Porco Rosso

Based on his own Manga short, Hayao Miyazaki's directorial follow-up to his big hit "Kiki's Delivery Service" is a fantastic tale of a different kind. Many speculate that the main character reflects his own self more than any other characters he created. The big hit film measured up to the fans' expectations and then some. Set in Italy in the late 1920's where the fascism began to make its power felt, the movie follows a pilot known as Porco Rosso who had been turned into a "pig" by a curse during an air battle. He now makes a living doing odd jobs which often involve hilarious high flying adventures, one of which leads him to a certain surprising realization. Even though its star is not a young heroine as in most of Miyazaki's films, this action-packed film has more than its share of his signature visuals and ideas.