Porco Rosso

The war will only end... when pigs fly!!!

An Anime Review

by Shad

In 1929, after the war, the skies are ruled by mercenaries, pirates, and Marco Rosso the "Crimson Pig". In another Studio Ghibli classic, Marco Rosso, a former British navy fighter pilot, is the Crimson Pig, an honorable air fighter who earns his living by deterring air pirates and other scum that threaten the seas. A rag-tag group of pirates are after him, but when an American pilot with aspirations of going to Hollywood tracks him down so that he can earn fame at Rosso's demise, it leaves him stranded with his beautiful plane in ruins. Eventually, Rosso has his plane rebuilt with the help of Piccolo's mechanics and his granddaughter, a brilliant young girl determined to make her first plane the best.

Without giving too much of the plot away, suffice to say that there's lots of plot development with Piccolo's granddaughter, a singer at a port near Rosso's home (an island), the American pilot, and of course the pirates. Rosso's lonely life becomes more colorful as the movie progresses, and we learn when and why he became a pig and why he stays alone.

Altogether this was a really great movie. They really made it an important point to note that Rosso really stands out, and that even though people aren't surprised by his appearance, hardly anyone treats him like a human being except for the people closest to him. By the end, everyone comes together for an honorable match between Rosso and the American in an all-out dogfight organized by the air pirates.

Altogether, this movie is really great. I wish I had the opportunity to see this on the big screen with all the great sound effects and speedy air scenes up in my face. The story was great, and I really loved the character of the Crimson Pig being a sort of Red Baron kind of hero. All the supporting characters are also very funny and charming, especially the air pirates, who are more or less a bumbling group of jackasses. Rosso himself is quite a character, especially since he reminds me (and also Mattboyslim) of Mighty Doom.

This movie is awesome. Go buy the HK dvd, it's worth the $9 and has an english dub.

This movie gets a rating of 10 out of 10 Shin-chans!!!