Pom Poko

1994 [JAPANESE]

Action / Animation / Comedy / Drama / Family / Fantasy

26
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 86% · 14 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 77% · 10K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.2/10 10 38217 38.2K

transformation narration anthropomorphism deforestation testicles tanuki

Director

Isao Takahata Photo
Isao Takahata

Top cast

Clancy Brown Photo
Clancy Brown as Gonta
J.K. Simmons Photo
J.K. Simmons as Seizaemon
Olivia d'Abo Photo
Olivia d'Abo as Koharu
John DiMaggio Photo
John DiMaggio as Ryûtarô
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
1.07 GB
1280*694
Japanese 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 59 min
Seeds 4
1.99 GB
1920*1040
Japanese 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 59 min
Seeds 28

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by lraimundo 6 / 10

Weirdest Ghibli movie, probably

I take back what I said about "The Cat Returns" being the weirdest Ghibli movie. "Pom Poko" gets that award instead.If you watch this movie, you should know beforehand that it is heavily based in old Japanese folklore about the Tanuki, magical raccoon/dogs capable of transforming themselves and other things who like to do mischief to humans (and yeah, they use their nutsacks). So if you don't know that before watching this film (like me), you'll have a really weird time.This movie's message is completely about deforestation and how animal life gets affected by that matter. They handle it well, but it's really on-the-nose throughout the whole movie, and if it wasn't evident enough, they break the fourth wall to say it themselves. Anyway, they don't portray humans as some devilish, selfish creatures who want to destroy the raccoon's... eh, sorry... the Tanuki's home. Actually, the Tanukis are way eviler when it comes to attacking humans.As I said before, I had a really weird time watching this, and I was wondering if it was actually a kid's movie. Yes, it's entertaining, fun, and deep, but there are a lot of bizarre moments.Overall, for Ghibli fans, this is a movie worth checking out, due to its ecologic theme, entertaining story, and charming animation, but too bizarre for casual anime watchers (even though most anime nowadays are way more bizarre than this one).
Reviewed by Quinoa1984 8 / 10

the raccoons just want their forest. what to do? Fight back with magic powers!

Very, very, very strange. And of course the whole magical-ball/scrotum thing is weirdest of all... but once you get over that, it's a fun, sometimes sad sometimes very (yes) heartwarming story of these shape- shifting raccoons (or 'Tanuki') who are trying to fight for their land from being destroyed. Next to Tokyo? You don't say! Beautiful animation, especially inspired and delightful when the raccoons do their BIG parade of crazy crap in the middle of the city, and the narration from Maurice LaMarche (yes, Brain from Pinky and the Brain) works more often than not. Surprises me most of all that this is from the director of 'Grave of the Fireflies'. Guess he just wanted to have fun here, though not without a heavy-duty environmental message via Studio Ghibli (from Hayao MIyazaki? You also don't say). I'm not entirely sure I can recommend it to, you know, a newcomer to the studio's works. It's at times just so leaps off from anything bound to reality (well, hey, talking 'Tanuki', you gotta go with it from there) that you just got to stick with it. Some of the comedy is very funny, some of it just feels odd, especially with the English translation (some folks like JK Simmons and John Dimaggio provide good voice-work too). It's like hearing a long but involving story from a friendly source, who in the end turns out to be someone who makes the story more profound and striking than it would have been otherwise. It's clever, trippy, and kids will be perplexed but may love it for its subversive quality. I mean, seriously, their scrotum are showing - but nothing else, so for Disney, it's okay (as opposed to Only Yesterday, which has a brief conversation about menstruation, but I digress).
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