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MovieMail's Review
Miyazaki's small but perfectly formed film eschews the wide, dark canvases of Nausicca and Princess Mononoke for a much lighter world. It's a delight to watch, with little overt drama but much to hold your interest.
One summer, a university professor moves his two young daughters, Mei and Satsuki, to a new home in the Japanese countryside so that they can be near their hospital-bound mother. In time, they make friends with the titular Totoro, a huge furry troll with a demented, wide-mouthed grin. He doesn't say much (only growls), and we only meet him a few times - such is the scope of the film.
The pleasures of the film are many. The animation and soundtrack perfectly evoke the rural Japanese setting. The spirits and creatures we meet are strange, otherworldly yet impossibly charming. And simply watching the girls run around, imbuing their world with optimism and magic is worth your time on its own.
Totoro achieves a consistency of tone and quality sometimes lacking from Miyazaki's more ambitious work. While at first glance it may appear to be a slight, family-orientated film, it is richly rewarding with cross-generational appeal, much like Pixar's best work.
Totoro is a forest spirit that little Mei, and later her older sister Satsuki, encounter in a giant camphor tree near their new home in the countryside. Although their father, a university professor, is with them when they move, their mother is in the hospital, recovering from an illness. When Mei hears that her mother's condition may be worsening, she resolves to visit her all by herself. When everyone realizes she's missing, only Totoro knows how to find her! This film was a cherished project for Miyazaki and is full of the magical touches that he is famous for.
As a nostalgic film about the universal experience of family and imagination during early childhood, My Neighbour Totoro has few rivals. The heartfelt discoveries and ... more >
As a nostalgic film about the universal experience of family and imagination during early childhood, My Neighbour Totoro has few rivals. The heartfelt discoveries and anxieties of two young girls form the compelling focus of a story which sees no need for conflict. The director lingers upon visual detail with an unhurried naturalism appropriate to the idyllic summertime setting, and yet there is a wealth of visually spectacular moments that allow us all to experience bursts of imagination as young children do. That such an uncommonly gentle animated film is found utterly absorbing by children of all ages is remarkable too. In his native Japan My Neighbour Totoro is the most famous film of animator Hayao Miyazaki, and the UK release should show a new audience why it is also the most adored. < less
