Animated children’s movies generally fall into one of a couple of different camps. There are kiddie flicks made just for kids, the sort of things that are visually stimulating enough to warrant 24/7 viewing by obsessive 3 to 5-year-olds, but which quickly lose their luster for anyone older. Then there are kids films that try to maintain some adult appeal, either through artful attention to great storytelling (Pixar) or through hammy pop culture references that go stale within a month of release (the collected works of Shrek). Hayao Miyazaki’s latest, yet another in a long line of instant classics, fits neither of these molds: it is clearly made with children in mind, but not because it favors visual flash over storytelling, or because it is dumbed down in any way. Ponyo is that rare children’s movie that actually taps into the unique imaginative power of a child’s mind.

The story will seem vaguely familiar, based (quite loosely) on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. Miyazaki’s usual themes, of the balance between the natural world and the human world, will also be familiar. But don’t expect anything close to Disney’s interpretation of the fairy tale, or even the epic storytelling of Miyazaki’s last few features. This is its own story, and he has made it beautifully simple.