It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

This is the first film of Studio Ghibli's that I've seen and I think it is still my favourite. It is just a stunning and beautiful film about a pilot pig vigilante and his escapades in an Italy turning into despotic fascist state. It is just really beautiful.

While I didn't find this to be one of Miyazaki's best films as many people thought, it was still awesome. What's really weird is that it tells the story of a pilot who was turned into a pig. That's about it. The fact that he's a pig really has little relevance on the story. It's actually completely realistic besides that. It's not like he uses his snout to save the day or he summons pigs in battle or something. He's a pig and that's it. Yes, I do finally realize it was meant to be a joke on the term "When pigs fly".Of all the Miyazaki movies, this one may be the funniest. While not an outright comedy, it really did seem to have more jokes than any of the other movies. That's why I love this guy for always experimenting with different genres. The animation and character designs are as gorgeous as ever. I was weirded out by how short this movie was, as Miyazaki's films are some of the longest animated movies ever made. Still, it didn't need to be long and that was another factor in how unique it was. ***1/2

If you are a Miyazaki fan, you owe it to yourself to see this film. If you aren't familiar with his work, this might be an excellent introduction. It is less mystical than most of his other works, but contains many of the other main story elements that Miyazaki is fond of including in his films. The animation is gorgeous and the story is really fantastic! In typical Miyazaki fashion, lines between good and evil are somewhat blurry, although he does take a pretty hard stance against fascism (whew!). He masterfully takes a tale which is suitable for children and makes it simultaneously interesting and touching for adults. As a former military member, I actually choked up at one point in the film, which I won't spoil here with any details. It took me a little while to get used to Michael Keaton's voice as Porco (seriously, he's supposed to be Italian!) but it only took about 10 minutes to get past that and get caught up in the story. It has some blatantly silly plot devices, but they are forgivable as a children's story. Miyazaki effortlessly blends these elements with real drama, excitement and emotion that only adults and precocious children will truly appreciate.

This is another brilliant movie from Hayao Miyazaki. He creates a beautiful world where Adriatic sea is controlled by Air Pirates. Where you can have your own hideaway island. Where you get around using your own seaplane. At it's core this is children's cartoon. It's very bright both in terms of atmosphere and colour. Maybe this is what made me like it so much as an adult. Watching this movie brought me back to my childhood when I used to dream of adventure. The movie is beautifully animated, full of humour and eccentric characters. There is a little love story. There is a little coming of age story. The plot is pretty straightforward but very consistent. Overall, an amazing movie, go see it.