Pom Poko, directed by the late Isao Takahata, is a 1994 film about tanuki, a species native to Japan and usually referred to in translation as raccoon dogs. It didn’t see a North American release until 2005, and today it still isn’t exactly readily available. To give you an idea of the lengths I’m willing to go to for these reviews (aside from actually like, paying money), to watch this film I had to sign up for a free trial of Netflix’s yes-they-still-do-that mail-order DVD service.
It’s not a mystery why Pom Poko is less readily available than other Ghibli films; everything about the movie draws heavily on Japanese culture and folklore, and some things are definitely lost in translation. Tanuki, apparently, feature prominently in Japanese folktales, where they delight in using their shapeshifting powers to trick or frighten the humans they live near. |
The cultural divide is never clearer than in a certain aspect of the tanuki’s depiction. Judging from the Google auto-completes I encountered while learning about this film, if you have heard of Pom Poko, you probably already know what I’m talking about: this movie features
a. lot. of. raccoon testicles. (not pictured.) According to Wikipedia, “prominent testicles are an integral part of tanuki folklore, and they are shown and referred to throughout the film, and also used frequently in their shape-shifting.” They’re not kidding, although the English dub creatively replaces “testicles” with the wonderfully ambiguous “raccoon pouches.” It’s … weird. With that out of the way, what about the movie? Well, it’s good, but with several asterisks. |
Elevated by an Unusual Format
To me, the most interesting aspect of the film — and one I was unaware of before watching — was it’s mockumentary format. When I say mockumentary here, I don’t mean in the Parks and Rec or The Office sense of “sometimes they look at the camera,” but full-on Ken Burns–status documentary, with voiceovers, time jumps, and educational asides. I don’t know if that description would have gotten me terribly excited, but it’s actually incredibly charming. I was delighted to find that the narrator, Maurice LaMarche, is also the voice of The Brain from Pinky and The Brain; I could probably listen to him talk about anything at length. The mockumentary style also fits the movie’s content; from the get-go, the tanuki are characterized as unambitious, fun-loving, mischievous creatures, which naturally leads to the story taking a lot of detours. This might have been more frustrating in a traditional format, but I think we’re more willing to go along with these kinds of asides in a documentary. Memorable, Relatable Shape-Shifting Raccoon Dogs Pom Poko’s charming format is complemented by its strong cast of memorable characters. Per usual, the character design is on-point, helping the audience differentiate between dozens of tanuki that could very easily have been indistinguishable. |
A big part of the movie’s charm derives from the characters’ relatability; magic raccoon raccoon dogs they may be, but they’re also one of the most human casts you’ll ever watch. They have town-hall meetings that break down into bickering or side-discussions; they get hungry and distracted while on important missions; they can be proud and stubborn, but also easy-going and silly — after which they get mad that no one takes them seriously. The writing (and the translation) feels a cut above most Ghibli films, except for a few cases where dialogue is clearly referencing a Japanese folk tale or idiom that just doesn’t translate. The rest of the time, the dialogue endears us to these creatures and carries a lot of the movie. Charming — For a While Pom Poko has a lot going for it, as you’ve by now read about in detail. It’s biggest flaw is its two-hour run-time; this charming story about easily distracted raccoon dogs loses steam somewhere around the 90-minute mark. With so many asides, it would have been easy to cut a half hour or more, and I wish they had. The ending is surprisingly gloomy; I think they were going for a Lorax-style “the rest is up to you” feeling, which could have been effective, but they kind of spoiled it by having a character look directly at the camera (for the first and only time in the movie) and tell the audience that the rest is up to us. It’s jarringly blunt and ends the movie on a less-effective note. A Daring, Different, Distinct Deep Cut While it may overstay its welcome, this is still a really interesting and well-made film. I wouldn’t recommend to someone just starting to explore the Ghibli catalog, but I would recommend it if you’ve seen the hits and are hungry for more. Pom Poko can satisfy that craving, and without feeling like leftovers. (I'm looking at you, Mary and the Witch’s Flower). Notes From As I Was Watching:
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