Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - Joe Hisaishi

Bloody hell, Miyazaki films are awesome. Really gosh, darn (haha) wonderful. Even one that looks as cute and potentially vomitous as Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Ponyo for brevity) is superb. A variation on the Little Mermaid fairytale, it's a far more original take than Disney's and, in many ways, more interesting (which hasn't aged as well as Beauty and the Beast and others of the time, delightful though it is). Rather than merely change the story to fit with expectations, as Disney did, Miyazaki changes many aspects and the lead duo are kids rather than princesses and princes. It doesn't even have a traditional villain, merely Ponyo's concerned father. The animation is typically stunning; the sequence as Ponyo runs over huge, rolling waves is astounding.

If they have such things in Japan, Joe Hisaishi should be deemed a national treasure. He never fails to write anything but tuneful, memorable and instantly delightful scores, the best of which are invariably for Miyazaki. Needless to say, Ponyo is no exception, indeed it's perhaps his most memorable since Spirited Away. The main Ponyo theme is instantly catchy, its spirited musical lineage immediately obvious. Plenty of secondary themes provide typical thematic richness, but it's the main theme that holds it all together.

The aforementioned sequence of Ponyo running over rolling waves receives the most upbeat appropriation of Wagner ever heard. Ride of Valkyries is given the Hisaishi treatment; the Valkyries' theme is changed to the Ponyo theme and all the terrifying thunder of the original is turned into tumultuous, exuberant delight. If you're going to plunder the classics, this is the way to do it; turn something well known into something new and delightful, not just shoehorn it into your score because you've run out of ideas (or been pushed onto the temp track by the producers). A score that scarcely needs more recommendation and one of the most delightful hours of music you'll hear (apart from most of Hisaishi's other scores, of course). See the film too, easily the best traditional animated film since... well the last one from Miyazaki.