Customer Reviews
Not as good as Howls moving castle, more childish - By: Mette Johansen, 29 Jun 2008 
I was hoping to get a great fairytale like story with a touch of darknes, but this story was much more childish, & I was a bit dissapointet.
An absolute must - By: one-eyed Jack, 31 May 2008 
Hayao Miyazaki is one of Japan's greatest animation directors. The entertaining plots, compelling characters & breathtaking animation in his films have earned him universal international acclaim from critics as well as public recognition in his home country, where he is sometimes callled the "Walt Disney of Japan", but he hates that title. My Neighbour Totoro is a movie set in the still countryside of early 20th century Japan & focuses on a few days in the life of two sisters, Satsuki (about 10 years old) & Mei (about 5). They have just moved into a peaceful village with their father Tatsuo, a University professor who has to take the bus every night to work. Their mother Yasuko is recovering from an unknown condition at a hospital some three hours away. In between visits to the hospital to check on Yasuko, the two girls explore the great woodlands & forests around them. One day little Mei, who I can only describe as cute, loud & curious, bumps into a forest dwelling "spirit" named Totoro. He's like a huge cuddly bear but only the two girls can see him. But everyone else is open minded about their existence. Tatsuo & the locals do not admonish the girls for believing in spirits, they almost encourage it.
So what's so great about this film? It is a peaceful existence but there are moments of real, unforced drama. The girls are so endearing; Mei, the loudmouthed little critter who loves to explore & play, & Satsuki, the brave & courageous little girl who is maintaining a balancing act as a kind of mother to Mei whilst still being a playful kid herself. They are so real & likable. When the film is seemingly doing nothing, it is in fact developing the characters so that once moments of crisis occur we sit up & become genuinely worried about the outcome. In spite of the fantasy element, the movie seems so grounded in reality we reallly do get upset for the characters when things go wrong. And unlike many Disney movies, it lacks the assurance that "it'll alll be alright in the end".
There are images from the film that won't leave my mind. The movie takes time to meditate on scenes of stillness & quiet. Like rainfalll on a dusky sky outside the girls' house. Or the kid Kanta playing with a model airplane whilst sitting on his porch, arguing his way out of doing some chore his mother is yelling for him to do, from within the house.
This is a film made for everyone. Kids will love it & so will anyone else regardless of their age. This film just captures you so naturallly, without trying & without even having much of anything to show you but a couple of excited young sisters exploring their new house, the forest that surrounds it & the cuddly spirit that inhabits it. Without doubt a must-see.
I love this film - By: Mrs. S. Conway-Dyer, 30 May 2008 My daughter who is three & a half loves this film! We play 'where is totoro hiding?' in the local woods since watching this film. The animation is beautiful & the characters are charming. Five Stars! Service was good too, no complaints.
really good - By: kitkat, 03 Feb 2008 love studio ghibli films (spirited away & the amazing princess mononoke) & this is no exception. fantastic animation, wonderful characters & the dub was perfectly fine in my opinion. the story is so original & with characters like totoro & the catbus you won't be disappointed. the family will love this one.
Exuberantly and heart-warmingly brings you into the childs world - By: J. Klaile, 01 Feb 2008 I simply adored this film when I first saw it. It was with a bunch of friends. And it's funny, because it essentiallly a kid's film, & though we were alll younger or older adults, we were alll completely INTO the film. All the characters are so wonderfully portrayed, & we found ourselves having genuine concern for them throughout the film.
Pure, childlike exuberance! This film reallly awakened the inner child in many of us watching, & for a while thereafter "Totoro" became a household word.
Oh & the "Theme song" is simply charming, charming, charming!
