Hayao Miyazaki had been cradling the idea for this wonderful fantasy for a long time before he finally decided to write and direct it. Set in rural Japan during the 1950s My Neighbour Totoro is full of the magical touches that Miyazaki has become famous for. Tatsuo Kusakabe and his two daughters Mei and Satsuki have moved to the country to be near their ailing mother who resides at a local hospital. As the girls explore their surroundings the younger sibling Mei
My Neighbor Totoro is a heart-warmingly majestic film that deserves to be seen by all, even if it is only once. As the two young girls befriend the spirits of the rural Japanese woods, you are powerless to resist its charm, with a smiling being the only option available. It is a story that has a bit of everything thrown into it. You have tremendous set pieces of adventure and exploration as the girls chase through the woods in search of a hidden Totoro lair. Sandwich between the adventure you are treated to bit size chunks of loveable humour from both the girls and the Totoro. The particular highlight comes when the two girls wait with the great Totoro creature as it waits for a bus. Very few lines of dialogue are spoken; however director Hayao Miyazaki has the audience gripped with intelligent actions between the girls and Totoro.
Hayao Miyazaki must be applauded for creating such an iconic creature, which has such a beautiful innocence to it coupled with a dark side that is intend to intrigue. I feel almost slightly foolish and naive by saying this, but you wanted to hang out with this creature. The whole situation is just joyous. The people that are encountered throughout the film are so kind hearted and warm that you just wish they would in some way be entered into your own life.
I would have perhaps liked to have watched the film in its native tongue as I only had access to the 2006 Disney English re-dubbed version. It never took away from the experience of the film; it may have made the experience that bit more pleasant as no subtitles needed to be read. But it is always a good thing to experience a film as the film makers intended to be seen. So another watch with the original Japanese audio is very much in order.
The artwork is nothing short of fantastic. There really are no strong powerful colours used in the film, but the pastel colours that are used are perfect in creating a sort of dream like environment. Running at just over an hour, the film is a breeze to watch and will hold the interest of children and adults alike. There are no real strong criticisms that stick out in my mind in regards to this film. Yes it would have been nice to see some more interactions with the Totoro, perhaps a little back story. But the fact that this was left out makes the whole magic and mystery surrounding the film so strong. For example, where does the Kittenbus come from? I have no idea, but it is just so delightful that I don't need an explanation for its existence.
It is easy to recommend this film. Buy it and love it. It stirs up a range of emotions that are only really matched in animations terms by Disney and Pixar. It may even surpass a few of those films found within the Disney and Pixar catalogues. As a fan of many films produced by Pixar and Disney that is a compliment of the highest order.
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Hayao Miyazaki had been cradling the idea for this wonderful fantasy for a long time before he finally decided to write and direct it. Set in rural Japan during the 1950s, My Neighbour Totoro is full of the magical touches that Miyazaki has become famous for. Tatsuo Kusakabe and his two daughters, Mei and Satsuki, have moved to the country to be near their ailing mother who resides at a local hospital. As the girls explore their surroundings, the younger sibling, Mei, believes that the forest is inhabited by magical creatures, much to the amusement of her father and sister. However, one day Mei gets lost in the forest and discovers a group of Totoros - protectors of the forest. Eventually Mei convinces Satsuki to come with her and the three have a series of wonderful adventures together, as their mother begins to recuperate. Hayao Miyazaki's imagination is simply incredible and My Neighbour Totoro perfectly displays his talent to create stories and characters that you really care about. Aside from the variously sized Totoros there is the magnificently surreal 'Catbus' to contend with too! Also, you get a first look at the 'dust bunnies' - later seen in Spirited Away! Complete feature length storyboards Creditless opening animation Creditless closing animation Original Japanese trailer Studio Ghibli trailer reel Director Hayao Miyazaki Certificate PG Year 1988 Screen Widescreen 16:9 Anamorphic Languages Japanese ; English - Dolby Digital (2.0) Stereo Subtitles English Region Region 2 - Will only play on European Region 2 or multi-region DVD players.
Japanese animated feature from Studio Ghibli, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. When their mother is taken ill, two young girls move to the country with their father to spend more time with her while she recuperates. As they explore their surroundings, young Mei (voice of Chika Sakamoto) starts to believe that the nearby forest is inhabited by magical creatures. At first her sister Satsuki (Noriko Hidaka) refuses to believe her, but before long the two girls are having magical adventures with the Totoros, the magical protectors of the forest.
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