Anime Review: Porco Rosso

Review Porco Rosso Written by Warpshadow Rating excellent

With all the variables and unknowns when it comes to anime it is good to know that there are some things that can be counted on. One of those things is that movies directed by Hayo Miyazaki are always good.

In the time between world wars one and two it was a time of adventure in the Adriatic sea. Seaplane pirates roamed the sea terrorizing and stealing from everyone. For a fee the ace pilot Porco Rosso will handle the pirates. Porco Rosso doesn't have his name for nothing, his head is that of a pig's due to a curse that he got along the way. The pirates have just about had it with Porco Rosso's interference and so they hire a hotshot pilot from America to take him down. If that wasn't bad enough the Italian government is also after Porco Rosso's hide.

Porco Rosso is a subtle movie, one that has action and comedy while maintaining a calm exterior. The humor is often used to smooth over the less pleasant qualities of some of the characters. There are several action sequences in the movie however they typically used for spectacle as opposed the fast paced combat of most action oriented anime shows. The animation is superb, as goes without saying for a Ghibli film. This film excels at making what would be generally mundane backgrounds and make them look breath taking. This is deeper and more introspective movie than it appears to be on the surface, but is subdued to the point that younger viewers will probably not notice. The best way to explain this movie on a whole is to look at the main character. He looks like a silly cartoon character but is bitter and full of regret. I would recommend this movie to anyone because not only is it a great movie but also a movie that delivers on many levels.