Editorial Review:Amazon.com essential video:My Neighbor Totoro is that rare delight, a family film that appeals to children and adults alike. While their mother is in the hospital, 10-year-old Satsuki and 4-year-old Mei move into an old-fashioned house in the country with their professor father. At the foot of an enormous camphor tree, Mei discovers the nest of King Totoro, a giant forest spirit who resembles an enormous bunny rabbit. Mei and Satsuki learn that Totoro makes the trees grow, and when he flies over the countryside or roars in his thunderous voice, the winds blow. Totoro becomes the protector of the two sisters, watching over them when they wait for their father, and carrying them over the forests on an enchanted journey. When the children worry about their mother, Totoro sends them to visit her via a Catbus, a magical, multilegged creature with a grin the Cheshire Cat might envy.
Unlike many cartoon children, Satsuki and Mei are neither smart-alecky nor cloyingly saccharine. They are credible kids: bright, energetic, silly, helpful, and occasionally impatient. Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki makes the viewer believe the two sisters love each other in a way no American feature has ever achieved.
My Neighbor Totoro is enormously popular in Japan, and some of the character merchandise has begun to appear in America. The film has also inspired a Japanese environmental group to buy a Totoro Forest preserve in the Saitama Prefecture, where Miyazaki's film is set.
--Charles Solomon
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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A tradition passed on ...
I remember watching this movie when it frist came out and simply being at awe with it. No bad guys ... little girls and fuzzy monsters ... come one, how can that beat Akira? Well, it just does. It's been my favorite move for years and now it's my daughter's favorite movie too.
I think the thing that gets me the most is Myazaki's treatment of the parents. When the children tell them of ghosts and monsters, there's instant belief ... no pats on the head followed by "silly girls" ... the father plays along and encourages them with kindness and understanding ... awesome.
The artwork is not Disney and it's not Pixar or Dreamworks ... its just simply amazing and warm. makes you want to just jump into the movie and play along.
Get this movie for your kids, get this movie for yourself, you wont be disappointed.
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The Best Kind of Neighbor
* I have never seen the movie before so can't judge what it was like in other releases. In the DVD I bought, I had widescreen, dialog in English and Japanese and two disks. One for the regular film and the other was the entire soundtrack with story boarded pictures. I found the dialog in English beautiful and well done. The picture and the care the film had in transferring it over into DVD was marvelous. A man and his two daughters move to the country in a new house while the mother is hospitalized. They meet two very nice neighbors but the girls become attached to forest spirits who seem to take care of them when their parents are unavailable. Beautiful moving story with lots of hope. ...
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What the hell disney?
This was my favorite movie of all time when i was a little kid. Since those Disney has taken the movie and completely screwed it by re-doing the voices. If you're a true fan of the original, then do not buy this movie. It is the disney version. And if you know where i can get the original (non-disney) version i would appreciate it if you let me know.
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My favorite film
* I first saw this film in 2004. I'm a voice-actor and was going to be voicing an anime series. I asked around to see what the best films and series were and, of course, Myiaskai's films were highly recommended. I instantly fell in love with this film and it started me on the journey of seeing all of the films produced by Studio Gibli. I now have a 2 year old son and bought it to share with him, although I fell in love with it as an adult. It is my favorite film of any genre (not just children's). Give it a watch, then start your own Myisaki collection! ...
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a wonderful first movie
For any parent who is concerned about the content of the movies and TV they allow their young children to watch, this movie is terrific. In addition to being gorgeously animated, it also replaces what is so objectionable about so many videos for young children with the following:
- family members who clearly really love each other, including sisters who occasionally bicker but without malice or bitterness
- sensitive handling of a sick and possibly dying mother -- older children will "get it", younger children won't even notice this scary plot point and can enjoy the rest of the movie
- scenes that are thrilling (a ride through the sky!) or tense (phone call from the hospital) without ever being scary
- absolutely NO sexualization of children (unlike Disney films and all their small waisted big boobed heroines)
- no bad guys
- not sappy sweet or mind numbing to parents like Barney or The Wiggles
I don't care about the dubbing issues or Disney v. Fox...all three of my children (now long outgrown this movie) LOVED this, and I think I've seen it 500 times.
