Porco Rosso Reviews

The pig flies tonight!

If you weren't already aware that Miyazaki named his production company Studio Ghibli after a vintage Italian light aircraft you will be after you watch this. It's devoted to flight. It's an absolute love letter to little, old fashioned aeroplanes zipping around the Adriatic getting into all kinds of scrimps and scrapes and it also happens to be one of Miyazaki's very finest movies. And who cares why Porco was turned into a pig? It's a bally metaphor you chaps. Sort yer heads out. Porco is an existential hero, dont'cha know? He is an expression of his own being, trying to live authentically in a time not of his choosing. Yeah, man. And while it treats of the kind of retro-futurist, neo-mythical past we saw done in incredible style more recently in Steamboy, the film manages to throw in references to Italy's fascist period and to shallow American imperialism that give it a real-world kick I'm unused to in Miyazaki. Also, for me, many of his films are either too long, or strike too many false notes to be perfectly satisfying, but here everything is just about perfect. Even the English dubbing is spot on, and coming from a confirmed world cinema snob, that is high praise indeed. Except that they can't pronounce Milan properly, but that's a very minor gripe. This is pure Miyazaki magic, full of the kind of depth and ambiguity so many of his contemporaries lack, but also so irresistably simple and pure you'll wonder why all movies aren't like this. It's absolutely great art of the highest possible kind, and a charming adventure and a poignant love story - do I allow myself to recommend it to children of all ages? Phooey. That would be going a bit too far. It is wonderful though. It would be hard to imagine a human being alive who could not thoroughly enjoy this film. Magical.

World War I animation where pigs really do fly

Porco Rosso (The Crimson Pig) is a wistful, romantic story set just after the first world war. Porco, a hotshot biplane pilot living near Milan, is in love with the beautiful Gina and a bitter rival of an American pilot. He strikes up a friendship with the enterprising young airplane designer Fio (a girl) as they struggle to keep Porco's old scrapheap of a plane flying. Oh yes... and Porco is a pig (for no apparent reason, it's symbolic, I think). The aerial scenes are SUPERB and reason enough to rent this movie. I really fell in love with this film when I saw it in the cinema (lucky me) - the attention to detail, the strong characters, the emotional journeys, but mostly just the amazing animation. It was the first Miyazaki I saw and what a corker!

brilliant pig

porcco rosso is a man who is cursed by having a pig face.he gets it by having self hatred and belief that all human beings are nasty in the world until he meets fio. after he gets to know her the curse starts to wear off. this is a romantic/action film that ANYONE would enjoy. another one of miyazakis greatest movies. 5 stars for the pig!

[Highly rated reviewer]

So romantic!

This is an adorable film. Only Miyazaki could produce an irresistably romantic movie (think Casablanca) about a pig and a nightclub singer- bring to life an 'alternative universe' version of fascist Italy awash with space pirates - and never explain anything. Studio Ghibli really is the most important contribution of Japan to the modern world

Another Studio Ghibli Winner

Brilliant animation as always and the usual ability to entertain children and adults alike. Where it scores over most US cartoons is the ability to show moral complexity - heroes and villains aren't straightforwardly black and white.

Good, but not great.

This is a highly average film.

It is interesting in the beginning, but you soon loose interest.

Things arn't really explained properly, and the storyline doesn't hold together.

wonderful adult cartoon

At first I thought it was a old style story about hero and beauty... but anyway it is really something more than that... It is true adult movie actually, all these emotions and conversations can only be understood by adults, I mean matured adults :)

I always love the old feelings of hand drawing in his cartoon. And the set design, the production design and the machine design is always perfect!

[Highly rated reviewer]

One of the best

Having seen most of the Studio Ghibli films, we rate this as one of the best as far as storyline and art work is concerned. I was a wee bit hazy about where it was set and would have liked a cast list of the people who dubbed the voices into English. None the less , good entertainment and full of thrills, spills, action, romance and colour.

Miyazaki does it again!

As usual Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki have created a masterpiece. Porco Rosso was nothing what I expected (a kid's movie). It is an anti-war film that is actually set in 1930's Italy. The movie is complex and filled with Miyazaki's favourite themes of love and friendship, honour, the dehumanization that war causes, etc. The themes are similar to Howl's Moving Castle. Porco Rosso is truly a classic. As always, the animation is beautiful.

Great stuff!!!

Made by the Studio of Ghibli, with great animation and grpahical work. Great Storyline and definitly worth the watch!