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FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (KOKURIKO-ZAKA KARA)Movie Reviews
Japanese language animated drama about two high-school students who fall in love while Japan is preparing to host the 1964 Olympics. Cast:Masami Nagasawa, Junichi Okada, Keiko Takeshita, Yuriko Ishida, Rumi Hiiragi, Jun Fubuki, Takashi Naitô, Shunsuke Kazama, Nao Ohmori, Teruyuki Kagawa, Haruka Shiraishi, Tsubasa Kobayashi, Aoi Teshima, Goro Miyazaki, Gillian AndersonDirector:Goro MiyazakiRelease Date:March 15, 2013DVD Release: TBD From:Independent PicturesRating:PGLength:1 hr 31 min
From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara), Very Good Reviews Key Cities
From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara) opened in key cities to very good reviews. • Kenneth Turan wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "...stunning.... it may be sweetness itself with a pop soundtrack including 1963's chart-topping hit 'Sukiyaki,' but that doesn't mean it doesn't have serious stuff on its mind." More Reviews Below...
From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara) Positive Reviews (28 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "Famed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki wrote this tale.... His son Goro directed it. The film is less inspired than the older Miyazaki's solo work, but still sweet."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 40 words, 03/28/13
Keith Staskiewicz, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...a placidly nostalgic tale of teenage love and camaraderie in the Japanese city of Yokohama before the 1964 Olympics... pleasant and weightless..."(See all of Keith Staskiewicz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 50 words, 03/22/13
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The artistry is peaceful and comforting to the eyes but not especially stirring.... may not look like it was Japan's top grosser of 2011, but it most surely was."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 434 words, 03/29/13
Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media: EXCELLENT(cg) "...doesn't feature any magical elements like most of Studio Ghibli/the Miyazaki family's anime classics... follows a strong female protagonist... Age 9."(See all of Sandie Angulo Chen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 03/19/13
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...gentle, nostalgic.... Its visual magic lies in painterly compositions... its emotional impact comes from the way everyday life is washed in the colors of memory."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 369 words, 03/15/13
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a sweet tale.... Even with no wood sprites, witches or spells, there's plenty of magic in this coming-of-age charmer."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 132 words, 03/15/13
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...stunning.... it may be sweetness itself with a pop soundtrack including 1963's chart-topping hit 'Sukiyaki,' but that doesn't mean it doesn't have serious stuff on its mind."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 03/22/13
Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a film heavily dependent on tone and atmosphere for its charm.... the sort of movie that can prompt daydreams about inhabiting its world of flowers and hills..."(See all of Farran Smith Nehme's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 03/15/13
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Like some of the nuttier Shakespeare romances, the film revels in coincidence, dawning sexuality and an ardent belief in the power of goodness. It's pure of heart..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 592 words, 03/29/13
John Anderson, New York Newsday: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Heartwarming.... The look of the film is intoxicating.... the Miyazakis create a world of images in which emotions naturally flourish and characters are immediately familiar..."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 386 words, 03/29/13
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The artistry is peaceful and comforting to the eyes but not especially stirring.... may not look like it was Japan's top grosser of 2011, but it most surely was."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 434 words, 03/29/13
Zachary Wigon, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...gentle storytelling manages to extract the emotional payoffs of melodrama without ruining one's suspension of disbelief.... A film about fathers and children..."(See all of Zachary Wigon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 242 words, 03/13/13
Glenn Sumi, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...absorbing.... Satoshi Takebe's jaunty score adds lots of charm, the voices are characterful, and the animation is gorgeous..."(See all of Glenn Sumi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 275 words, 03/21/13
KEY CITIES (8 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Somber, gentle, transporting and unapologetically beautiful... the kind of family film Hollywood doesn't make anymore. Thank goodness Tokyo does."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 483 words, 04/05/13
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...in the wisdom of this artfully rendered film, Umi and Shun -- and the viewer -- come to learn that the past and the future should go hand in hand..."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 316 words, 04/12/13
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Goro Miyazaki seems more drawn to low-key naturalism than his father, a specialist in playful spirit creatures and visual extravagance.... gentle-spirited..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 165 words, 03/29/13
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...doubtless plays most strongly to Japanese audiences... its central conflict is gentle, unyielding, and universal.... a Hayao Miyazaki movie after all."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 04/05/13
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...ambitious.... seen through the eyes of two Yokohama high-schoolers... a gentle film, hand-drawn with irresistible colors, that exudes nostalgia in a lovely way."(See all of G. Allen Johnson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 83 words, 03/29/13
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "The animation is pretty and clean, reminiscent of other Studio Ghibli films like 'Whisper of the Heart,' but never achieves wondrous artistry."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 04/06/13
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...offers an evocative glimpse of daily life in a changing Japan. In the world we see from this Olympian perch, east and west and young and old are all in the same boat."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 321 words, 04/19/13
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an emotionally nuanced, nostalgic look at the past that is grounded in everyday reality but retains the humor and delight that are part of the studio's trademark."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 431 words, 05/10/13
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Zachary Wigon, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...gentle storytelling manages to extract the emotional payoffs of melodrama without ruining one's suspension of disbelief.... A film about fathers and children..."(See all of Zachary Wigon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 242 words, 03/13/13
Noel Murray, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...beautiful in a distinctly Ghibli way, distinguished by dappled light, soft pastels, and the slow-but-constant motion of a port town.... It's all lovely and sweet..."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 339 words, 03/14/13
Caroline McKenzie, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...the animation is top-notch... the plot -- and the clumsy handling of its emotionally cathartic moments -- seems to drag the rest of the work down."(See all of Caroline McKenzie's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 564 words, 03/11/13
Glenn Sumi, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...absorbing.... Satoshi Takebe's jaunty score adds lots of charm, the voices are characterful, and the animation is gorgeous..."(See all of Glenn Sumi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 275 words, 03/21/13
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "...a film about many things -- so many that the magic of Studio Ghibli's past has been displaced by exposition and earnest discussion. The movie looks lovely..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 148 words, 03/22/13
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...gentle, nostalgic.... Its visual magic lies in painterly compositions... its emotional impact comes from the way everyday life is washed in the colors of memory."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 369 words, 03/15/13
Scott Tobias, NPR: GOOD "...accessible.... Miyazaki renders the crises of Umi's life with great feeling but without melodrama, which honors her spirit of self-reliance and her mature disposition."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 613 words, 03/14/13
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...stunning.... it may be sweetness itself with a pop soundtrack including 1963's chart-topping hit 'Sukiyaki,' but that doesn't mean it doesn't have serious stuff on its mind."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 03/22/13
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...safe, sentimental.... with its beautiful visuals and songs, 'Poppy Hill' finds a deserving, if modest, place among its Studio Ghibli peers."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 582 words, 10/03/11
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "...a sweet and sentimental ode to 1960s Japan.... old-fashioned.... It's a pleasant movie with excellent visuals but instantly forgettable."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 476 words, 09/08/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...stunning.... it may be sweetness itself with a pop soundtrack including 1963's chart-topping hit 'Sukiyaki,' but that doesn't mean it doesn't have serious stuff on its mind."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 03/22/13
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...gentle, nostalgic.... Its visual magic lies in painterly compositions... its emotional impact comes from the way everyday life is washed in the colors of memory."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 369 words, 03/15/13
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "...a film about many things -- so many that the magic of Studio Ghibli's past has been displaced by exposition and earnest discussion. The movie looks lovely..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 148 words, 03/22/13
13.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara)'s reviews are separated by an average 13.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara) (28 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara)'s reviews cover 49.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 10,059 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 359 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara) Coverage, Volume & Length (28 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 32.9 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara)'s reviews on average broke 32.9 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara) (28 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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