Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, Ponyo is the story of a goldfish princess who meets and befriends a human boy, Sosuke (dubbed by Frankie Jonas), during a forbidden excursion to the surface. While Ponyo is on land, her father Fujimoto, a wizard/scientist (Liam Neeson), is desperately trying to find her and bring her home. After an argument with her father, Ponyo escapes back to the surface, causing an imbalance in the ocean and a tsunami. Only Sosuke’s love for Ponyo can return the balance in the ocean. Like many of Miyazaki’s films, Ponyo has a strong message about protecting the balance of nature. Ponyo focuses on the damage being done to the oceans by contrasting the beauty of the ocean to the pollution caused by humans. — Erin Ritter

Rated: G