Reviews for Porco Rosso (Kurenai no Buta)

By CZ

In the mid-1930s, the summery coast of the Adriatic Sea is home to a most unusual pilot, a pig to be precise, who operates a fabulous red seaplane and is known across the land as Porco Rosso, the Crimson Pig. Porco is a bounty hunter, and a very good one, who chases down aerial pirates and reluctantly plays hero when the need arises. His fame draws the attention of a newcomer, a brazen American named Curtis of questionable morality, who decides to become Porco's rival. In order to meet Curtis's challenge, our hero must enter into an unlikely partnership with a feisty young woman mechanic named Fio and entrust his beloved plane to her care. Fio intends to prove herself to Porco no matter what, and, in the process, she might just learn the truth about him too.

If there was ever a film that just seemed to be made for pilots and would-be pilots, I'd say "Porco Rosso" would be it. This is an adventure film inside and out, a warmly nostalgic tale about planes and pirates and the early days of aviation. It's a very loosely structured narrative, taking the time to develop the characters and capture the feel of the time period. Many of the film's themes are quite serious and provide a good base to the fun and adventure in the story, especially the ongoing mystery of Porco's strange current circumstances. Though there are thrills aplenty, "Porco Rosso" is a quieter, more contemplative film than some of Miyazaki's other work, and I think this helps make it one of his best.

All the characters here are well done, though Porco, Fio, and the lovely Gina are a cut above the rest. Porco especially is irresistible as a gruff, good-hearted loner who only allows the eager young Fio to tag along on his adventures with great reluctance. Gina, a thrice-widowed torch singer who runs a local hotel, is one of Porco's oldest and dearest friends. She's the epitome of a classy lady who can hold her own and proves to be the perfect match for the porcine aviator. Our antagonist, the dapper Donald Curtis, provides the necessary adversary, though I didn't think he had nearly enough screentime to really become interesting. Plenty of minor characters and assorted extras form the rest of the cast, but the pirates deserve special mention for being the being the most delightful bunch of dirty, rotten, scoundrels ever drawn.

The animation was excellent, especially the jawdropping flight scenes. The amount of detail included, as usual for Studio Ghibli, was simply astounding. My favorite scene in the film was one of the earliest, where Porco finds himself babysitting a gaggle of fearless little girls who clamber all over his plane after he rescues them. The tone here is nice and light, helped along by a good score and plenty of funny moments to balance out the more serious parts. Regarding the story and plot, I'll just say I was smiling when it was all over. This movie is an absolute must for all Ghibli fans, and ought to be a great watch for everyone else too.