The Essentials

Name: Porco Rosso, The Crimson Pig, Kurenai no Buta
Genre: War, Historical
Episodes: N/A
Released: July 18, 1992
Based On: Manga The Age of the Flying Boat by Hayao Miyazaki
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Produced By: Studio Ghibli, Japan Airline, NTV, Tokuma Shoten
US Distribution By: Walt Disney

Cast

Review

Porco Rosso is a movie about an ex-World War I Italian air force ace who, instead of staying part of the military of a nation being taken over Mussolini fascists, decided to go on his own as a bounty hunter, chasing down and capturing air pirates in order to make money.

Porco is unlike any other ace, however: he has literally turned into a pig,  flies a very distinctive red plane, and is in love with Gina, the owner of a club where pilots go to drink and hang out (though he tries his best to not show it or deny to himself that he does).

Of course, Porco’s job as a bounty hunter isn’t a completely noble job as Porco has a tendency to allow the pirates to get away since he gets paid for recovering whatever loot they stole, and thus keeps his bounty hunter business going. Nevertheless, the pirates wish to take down Porco once and for all, and so they join forces to enlist an eccentric and perhaps overly prideful American ace pilot to shoot down Porco.

Porco, who is shot down by the American on his way to get his plane repaired in Milan, meets Fio, an aspiring aeronautical engineer who works in the shop that Porco takes his plane to to get repaired. Her feisty nature gives Porco a renewed hope in mankind, a hope he lost after losing his friend in World War I and the rise of fascism in Italy.

I’d say that this was only really an average movie. The animation was good – after all, it is a Ghibli film. However, I felt that the story in Porco Rosso lacked focus compared to the other Ghibli films I’ve seen. First off, there was the whole deal with Porco’s curse which was sort of explored, but never fully explained – either in how he got it or how, or whether, it was ever lifted, despite the fact that it appeared to be an important aspect of the story.

When the movie ended, I felt like asking: what has changed from the start of the movie? And really, other than events that occurred independent of the movie, the answer seems to be “not very much.” Don’t get me wrong, the movie was pretty entertaining. I suppose Porco has a renewed hope for the world, and I guess that may have been the story that was meant to be told.

One aspect of the film that I did like was the airplanes. Both the airplanes – and the dogfights they were in – were very well done. Overall, I think the average anime or movie viewer will probably like this movie, though it isn’t necessary one of Miyazaki’s best.

Scores

Animation: 4/5
Story: 2/5
Music: 3/5
English Dubs: 4/5

Overall: 3/5

First Watched: July 2006
Do I Own: No
Do I Recommend: Yes