My Neighbour Totoro Double Play (Blu-ray + DVD) [Region B]

Ok, this is a Japanese animation for young children, but I defy anyone to watch My Neighbour Totoro and not fall in love with it. Watching this movie instantly transports you back to the magic and innocence of childhood. If I ever feel sad or ill, this film just fills me full of joy. I really can't recommend it enough. With no violence or conflict, the plot of My Neighbour Totoro is very slight, but its beauty is in its simplicity. Two young girls, the tomboy-ish, sensible Satsuki, and her inquisitive younger sister Mei, move into a new house in the country with their father, while their mother is in hospital. As they explore their new surroundings, they come into contact with a variety of magical creatures, including Totoro himself, who is a guardian spirit of the forest. Totoro is an enchanting creature - child-like, wise and cuddly all at once - but what really makes this film for me is the characters of the children. This may be a simple 2D animation, but you forget all that, as the children are just so true to life. The film really captures the spirit of childhood in every frame, from curious Mei toddling about delightedly after the forest spirits; to the boy in Satsuki's class who will only talk to her in grunts or by pulling rude faces, but who gives her his umbrella in the rain. So, if you are thinking about buying this DVD, I can only say DO IT NOW! This really is a timeless classic, suitable for children (and inner-children!) of all ages, and there really isn't anything else like it that I've ever seen - in fact, this film should come with a guarantee of a warm and fuzzy feeling every time you watch it.

Great movie for any Miyazaki. Visual quality is tremendous - it's something about the studio Ghibli art style which manages to pack soooo much detail into the animated media format which makes it special. As always with Miyazaki movies the Japanese culture is apparent throughout, whether it is with their storytelling tropes, or the their ancient ability to be able to tell a story within a story. As far as the visuals go for the bluray version I was entirely satisfied - no visual artifacts, no banding, no stuttering, the only thing at a stretch I could even count as a "flaw" is the variable framerate - that is, some character movement is as low as 8 frames a second, and other things like pans are a standard 24 frames a second - but this isn't actually a flaw in the technical side of things, it is just going along with the art style. The story itself also strongly hints at some slightly risqué metaphors - (SPOILER) such as the suggested theory that Totoro (the big fluffy bear), is a physical manifestation of death itself, which is suggestion based on later plot points in the movie (END SPOILER), and so on. This makes it very enjoyable for adult viewing while the whole story is light enough to be viewed as a family/children's movie overall.

I must start by saying that I am a big Anime fan generally and have been for over 15 years. That and having lived in Japan for a couple of years. I have seen all the Ghibli Studio movies, apart from the most recent - Ponyo. If you are new to Anime, and you are after something for the whole family, with a great storyline, moral and something that can be re-watched over and over again, then Ghibli Studio Animes are for you. Totoro is one of the best to start with and whatever your age, is enjoyable and will leave you with a warm feeling. The characters develop well, there is the mysetry surrounding it, the fantasy involved and the massive imagination. PLUS, the animation is superb. I was lucky enough to catch the animated short of "Mei to KoNeko Basu" (Mei and the baby Cat bus) at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan earlier in the year, and it was amazing the number of people who welled up with tears during the short - based on their fond memories from the original and the wonderful continuation of this short. Although this short is never likely to be released onto DVD in the foreseeable future, as it is a museum exclusive. If you like Totoro when you watch it, and you really should watch it, then I recommend you follow it up with Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service and Pom Poko (probably, IMHO, the most under-rated Ghibli movie). On the more edgy side (with a little war, blood and guts thrown in) are Laputa, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, Nausicaa, Grave of the Fireflies. Porco Rosso is a little oddball and difficult to categorise, but still good. The next release Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea will probably fall into the family, innocence, warm feeling category. So, it depends which side of the Ghibli Studio movies you want to go for first - but either way, you'll enjoy the films for their quality of story, direction, animation and feeling.

Bien reçu

There is a moment in "My Neighbor Totoro" that demonstrates what sets it apart from so many so-called family films. Four year old Mei has wandered into the giant tree chasing two little creatures called Totoros. She falls into a pit and lands near a giant sleeping totoro. Eventually she falls asleep. When her big sister Satsuki returns home she and their father discover her. Mei tells them about the totoro. A lesser children's film would have the father believe she was making it up, and the two children would soon not trust their father and go to great lengths to keep the creature a secret. But the father in "My Neighbor Totoro" believes his children are telling the truth. He believes it so much that he thanks the spirits for watching after Mei. The father can be a little absent minded, but he has such a good heart and is a kind person who loves his two daughters. When was the last time a family entertainment was about two sisters instead of two brothers, or a brother and sister? That is one of the magics of "My Neighbor Totoro". It demonstrates that family films don't have to be about children whose parents die in the first scene, or have evil villains, comical sidekicks, or even songs. (Only two songs occur at the beginning and end. One of them has nothing to do with the story.) It also has a character (a boy next door) that made me laugh not because he was acting funny, but because he behaved in the exact way that boys his age acted around girls. When I wasn't laughing at some of this film, I had a very big grin on my face. I was caught up in this family, as well as the neighbors. The totoro's completely won me over. The giant one was like a big fat cat when it sleeps. I would like to mention another scene. The father and his two girls enjoy a bath together. This was a scene I feared would cause some concern with parents I recommended the movie to at Hollywood Video. I had a response to them: In Japan it is traditional for families to enjoy evening baths together, although they take a quick shower before entering the bathtub together. It is considered impolite otherwise. The scene is interesting and something that would be very unlikely to be shown in any American film, let alone a family entertainment. Disney certainly wouldn't include such a scene. I believe it is a scene that parents could discuss with their children involving the differences between American and Japanese cultures. But in all my years at Hollywood Video not one parent ever came back showing such concern. I would like to finish by indicating that the legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurowsawa called "My Neighbor Totoro" one of the best films he had ever scene. To have such an honor given by someone who was considered at that time to be the greatest living director says a lot for any film. But for an animated film, it's truly an astonishing achievement. Seeing "My Neighbor Totoro", I can understand why Kurowsawa would say that. It is one of the best family films ever made. FOOTNOTES: Some of the review is information from Helen McCarthy's fantastic book: "Hayao Miyazaki, Master of Japanese Animation". It is available at Amazon.com (Special Update): Since I originally wrote this review, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO has been re-released twice on DVD by Disney, with an updated English dub. The other release is a re-packaged one that was put out at the same time Miyazaki's PONYO was released. This new dub features Dakota Fanning and her real-life sister Elle as Satsuki and Mei. The movie is not only flawlessly dubbed but is completely uncut with the original music and effects soundtrack. My opinion has not been changed. It is still an absolute delight all the way through.

Exactly the version I grew up with- perfect condition, no issues at all 😁

Loved this movie since my child hood and its the original dubbed without the fannings 🥰

Ce film simple est fort comme un haiku, ces petits poèmes denses japonais. A travers un scénario très descriptif aux dialogues épurés, il trace une ode à la nature avec des paysages fidèlement reproduits, aux travaux des champs, à la simplicité de la vie familiale à travers des scènes qui sentent le bonheur. Ce film date de plus de vingt ans et a gardé une fraîcheur rayonnante. Comme bien souvent dans les films de Hayao Miyazaki, le réel est toujours au contact d'une frontière très poreuse avec l'imaginaire. Dans le cas présent, c'est un troll de la forêt, sorte de génie bienfaisant, que la petite fille, Mei, découvre avec surprise et bonheur. C'est l'émerveillement qui est à la source du succès de ce film car il reprend les sentiments les plus profonds de l'enfance et cette joie que l'on a à pouvoir comprendre, sans intermédiaire et sans jugement, des évènements fantastiques. Ce film se classe naturellement dans les films pour enfants mais sa qualité, son rythme, sa "philosophie" fait qu'il va bien plus loin que ce public. C'est un vrai film pour les adultes qui souhaitent ne pas passer à côté de l'essentiel et des choses simples. Il y a des scènes très marquantes qui m'ont beaucoup fait rire (et mes enfants derechef) : le premier contact de Mei avec Totoro, tordante ; la scène de l'attente du bus sous la pluie, entre veille et sommeil, où le bruit des grosses gouttes sur le parapluie entraîne des mimiques très réussies ; l'arrivée et le voyage en chat-bus (moyen de transport que je rêve d'avoir !). Donc, un superbe film d'animation, une leçon de vie et un film réjouissant, tendre et simple à voir et à revoir.