Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The smarter take on movies
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Action Movies

Trailer Breakdown: Ponyo

Features
By James White published 24 June 2009

Hayao Miyazaki's latest work of genius is filleted...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Under The Sea

Under The Sea

Look kids - fish! We're really glad Pixar forced Andrew Stanton to abandon John Carter and get back to making what we all really want - a hand-drawn Finding Nemo seq... Wait, what? Sorry? Oh, this is Ponyo, apparently.

Page 1 of 18
Page 1 of 18
Fishy Tale

Fishy Tale

Here comes the warm-voiced Disney trailer man to kick off the narration: "He has been hailed as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time." Michael Bay finally gets his due!

Page 2 of 18
Page 2 of 18
Bubble Bobble

Bubble Bobble

"This summer, Hayao Miyazaki, director of the academy award-winning Spirited Away, releases his next masterpiece." Oh, hang on... Not Bay. That makes more sense. He's just put out a film too, though.

Page 3 of 18
Page 3 of 18
Watership... Up?

Watership... Up?

It's a ship! With fins! Swimming among the sea. This is how you know you're definitely in Miyazaki territory. Either that, or someone slipped LSD into your drink.

Page 4 of 18
Page 4 of 18
Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home

Rod Stewart's house, circa the 1970s. Okay, not really. This is our heroine's - who will come to be called Ponyo - father, who believes she has a mission in life.“We’ve all been waiting for you…”

Page 5 of 18
Page 5 of 18
Hello, Kiddie

Hello, Kiddie

Ponyo's pop is voiced by Liam Neeson. Apparently his particular set of skills in this instance includes... keeping little kids in bubbles?

Page 6 of 18
Page 6 of 18
High Tide

High Tide

"The whole world is out of balance," he says. Looks like we're in for another set of kids who have to bring balance to their world, what with this and Last Airbender. We know which movie we'd rather see right now.

Page 7 of 18
Page 7 of 18
Waves Of Destruction

Waves Of Destruction

Look! A car! Being washed away by the waves! Eco-chaos! Ha! Beat, that, Roland Emmerich! Oh, right... Aircraft carrier vs The White House. You win this round, Roland.

Page 8 of 18
Page 8 of 18
Big Burden

Big Burden

"Ponyo, you have to trust me. You’re the only one who can save the planet. Do it now, do it!" Blimey dad... pushy much?

Page 9 of 18
Page 9 of 18
Big Family

Big Family

This lot are Ponyo's sisters. Looks like her dad's been busy. Might be more Mick Jagger than Rod Stewart, then...

Page 10 of 18
Page 10 of 18
Lisa Looks Out

Lisa Looks Out

This is Lisa, voiced in the US version by TF favourite Tina Fey! It's not often we see her do a dramatic role. “I’ve never seen the ocean like this," she says as waves crash. You've never seen Margate during the windy season, then, love.

Page 11 of 18
Page 11 of 18
So... So... Sosuke

So... So... Sosuke

This is Sosuke, Lisa's son and the boy destined to become Ponyo's friend/crush object. "Wow!" he exclaims, looking out at something. We're guessing a Lindsay Lohan nip slip. But we could be wrong.

Page 12 of 18
Page 12 of 18
Golden Fish

Golden Fish

Ponyo was born a goldfish, but desperately yearns to become a human after meeting Sosuke. The story was, unsurprisingly, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy story, which Disney previously adapted into.... oh, we're going to say Beauty And The Beast? Kidding...

Since she's of fishy nature, she naturally has a good rapport with the local fin sqaud.

Page 13 of 18
Page 13 of 18
Mom?

Mom?

"Good luck, Ponyo..." Cate Blanchett as the character we believe to be Ponyo's mother, once more cornering the market on ethereal, shiny-light ladies.

Page 14 of 18
Page 14 of 18
To The Surface!

To The Surface!

Ponyo, with the help of her sisters, makes it to the surface, but her biggest challenges lie ahead. We'd make a crack here about avoiding whaling ships, but it's probably not culturally sensitive.

Page 15 of 18
Page 15 of 18
Sailor Shock

Sailor Shock

“What is that?” shouts a sailor as Ponyo and her fishy mates break the surface. What, never seen a fish-girl and a load of whales shooting out of the sea before? Amateur.

Page 16 of 18
Page 16 of 18
Surfing Life

Surfing Life

"Dear Agonyy Aunt column, today I chased after the boy I like while surfing on the back of the whale. Is this coming on too strong? Yours, Ponyo. PS Sorry the letter is soggy."

Page 17 of 18
Page 17 of 18
Name Brands

Name Brands

Betty White! Sold! We're in. Actually, we doubt she'll be able to unleash her notoriously fun potty mouth in what is clearly aimed at kids.

But we're anxious to see Miyazaki's latest - it looks amazing, with some stunning animation. And while the storyline might not be as mature as some of his other films, we're sure it'll be loaded with charm.

Come on Disney, give us a British release date! And not straight to video - we want to see this thing on the big screen...

Page 18 of 18
Page 18 of 18
CATEGORIES
Netflix Amazon Prime Video Streaming Services
James White
Freelance Journalist

James White is a freelance journalist who has been covering film and TV for over two decades. In that time, James has written for a wide variety of publications including Total Film and SFX. He has also worked for BAFTA and on ODEON's in-cinema magazine. 

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Whatsapp
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
GamesRadar+
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Latest in Action Movies
Thor: Love and Thunder
Chris Hemsworth says Thor might return after Avengers: Doomsday, and that they have some "unique" ideas about the future
 
 
Spider-Man: Brand New Day suit
Spider-Man: Brand New Day art seemingly gives us a new look at a returning MCU villain – and a tease of two new ones
 
 
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne during The Batman
The Batman 2 writer says the story is "new and dangerous": "The bar couldn't be higher"
 
 
Jason Statham in The Beekeeper trailer
Deadpool 2 director set to helm Jason Statham Stole My Bike starring Jason Statham
 
 
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels will be back in action in new reboot from Crazy Rich Asians writer
 
 
Chris Hemsworth in Thor Love and Thunder
MCU fans are reassessing one of the most controversial Marvel Phase 4 releases
 
 
Latest in Features
Mewgenics
"What else are we going to do, another f***ing platformer?": Mewgenics took 15 years to dominate Steam, but its secret sauce was cooked up in just 2 weeks
 
 
Two turtles rock out with 80s-style instruments
I was sceptical about MTG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but a surprising connection to the arcade games may have won me over
 
 
Emily Rudd as Nami and Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy in season 2 of One Piece.
New on Netflix in March 2026: all the latest movies and shows streaming this month
 
 
In Avowed, an Aumaua Envoy of Aedyr wields a two-handed quarterstaff
I revisited Avowed on PS5 for the anniversary update, and I'm convinced there's never been a better time to play the RPG
 
 
Photo of the Razer Barracuda X Chroma headset sitting on a Nintendo Switch 2 taken by Rosalie Newcombe.
What is 7.1 surround sound and why is it important for your gaming headset?
 
 
A group of people holding crates and walking through a Stargate during an episode of the TV show Stargate Atlantis.
Stargate: Everything we know about Amazon's new Stargate series
 
 
  1. A close-up of Styx looking up from under his hood in darkness, one eye glowing amber, and the other light blue
    1
    Styx: Blades of Greed review: "What if Metal Gear Solid 5 went goblin mode? This dark fantasy open-world stealth 'em up is devilishly creative"
  2. 2
    High on Life 2 review: "I smiled, I laughed, I sorely wished the combat was a lot better"
  3. 3
    God of War Sons of Sparta review: "Retro-style Metroidvania Kratos struggles to stand out, making for an overly tame adventure"
  4. 4
    Reanimal review: "A feast of twisted weirdness conjuring up unpleasant imagery and dark world building"
  5. 5
    Crisol: Theater of Idols review: "This blood-powered shooter intrigues me, but never manages to live up to its dark folklore promises"
  1. Return to Silent Hill protagonist James Sunderland
    1
    Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
  2. 2
    28 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
  3. 3
    Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
  4. 4
    Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
  5. 5
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  1. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
    1
    Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
  2. 2
    Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
  3. 3
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
  4. 4
    Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
  5. 5
    Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...