Pom Poko

Audience Reviews

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Shantel T Nov 28, 2024 This is a test review

Han M Feb 26, 2019 A heartwarming family tale of a group of eco activist raccoons protecting their homeland armed only with their shape-shifting powers and magical gonads. See more

Theodore R Jan 14, 2019 Pom Poko is close to being so ridiculous that it's entertaining, but it doesn't quite reach that level. Maybe it's just because I'm not as familiar with Japanese folklore, but I found the story to be repetitive, hard to follow and achingly slow. Plus, certain aspects of the animation (raccoon pouches) were fairly distracting. It's more fun to try and explain this movie to other people than it is to watch it. See more

Theodore R Aug 17, 2018 This is a heartwarming environmentalist fable that uses just enough dark humor and satire to avoid ever feeling preachy or overly sentimental (thankfully there's no Bambi-style scenes or overly simplistic four legs-good, two legs-bad type preaching here). The basic theme and messages are very similar to those of Princess Mononoke, but whereas Mononoke is a movie that takes itself seriously Pom Poko is done as a mostly lighthearted mock-David Attenborough style nature documentary. There is some death however it is never dwelled upon; this isn't what I'd describe as an emotional movie but rather a clever and witty one. One interesting difference from other Ghibli movies stood out for me - this is the only Ghibli movie where human skepticism vs the supernatural is a major plot point unlike most where everyone accepts supernatural events as normal. It also contains some of the most delightfully trippy scenes in the entire Ghibli catalogue! Unfortunately this movie is often put at the bottom of many a "favorite Ghibli movie" list (I suspect usually by those who either haven't seen it or who understandably couldn't get past the weirdness that is shapeshifting tanuki 'pouches') but it is well worth at least one viewing for any fan of Ghibli or Takahata. I would recommend doing a little research on Tanuki before viewing. First off they are NOT raccoons as the English dub calls them but wild canids related to dogs and foxes. Many of the references that a westerner may assume were made up randomly for the movie actually come from real Japanese folklore. Apart from that mistake Pom Poko actually has one of the best English dubs since they mostly used professional voice actors rather than Hollywood screen actors. You may recognize voices from The Simpsons, Futurama and Pinky and the Brain. Overall, despite a few flaws (it's a bit too slow paced and repetitive at times) a very worthy Ghibli movie. I wouldn't say it's my favourite Ghibli, but it's in my top 50% rather than anywhere near the bottom. 9/10. See more

Rey R Aug 10, 2018 It's very cute and the animation is beautiful, but it got a bit boring at times. The storyline was confusing to follow...not sure if that was just me. See more

Finn R Jun 18, 2018 Super cute animation with a serious tale of the dangers of man-made housing development, and the damage it can casue to wildlife everywhere. While the story was kept soft and cuddling, the message resonated, twenty-four years later. Definitely a fun and fantastic tale. See more

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Pom Poko

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