7 May 2005 | crowrobot

10 | Well, it's Miyazaki. What'd you expect?

"Porco Rosso" is probably the first animated Humphrey Bogart film. Why? The title character, a WWI flying ace who has been transformed into a pig, reminded me of Bogart with his gruff manner and that world-weary cynicism that instantly endears us to Bogart. "Porco Rosso" is also a highly entertaining adventure film, and Miyazaki has once again created a slew of characters you can either cheer for or hiss vehemently at them.



The US dub is done particularly well (Disney tends not to muck Miyazaki's movies up most of the time), with Michael Keaton hitting that Bogart vibe as the title character. Keaton was obviously the first choice on the dubber's mind for this character, and he performs excellently. Susan Egan is the voice of Madame Gina, Porco's friend who loves him but he doesn't quite get it. Cary Elwes, who is of course British, does a convincing Southern accent as the movie's main villain, Curtis, a hotshot American pilot who challenges Porco. David Ogden Stiers shows off his vocal chameleon skills as Piccolo, Porco's mechanic friend; Stiers's voice sounds genuinely Italian, and I must again wonder: How does he do it? Anyway, moving on. Kimberly Williams, whom you may or may not remember from the Steve Martin version of "Father of the Bride", is spunky as Fio, the other main female character who becomes Porco's partner (albeit reluctantly on his part).



All in all, "Porco Rosso" is a highly entertaining movie, and it should be seen by everyone.