Movie Review: Pom Poko

8/10

Odd. Very odd.

Studio Ghibli have made several absolute classic pieces of animation featuring humans as its leads (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbour Totoro) but here's something a little more strange - a story about a colony of Tanuki (Raccoon Dogs) whose home is being destroyed to make way for the "Tama Hills Project", a new development of housing outside Tokyo.

In one of those mad folk stories the Japanese like exploiting so much; Tanukis (translated confusingly as Raccoons), foxes and "some cats" are able to transform at will into almost anything (ever wondered how that fox you just saw seemed to vanish into thin air?), and this makes for some excellent sequences such as an early battle in which the Tanukis switch from being normal four legged creatures into two legged ones akin to Winnie The Pooh and when defeated become kind of squishy, abstract children's drawings. For a while it's extremely disorienting but soon becomes second nature as each character is ingeniously designed to be recognisable in most of their forms, even when changing to a human being out of desperation.

If Studio Ghibli do one thing well, it's their animation. However strange or alien the stories become, the visual feast is compelling and moreish. In each sequence invention and skill combine with a sense of humour and non-mawkish cuteness to be lovely to watch. The upside of using traditional animation is that the transformations are all seamless and natural progressions, rather than having the chemical sheen of CGI or the ickiness of live action technical methods.

However - I wouldn't say Pom Poko is an absolute must for your kids or young folk to see unless they can accept the conclusion. It's not a particularly uplifting film, since the odds the Tanukis have to face are overwhelming and things look bleak for them - but it is plenty of fun, and if you can overcome the very distracting presence of oversized nutsacks on all of the males, and prominent breasts on the females there's a lot of entertainment to be had.

It's not a tragedy; just don't expect everything to turn out OK. If you are thinking of showing it to your kids do have a watch of it yourself first just to make sure they'll cope with some of the issues and events.

Of course, the obvious political overtones are useful for children to see - cute animals get harmed by human expansion. A reasonably strong and well delivered message is contained herein - especially since the film is unflinching in its consequences (in one sequence the Tanukis protesting pranks kill three humans) and the views of its characters, which range from the "kill all humans" approach of Gonta, to the more peaceful ghost haunting ideas of Shoukichi - which present obvious parallels to political and philosophical viewpoints. Even the elders, usually presented in fiction as wise and wonderful, are not equal to the task set for them - instead all pretending to be asleep when a mission is to be handed out, or being distracted by thoughts of food (mainly Tempura) from the task at hand.

It is a far more intelligent film, and gives the younger audience a lot more credit, than most made for children nonsense being made in the West. It is also fairly philosophical in its approach, rather than simply being a nice woodland creatures romp through the pretty drawn countryside.

In terms of its peers at Studio Ghibli I am still of the opinion that the best film for kids they've made is My Neighbour Totoro, a lovely little film indeed. My favourite of the more mature work they've done is probably still Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke - all fine films, but Pom Poko stands up fine despite being made by a different part of the business.

I think it's worth you seeing if Japanese animation is your thing - it's neither twee nor condescending.

A