burntoro85 - Movies For Free: April 2010

(Anime Movie) Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea

6:38 PM

Burn Toro

Genre: Anime
Release year: 2009
Language: Japanese
Subtitle: English

SYNOPSIS:

An animated adventure centered on a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to become human.

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is more Totoro than Princess Mononoke. It’s aimed more towards the younger crowd, but still so visually amazing and mindblowing because Ponyo was done completely with traditional hand-drawn animation. Miyazaki proves that 3D animation is never a replacement for 2D, just an alternative. Miyazaki’s consistence as a director and slow, methodical mastering of a genre that he has regularly redefined means that any new material of his is now treated as an event rather than a mere release. But this, and other Miyazaki megahits, are anything but lowest common denominator entertainment. Even though his heroines are usually in their early teens or younger, their adventures unfold in rich visual and narrative sequences, with everything from personal memories and contemporary environmental concerns to ancient Japanese mythologies and fantastic European cityscapes tossed into the mix.

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is an enchanting film which tells a beautiful but simple story. The story begins as Ponyo attaches herself to a jellyfish and slowly rises to the surface of the ocean. Ponyo is nearly caught up in a fishing net, and nearly dies when a glass jar gets stuck on her head. Ponyo is rescued by 5 year old Sosuke, who resides on a cliff above the ocean and promises to protect her always. Eventually, Ponyo’s sorcerer father manages to recapture his wayward offspring. But Ponyo, both a willful child and an ungovernable force of nature, rebels against her father’s wishes and dreams of living among humans. She uses the magical powers to transform herself into a human and returns to the surface to seek out Sosuke.

I doubt Ponyo will garner the same acclaim as Spirited Away; but little kids will eat this stuff up. The rich symbolism and the shadowy frisson of threat in, say, Spirited Away is more or less absent from this film. Like I said before, the story is extremely simple. Girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy (and vice versa), and they try to overcome all odds to stay together. Along the way, Miyazaki dispenses small nuggets of wisdom, just the right size for fidegty kids and jaded adults, without being too preachy.

However, this is another memorable and wondrous film from an animation master who, at age 67, is at the peak of his game. U.S. moviegoers can check out this film in theaters August 14th, 2009. I don’t throw the word “genius” around lightly. With Ponyo, it becomes clear that not only does Miyazaki appear incapable of making a film that is anything less than revelatory, but that as he approaches the old age of 70, he is still making films with the exuberance and passion of a young man. Ponyo, the magical film will definitely cast an indelible imprint in the minds of all who will watch this beautiful creation. Rush to the theaters to see this one.

Part 01 - Part 02 - Part 03 - Part 04 - Part 05

Part 06 - Part 07 - Part 08 - SUB

(Anime Movie) Bleach: Memories of Nobody

11:22 AM

Burn Toro

Genre: Anime, Action
Release year: 2006
Language: Japanese
Subtitle: English

Bleach: Memories of Nobody is a 2006 animated film adaptation of the anime and manga series Bleach. Directed by Noriyuki Abe and written by Masashi Sogo, the film was first released in Japanese theaters on December 16, 2006. The DVD was released in Japan on September 5, 2007. To promote the film, the opening and closing credits for episodes 106 through 109 of the Bleach anime use footage from the film. The film's theme music is "Sen no Yoru o Koete" (千の夜をこえて Overcome the Thousands of Nights?) by Aqua Timez. The film had a limited theatrical release in America from June 11 to June 12, 2008, and in Canada on October 20, 2008

Plot

Unidentified spirits begin appearing in Karakura Town. A mysterious Soul Reaper who calls herself Senna appears and begins destroying the spirits. Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki confront her about the situation, but she refuses to answer any questions and leaves. Ichigo follows her while Rukia searches for answers. Ichigo meets up with Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto at the Urahara Shop, who have been sent to earth to investigate why the real world is suddenly appearing as a reflection in the sky in Soul Society.

Kisuke Urahara explains that a dimension between Soul Society and the real world, the Valley of Screams, has expanded to the point that it is connecting the two worlds. The spirits seen earlier are "Blanks", souls without memories that were lost in the space between the two worlds and that comprise the Valley of Screams. The memories of the Blanks combine to form a single being, the "Memory Rosary." Upon further investigation, it is revealed that Senna is this being.

The Gotei 13 are sent to try to deal with the problem of the expanding valley, however the "Dark Ones", a group of exiles from the Soul Society seeking revenge for the past, appeared and captured Senna. They take her to the Valley of Screams and attach her to a device powered by the Blanks that will cause the Valley to collapse, resulting in a collision between the real world and the Soul Society that would destroy both worlds.

Ichigo travels to the Valley to rescue Senna while Rukia goes to get reinforcements from Soul Society. However, General Yamamoto wants to destroy the Valley before it collapses and refuses to order a rescue mission with only an hour left. In the Valley, Ichigo is overpowered by the large number of blanks, but he is saved by the arrival of his many friends from the Soul Society. While the group battles the Dark Ones and Blanks, Ichigo battles and eventually defeats their leader, Ganryu.

The process of the collapse has gone too far to be completely stopped. Senna sacrifices herself to push the two worlds back apart to save Ichigo. Senna asks Ichigo to take her to the graveyard so she can see her name on her gravestone. Though the stone is blank, Ichigo lies and tells her that her name is on it. Believing him, she expresses contentment that she once had a life of her own before fading away. Rukia notes that once the power of the Blanks fades away, so will all memories of Senna. After the credits, Ichigo is walking on the bridge where the portal was and sees a red ribbon, the one that he had bought Senna, floating down from the sky then sees a girl who looks just like her running past him, he smiles and continues on with his walk.

and was followed by the DVD release on October 14, 2008.The film aired on September 5, 2009 on Adult Swim.