An inflight movie for Japanese Air Lines?  Really?  It's true!  An excellent story roughly based on manga Hikōtei Jidai, Porko Rosso ("The Red Pig", in Italian) is actually a very good, relatively deep movie that just does a good job of being fun to watch.  I thought it was going to be a comedy, but Porko Rosso just goes to show, again, that just because a show is Anime, and just because it's Animated doesn't make it a comedy show just for kids.

A pilot-for-hire, Porko Rosso flies when the money is right to defend the civilians in the area from the local gangs of Air Pirates, who, at the beginning of the movie, attack a cruising ship and steal all the valuables onboard, going so far as to kidnap all the little schoolgirls who are along as barganing material.

The pirates attempt to shoot down Rosso, who does some excellent flying (despite his craft acting up) and only shoots out the enemy engines.  He rescues the girls and the money, making sure to leave behind enough to allow the pirates to repair.  He acts as if it's mere self interest (how will he stay in work if the pirates go and get themselves killed), but he seems to care about his enemies wellfare.

Fascism has come to Italy.  With it come rumors that the sky pirates and pilots-for-hire who protect from them are soon to be out of work.  Which is bad luck, because Porko just got his plane completely rebuilt, building up a mountain of debt that would make even a modern American sweat.

Speaking of Americans, this movie has one.  The stereotypical, swaggering Texan (who, by the way, has the WORST Texas accent I've ever seen in a movie) who not only plans to become a movie star, but President of the United States, and believes that any woman should instantly fall for him.  He's hired to protect the pirates from Porko, and plans to complete his mission, no matter what.

Repairs are made on Porko's ship by Fio, a young girl who just so happens to have a knack for Engineering.  This is just after the Great War, and Porko has trouble believing that souch a young girl could be an Engineer.  She convinces him, and he agrees, not quite knowing what he has in store ahead.

Porko Rosso is a very fun movie, with some decently deep themes.  Kids may enjoy it, but this movie was written for adults.  It's a good fun way to spend an hour and a half.  And the historical scenery is very well developed, from the reactions to the Fascists to the newspapers to the dynamics of the planes flights.  The characters are fun, believable, and 3D.  When the mechanic who plans to help rebuild Porko's plane sits down to dinner with the large Italian family full of women (the men have jobs, or are being drafted to war), he prays to God, thanking Him for dinner and the family around him.  He then ends his prayer with a hasty "And forgive me for rebuilding a fighter plane with a hanger full of women.  Amen."  It's a small line, just tossed in, but it's a detail that Studio Ghibli makes sure to put in their movies to make them fly.

If you can get your hands on a copy, I highly recommend a watch.  It's an excellent movie to watch after a long stressful day, when you really just want to relax and enjoy a good fun story.