Ponyo

Lynn’s Druthers Marathon, part 13



Data
Title: Gake no ue no Ponyo
Year: 2008 (Japan); 2009 (US)
Length: 101 minutes
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writer: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Yuria Nara, Hiroki Doi, Jôji Tokoro, Tomoko Yamaguchi
Music: Joe Hisaishi
I saw it: on video (rented from Greencine), yesterday
Synopsis: a magic fish leaves the sea

My reaction
Concept:
Story: There's the story of the relationship of the main characters, which is good. And then there's, simultaneously, the Anime story of inexplicable magic and deus ex machinas, which is crap. My theory is that it isn't supposed to make any sense. We're seeing things from the perspective of a five-year-old, so all that magic and giant fish waves and end of the world confusion is grown up stuff and over our heads. But more likely, it's just too damn Japanese for me.
Characters:
Dialog:
Pacing:
Cinematography:
Special effects/design:
Acting:
Music:
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, ). The adorable bits are adorable enough to make up for the movie's problems. But damn is the plot a mess.
Objective Rating (Average):

Star Trek: "Catspaw"

Data
Title: Star Trek: “Catspaw”
Year: 1967
Network: NBC
Episode: the seventh (of twenty-six) from season two; 50 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Joseph Pevney
Writer: Robert Bloch
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Antoinette Bower, Theodore Marcuse
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Gerald Fried
I saw it: on video and TV several times, most recently a few days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: telepathic aliens appear as evil wizards

My reaction
Concept: It's basically the concept for every mid-1970s episode of Doctor Who, but I never did like it.
Story:
Characters:
Dialog:
Pacing:
Cinematography:
Special effects/design: And it has to be really bad for me not to like the effects and design of Star Trek.
Acting:
Music:
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay, ). The Halloween episode. Why is there a Halloween episode? Because somebody thought it would be funny to make a cat run through a model of a corridor, that's why. And who wants science fiction when you can have skeletons and witches? Seriously, though, there are some nice ideas in it, and it is well written... for what it is.
Objective Rating (Average):

The Jungle Book

Data
Title: The Jungle Book
Year: 1967
Length: 78 minutes
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Writers: Larry Clemmons, Ralph Wright, Ken Anderson & Vance Gerry, based on stories by Rudyard Kipling
Starring: Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, Bruce Reitherman, George Sanders, Sterling Holloway, Louis Prima, J. Pat O'Malley
Music: George Bruns (score); Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman & Terry Gilkyson (songs)
Oscars: nominated for Best Song ("The Bare Necessities")
I saw it: on video a few times, most recently yesterday (rented from Netflix)
Synopsis: a boy raised by wolves in the Indian jungle is hated by a tiger

My reaction
Concept:
Story:
Characters: Huge potential, mostly spoiled by forcing contrived conflict into the relationships.
Dialog:
Pacing:
Cinematography:
Special effects/design:
Acting:
Music: Would have been much better if they'd had the Shermans write something better than Gilkyson's "Bare Necessities."
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, ). A reluctant seven. I'm not nuts about it, but it's pleasant and has enough redeeming bits (like dancing monkeys, evil Sterling Holloway, and generally good character animation).
Objective Rating (Average):

Star Trek: "The Doomsday Machine"

Data
Title: Star Trek: “The Doomsday Machine”
Year: 1967
Network: NBC
Episode: the sixth (of twenty-six) from season two; 50 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Marc Daniels
Writer: Norman Spinrad
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, William Windom, James Doohan
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Sol Kaplan
I saw it: on video and TV several times, most recently a couple days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: space worm, devourer of worlds

My reaction
Concept: Oh hell yes.
Story:
Characters:
Dialog:
Pacing:
Cinematography:
Special effects/design:
Acting: The guest star is a terrible ham, in a role that should be serious. The regulars are pretty good in this one, though.
Music:
Subjective Rating: 9/10 (One of my favorites, ). I love this episode. I love it so hard. It's a giant, mechanical tapeworm that eats planets, and its mouth doubles as a death ray. Yeah, I know. It's awesome.
Objective Rating (Average):

Star Trek: "The Apple"

Data
Title: Star Trek: “The Apple”
Year: 1967
Network: NBC
Episode: the fifth (of twenty-six) from season two; 50 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Joseph Pevney
Writer: Max Ehrlich
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Keith Andes, Celeste Yarnall, Walter Koenig
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Gerald Fried
I saw it: on video and TV several times, most recently a couple days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: people live in happiness, ruled by a machine

My reaction
Concept: No, you did that one already.
Story:
Characters:
Dialog:
Pacing:
Cinematography:
Special effects/design:
Acting:
Music:
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, ). It's pretty awful, but they have enough fun with it that it's fun to watch.
Objective Rating (Average):