Director: Isao Takahata
Starring: Shincho Kokontei, Makoto Nonomura, Yuriko Ishida, Norihei Miki, Maurice LaMarche, J.K. Simmons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Tress MacNeille, Clancy Brown,
Running Time: 119 minutes
Certificate: PG
POM POKO has the distinction of being my least favourite Studio Ghibli film by a large margin. That is to say, I really don’t like it at all. It’s the story of a group of tanuki (mistakenly or simply named raccoons in the dub) who fight off humans from taken over their land. A very simple set-up for sure, but what follows is an awkward and confused film which mixes adorable animation with darker elements and a message as subtle as a kick to the groin.
The main objection to the film is that it mixes so many tones that it is hard to know how to take the film. The comedy is broad and slapstick, but never actually funny. Despite the inventive animation and the ability for the tanuki to transform into anything, the film just never really squeezes out a laugh. Some of the humour is also most likely lost in translation, with the tanuki wielding magical testicles (hilariously dubbed as ‘pouches’) which grow in size and can be used as weapons. It just comes across as bizarre, and although it aligns with the traditional folklore, it never seems to fit into the film well.
In saying that though, nothing fits into the film organically, thanks to a very rushed plot that still takes 2 hours to develop. The entire film is told in voice-over almost, which becomes awfully tiring and begins to take away from the visuals. That’s not the only letdown of the script, with the environmental messages being so heavy handed and preachy that it’s hard not to roll the eyes and start daydreaming. Perhaps it would have been more palatable if we could care for the tanuki, but after they start killing innocent humans in order to save themselves, there seems to be no way in which to relate to them. The fact they don’t attempt to reach out to the humans and appeal their case makes them coldblooded murderers, and with a large cast of characters it’s hard to get to know them in the first place.
Ghibli’s trademark animation is here in abundance though, and individual shots and scenes that don’t involve parachuting with the use of one’s scrotum are truly beautiful. The voice acting in both dubs is also very well delivered and the music is often catchy and memorable. Perhaps I was spoiled by The Raccoons who got me to run with them from an early age, but the very ending did almost have me in tears. In that brief moment I saw the Ghibli that I know and love. Cuddly looking creatures that kill humans with their stretchable ball sacks just aren’t for me though.
[usr=2]Pom Poko is released on Blu-ray/DVD dual play from 14th April via StudioCanal.
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