My Neighbor Totoro [DVD]

My Neighbor Totoro is a wonderfully fun and enchanting movie that my son loved watching. The story is heartwarming and full of imaginative adventures, making it perfect for children while still engaging for adults. The animation is beautifully detailed and timeless, capturing the magic of the countryside and the playful, gentle spirit of Totoro and the other forest creatures. The film balances humor, curiosity, and emotional moments in a way that keeps young viewers captivated from start to finish. It’s become a favorite in our household — my son requests to watch it often, and I enjoy the charming story just as much. Overall, My Neighbor Totoro is a must-see family movie that sparks imagination and joy.

Excellent price for a brand new movie.

If I could rate it higher I would, the pricing was inexpensive as well. Studio ghibli knows how to make some awesome movies.

Delivered on time and in good condition. Old but very good anime classic. Family fare. Particularly enjoyed the"cat bus."

BOTTOM LINE: One of the all-time greatest family films ever made. Period. Its easy-going storytelling is so engrossing and captivating that you're left wanting it to go on much longer than it does. Wonderful entertainment for anyone & everyone. A crown jewel for animation fans. Better than ever here in hi-def. Don't wait. Buy yourself a copy today. MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is pure motion picture magic. THE STORY: In the 1950's, a young husband and his two precocious daughters are relocating to a quiet rural community to get away from the hustle & bustle of big city life. They're still close enough for Dad to commute to his teaching job at a local university, and for the girls to be close to their mother (who's slowly recovering from tuberculosis at a nearby hospital). The wide open countryside is filled all kinds of amazing discoveries for the two city girls: there's a big house that will need lots of TLC to be turned from a house into a home, a new school & new friends to meet. But most amazingly of all... finding that the nearby woods is inhabited by a magical forest spirit, a huge, fuzzy, lovable creature named Totoro. THOUGHTS: MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is one of those films that doesn't really have a particular plot that's simple or easy to describe. Like so much of the best things in life this film isn't a destination, it's a journey. It's not about what happens so much as how it happens. I first rented this years ago at a video store, not knowing anything about the film. It was my first Miyazaki film, but not my first anime' - so I had some preconceived notions of what to expect. I couldn't have been more wrong, or more delighted. I was spellbound watching the story unfold, enchanted by the incredibly detailed designs of the backgrounds, the absolutely beautiful scenery. It was so richly detailed that it was hard to believe it was hand drawn animation. And the various human characters were so warm and real that I felt like I was watching people I'd known while growing up. The slow-paced nature of TOTORO may be a drag to some, but I think it's one of this film's greatest strengths. It defies traditional anime' expectations in the absolute best possible way. What a wonderful change from the frenzied style of AKIRA, ROBOTECH, and other such action-filled product. They're fine, but TOTORO, in its charming, disarming, summer lazyday way is equally impressive. Young or old, any viewer with a connection to his or her inner child should be totally enthralled watching this wonderful tale unfold. It's definitely my favorite Miyazaki film, my favorite anime' by far, and one of my very favorite animated films of all time, ever. It's right up there the beloved Golden Age classics from Disney or the modern greats from Pixar, and Warner's IRON GIANT. THE BLU-RAY: Disney's hi-def release of MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, as with their other Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli product, is a strong one. As clean & crisp as you're likely to get for this film. Detail is impressive and the muted color scheme is well-represented. No artifacting, pixelation, edge enhancement or crush (video noise) that I could detect. Soundmix was even and solid. The dubbing job is top notch as well. Bonus features are well-produced and cover much of the world of Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli; detailing his life, the history of the studio and the particulars behind the creation of this film. Good stuff. If you have this on DVD it's a marginal recommend for double-dipping. If you don't then by all means buy this Blu-ray/DVD combo - and give the DVD to a friend that doesn't yet have a Blu-ray player.

Hayao Miyazaki's movies all have a magical feel to them and My Neighbor Totoro is no exception. This animated feature follows ten year old Satsuki and her four year old sister Mei on their adventure in the Japanese countryside and encounter with the Lord of the Forest, the giant but very cute Totoro. You can read the other reviews to find out more about the plot; in this review I want to focus on what I really liked about this movie (I also liked the plot as well, but no use retelling it here). The animation, like all of Miyazaki's movies, is first rate. I must point out that I've seen both the original version of the DVD released in America, done by Fox Video, and the Disney version. Do yourself a favor and buy the Disney version - it is way better than the sorry Fox version. I would highly recommend watching it in the original Japanese language with subtitles (assuming you don't understand Japanese). The movie flows so much better that way and you get nuances that are bludgeoned by the English dubbing job. Even the music and the background sound effects are different, with the English version being way too heavy handed. The Disney version also has the movie in the original widescreen aspect ratio whereas the Fox version has the pan and scan altered ratio. As for the movie itself, Satsuki and Mei act very natural (as natural as cartoon characters can be, that is). They don't act precocious, they don't act bratty, they aren't made to be overly cute or lovable, they are simply made to be real and believable. All in all, this is a charming story with excellent production values, and I am thankful that someone released it in its original aspect ratio with the original language and soundtrack. Only this version does this great movie justice. By the way, a bit of trivia - Ken Jennings, the Jeopardy wonder-guy, has a Totoro on his keychain for good luck.

As writer/director Hayao Miyazaki explains on the the new subtitled documentary material on this new Special Edition DVD, he was growing dissatisfied with the creative limits of working in television animation, he wanted to create a gentle, enchanting family feature regardless of the potential for commercial success. My Neighbor Totoro apparently did not smash box office records on the big screen in 1988, but subsequent TV airings made it one of the most popular and beloved films in Japan (not unlike what happened with the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). Totoro is on the Studio Ghibli movies, an icon status comparable to Mickey Mouse with Disney and Luxo, Jr. with Pixar. But it all started in this film, which in a its second DVD release in the revised Disney English version, which was preceded by an earlier English version released by Fox. Each Miyazaki feature boasts a voice cast of marquee names as well as top Hollywood voice artists. The "name" talent is seen in brief "behind the microphone" bonus features -- in which you can sometimes also glimpse the strong supporting casts. Dakota and Elle Fanning turn in superb performances as the young sisters in Totoro, a very crucial element in making the English version work. Also in the cast are Tim Daly as the dad, Lea Salonga as the mom and the wondrous Pat Carroll as the warmhearted Nanny, a sharp constrast to her Ursula character in Disney's The Little Mermaid. The extraordinary Frank Welker growls as the Totoro himself. Welker, a gifted impressionist who entered voice work as the one and only Fred on Scooby Doo, is perhaps the most heard voice in film and TV today. The film itself is, to borrow from the Sherman Brothers, lovely and lyrical, filled with breaktaking landscapes and rich characters in a simple, pleasant tale that is a welcome break from the frenetic pace of most current entertainment.

Great movie. Even my anime hating husband loved it!