Reel Critics:

Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki is the master of mystical animation. His groundbreaking “Spirited Away” won an Oscar and international recognition.

He now brings his legendary talents to bear in a magical movie that will enthrall thoughtful adults even more than their children. Walt Disney would be proud that his name is part of this outstanding G-rated film.

“Ponyo” is an amazing story of the joys of childhood.

But it’s sprinkled with equal measures of real-life issues and dreamlike adventures. Ponyo is an enchanted goldfish who yearns to become a little girl.

She succeeds in miraculous fashion through her friendship with a very sweet little boy.

His father captains a ship at sea. His mother works at a home for aging seniors.

Their mundane realities come into contact with supernatural forces that change all their lives in astounding ways. The stunning watercolor look of the animation adds to the wonder of it all.

Many American movies in this genre focus on the goofy antics of cartoon animals.

Miyazaki transcends this formula silliness. He has produced a work with profound meaning and touching emotions that are incredibly rare in any film.

Sophisticated themes make it best for children 5 and older, but their parents will appreciate it on many levels. It’s one of the best films you will see this year.

Tarantino pays tribute to war films in ‘Inglourious’

Only Quentin Tarantino could dream up a World War II movie where a British film critic turns spy, a team of vengeful Jews take Nazi scalps, and the Third Reich dies, literally, in movie hell.

“Inglourious Basterds” is self-indulgent, cartoonish and ultra-violent in a plot reminiscent of “The Dirty Dozen.” Tarantino doesn’t always know when to end a scene, and his lengthy dialogues can border on the tiresome. But there are moments of well-choreographed suspense, and the climactic movie-house conflagration is stunning — it’s the ultimate vengeance.

Brad Pitt’s jaw-jutting Lt. Aldo Raine is a crackup, drawlin’ out his vowels to comic effect (“DEE-stroy the NAH-zis”) but he is really only a supporting character here.

The true standout performance is Austrian actor Christoph Waltz at Col. Hans Landa.

Nicknamed “the Jew Hunter,” Landa oozes menacing charm and can make the mere act of ordering a glass of milk terrifying.

Tarantino has lovingly crafted an homage to war movies of the past with lethally clever, beautiful women and men who just ooze testosterone-fueled bravado. It’s pulp, it’s fiction, but it’s entertainment.

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company.