Porco Rosso

Disney does it again, delivering another Studio Ghibli classic from acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki. This time it's the high-flying adventure film Porco Rosso (1992).

Noble bounty hunter, Porco (Michael Keaton), pilots his trusty seaplane to hinder sky pirates over the waters of the Adriatic Sea. (borders Western coast of Italy) When the sky pirates band together and hire an American ace pilot, Porco must battle for his honor while keeping out of the hands of the fascist Italian government.

I found Porco Rosso to be a highly entertaining and engrossing film. From aerial dogfights to down-to-earth fisticuffs it's hard to find a dull moment in this 93-minute flick. As always, Miyazaki has done a superb job at delivering a fantastic tale of action and fantasy that's held together with the beautiful locations and his trademark character designs.

Tip Do you like extras? Want to learn more about Studio Ghibli? If you answered yes to one or both of these questions you should check out the Walt Disney Home Entertainment release of Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind. The two-disc DVD release has an extra titled "The Birth Story Of Studio Ghibli Featurette," that gives a history of Studio Ghibli.

I loved watching this film in both the English dubbed and English subbed versions provided on this two DVD set. The English dub features great voice performances by Michael Keaton (Porco Rosso), Kimberly Williams (Fio Piccolo), David Ogden Stiers (Grandpa Piccolo), Susan Egan (Gina), Cary Elwes (Donald Curtis), and Brad Garret (Boss) who are also shown in the "Behind The Microphone" featurette. A very minor drawback to the English dub is that, at some points of the film, Michael Keaton made Porco sound too calm when his voice would have fit better if he sounded irritated. I don't believe that this is Keaton's fault, but instead a choice made by the ADR directors or scriptwriters in an effort to make Porco sound cool or unfazed during trying situations.

Joe Hisaishi, whose compositions have been a staple of Miyazaki films, accentuates Porco Rosso from the beginning through the ending credits with another wonderful soundtrack.

Disney has again added some extras that compliment this great film. The extras include a "Behind The Microphone" featurette, an interview with producer Toshio Suzuki, and complete storyboards.

Rated PG for violence and some mild language, Porco Rosso has a running time of 93-minutes and an MSRP of $19.99.