Take flight with "Porco Rosso," a valiant World War I flying ace! From tropical Adriatic settings to dazzling aerial maneuvers, this action-adventure from world-renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki is full of humor, courage, and chivalry. When "Porco" -- whose face has been transformed into that of a pig by a mysterious spell -- infuriates a band of sky pirates with his aerial heroics, the pirates hire Curtis, a rival pilot, to "get rid" of him. On the ground, the two pilots compete for the affections of the beautiful Gina. But it is in the air where the true battles are waged. Will our hero be victorious? Featuring extraordinary voice talents, this 2-disc set is a thrilling ride you'll never forget!
Porco Rosso (The Crimson Pig, 1992) ranks as Hayao Miyazaki's oddest film: a bittersweet period adventure about a dashing pilot who has somehow been turned into a pig. Miyazaki once said, "Initially, it was supposed to be a 45-minute film for tired businessmen to watch on long airplane flights... Why kids love it is a mystery to me." The early 1930s setting enabled Miyazaki to focus on the old airplanes he loves, and the film boasts complex and extremely effective aerial stunts and dogfights. In the new English dub from Disney, Michael Keaton as Porco delivers lines like "All middle-aged men are pigs" with appropriate cynicism, but his voice may be too familiar for some Miyazaki fans. Susan Egan makes a curiously distant Gina, the thrice-widowed hotel owner bound to Porco by years of friendship; Kimberly Williams is more effective as the irrepressible young engineer Fio. Porco Rosso may be an odd film, but Miyazaki's directorial imagination never flags. (Rated PG: violence, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Customer Rating:
Summary: Miyazaki shines
Comment: It is difficult to describe Porco Rosso. It's so different from the rest of Miyazaki's movies. There's no overt environmental theme being rammed down your throat. This is just a great story told well and by a master storyteller. The animation is fantastic, the visuals are superb and this movie has some of the most evicative music I have heard in a long time. This is a must-see movie.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Walks the fine line between fantasy and realism
Comment: My favorite Ghibli film by far, Porco Rosso is unique among the other works by the studio in achieving the same sense of magic and wonderment while being set firmly in the real world. There are other enjoyable works set in reality such as My Neighbor the Yamadas or I can Hear the Sea, but the charm in Porco Rosso is grander, at the same time more subtle.

You know those pathetic hollywood action flick commercials? - the ones that say something like "this is a hero who can triumph over anything...except his past". Porco Rosso is essentially that, except here we see what happens when the film-maker actually commits to bringing depth to the characters and the world around, instead of making passing references like most hollywood films do. Porco's past is revealed, almost seductively, over the entire film.

This is a love story that does not directly deal with love. It lets love happen as the characters live their life.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Another solid Miyazaki flick.
Comment: Porco Rosso (Hayao Miyazaki, 1992)

In between his two monolithic environmentalist efforts, Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki enjoyed his greatest artistic success as a filmmaker, in my opinion. (Cue legions of Spirited Away fans who disagree.) Not only his best picture, Kiki's Delivery Service, but My Neighbor Totoro and Porco Rosso were also produced during this time. That's a trifecta of which any director could be proud.

Porco Rosso tells the story of, not surprisingly, the Crimson Pig, a 1920s pilot with a dark past. After a mishap, he takes his plane to get it repaired in Italy, where he's wanted by the army. They find out he's home, and the hijinks begin.

It's actually quite simple and straightforward for a Miyazaki film, which was something of a surprise. A good old swashbuckling adventure flick about daredevil flyers, honor, and friendship. Think of it as Wings: The Animated Version and you won't be too far wrong. *** ½

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Customer Rating:
Summary: FABULOUS
Comment: This is another of Miyazaki's fabulous animated films. Porco is a pilot who has been cursed to look like a pig, but that doesn't stop him from being a pilot or a great character in this movie.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Didn't do much for me...
Comment: Let me preface this review by saying that I love most all of Miyazaki's films, including Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Spirited Away, and The Cat Returns (though this one's not technically his). For some reason, Porco Rosso just didn't do it for me. It's difficult to point out objectively exactly why...maybe it was the ridiculous villians (they were funny though), or maybe it was the fact that I just couldn't really care about any of the characters, or maybe it was the somewhat dull and abruptly ending story. As for the last thing, I'm used to Miyazaki's somewhat slow-paced story-telling method, but for some reason Porco Rosso just didn't capture my attention like his other movies. I just didn't find the movie to be very charming like his others. Normally, I feel the urge to rewatch his movies, but I don't think I'll be seeing this again.

So, do I recommend this movie? Well, I suggest that all fans of Miyazaki's work see this at least once since it's his. You may or may not like it; it seems alot of people on Amazon loved it (alot of 4 and 5 star reviews).

P.S. To all the Porco Rosso fanboys out there- yes, I know there's alot of metaphors concerning facism and humanity and all that in this movie. So please don't tell me I'm just too stupid to enjoy this film. I'm not dissing this movie out of spite or anything, I just couldn't seem to enjoy it, even though I really wanted to.

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