E” this allows the film’s incredible animation to shine forth even stronger, and what incredible animation it is!

Miyazaki brings so much heart into this film that it just radiates through the characters onscreen. Just like his previous works Miyazaki reminds us adults of what it is like to be a kid again. It still amazes me that a man in his 70’s has been able to hold on to some of those memories and feelings and then express them in such a poignant way.

Instead of going for a hyper realistic animation style for the water effects Miyazaki delivers a beautiful and swaying world that makes you just want to dive into the screen. Some of the scenes are just breathtakingly fantastic and very dreamlike in their execution. The water comes alive and flows intelligently like paint on a canvas. But it’s the subtleties in the character’s movements and expressions that really bring the story to life like only Miyazaki and his team can do. One of the aspects that really compliments the on screen animation is of course Joe Hisaishi’s musical score.

I like to refer to Joe Hisaishi as Japan’s answer to John Williams, but in reality this is an unfair comparison for both of them especially considering that both have completely different ways of communicating through music. Mr. Hisaishi really brings a fantastic and unique style that just fits perfectly with Miyazaki’s films. The syncing of music, emotions and animation are spot on and doesn’t just compliment the film but rolls two different mediums into one beautiful package. From the angelic chorus, to the piano pieces and then the catchy theme song interwoven throughout the film, Joe has created another memorable score.

For a film that could very well be his last, Mr. Miyazaki has gone back to his light hearted and whimsical style

with a story about a boy and a fish. Much like the story of a young girl on a broom, or two sisters and their dad in the country side, this is a story that will live in the hearts of children and allow adults to reminisce about their own childhoods. Ponyo doesn’t have a US release date yet but according to an interview with the film’s producer Toshio Suzuki, it seems that Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy have been selected as the film’s US producers. So we can speculate on seeing the English version here in the states in about a year or so.

95/100

-Dane Gustafson

"Prince" Pushed to Summer '09

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince has officially been moved from a Holiday '08 release to Summer '09. This saddens me a little but it's not like we haven't had enough good films this year. Read the full article over at IGN.

Ponyo Review Imminent

I've seen it! Ponyo review should be up either tomorrow or day after.

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea

I'm a huge Miyazaki-san fan and Studio Ghibli fan and I absolutely cannot wait for his next film "Ponyo" to come out. It's being released in Japan this month but unfortunately it's going to be a long time before we see a localized version here in the states. Nevertheless this film looks awesome and early reviews have been extremely positive. This new trailer/TV spot really got me excited! Who says that traditional animation is dead?

Why Pixar is made of 100% win

Since the debut of Toy Story in 1995 Pixar has quickly become the staple mark of animated films by not only setting the bar, but by introducing an entirely new way of making films. What is it that makes Pixar different? Well honestly you can’t just pin their success on one or two things. It’s their whole way of thinking that sets them apart. Here’s just ten things that I could think of that sets them apart from other studios (in no particular order).

1. Pixar’s films rely solely on telling a fantastic story that resonates with a wholesome moral message.


2. Pixar does not rely on cheap humor to coax the audience into laughter (dreamworks anyone?).


3. Unlike the majority of film studios Pixar is run by artists not business men in suits who rely on a formulatic method of film making.


4. Pixar’s employees are their own worst critics. If they’re not satisfied with something, then it belongs on the cutting room floor.


5. They’re not afraid of improv or script rewriting refinement. This is one of the areas where the advantages of a CG animated film become clear. Once you’re done filming a live action film it’s tough to change anything and always costs more money to film additional scenes. Whereas things can be changed and refined almost up until the end of production when it’s all on a computer.


6. The employees over at Pixar are not only big fans of Hayao Miyazaki-san, but when they’re frustrated they watch his films for inspiration.


7. They have no problem casting unknown voice actors. This is in great contrast to their competitors who strive to get as many big names as possible. Who may possibly be better actors than they are voice actors (huge difference!).


8. Pixar films do not use animation as a genre; rather animation is the medium for the story telling.


9. John Ratzenberger. Enough said.


10. The ritualistic short films before the movies are always entertaining and most of the time are better than a majority of full length non-pixar animated films.