11. Porco Rosso (1992)
Porco Rosso is one of Hayao Miyazaki’s silliest films, telling a tale about a World War I fighter pilot who is turned into a pig. With his devil-may-care attitude and salty humor, the various hijinks he gets into are a delight to watch. As with most of Miyazaki’s films, the highlights are invigorating action scenes (in this case, aerial ones) that show off fast-paced, slick animation.
The surly Porco humorously contrasts with the strong-minded female characters like Fio, the plane repairwoman, and Gina, who is in love with him and unfazed by his pig-like appearance, and since Porco exudes so much confidence, her love seems perfectly believable. Porco Rosso is a playful adventure that lightly touches on much deeper themes of wartime trauma and fascism, in ways that only Miyazaki can.
