My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Movie Review (Month of Miyazaki)

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Miyazaki Month begins with a film that is hugely inspirational and is often ranked as one of his best and most influential work. A children’s film called My Neighbor Totoro.

Background

My Neighbor Totoro is the 4^th film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki as well as the 4^th film under Studio Ghibli (the previous being Nausicaa, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and Grave of the Fireflies).  It is also known for creating the iconic character of Totoro, which has gone on to become the symbol for Studio Ghibli.  Even if you have never seen the film I am sure that most of you have seen Totoro in some capacity. Totoro was even popular enough that he can be seen making a little cameo in Toy Story 3.

The film is extremely popular and now you will get a chance to see what I think of it and how it stands up against the gorgeous Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

Plot (Taken from IMDB)

“Two young girls, Satsuke and her younger sister Mei, move into a house in the country with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother. Satsuke and Mei discover that the nearby forest is inhabited by magical creatures called Totoros (pronounced toe-toe-ro). They soon befriend these Totoros, and have several magical adventures.” Written by Christopher E. Meadows

Review

The film is without a doubt one of the most beloved and most popular of all of the films of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.  It is an innocent tale of childhood, but it also adds a level of maturity. The 2 sisters actually behave like little girls act and they feel real which makes the audience immediately understand and relate to them.  The characters discover the Totoros and become friends with them. However, there is more to this than what appears at first glance. On the surface this film looks like a sweet and innocent family film but it actually has a lot of depth beneath its child-like surface. The Totoros can be interpreted as being a part of the children’s imagination and this element adds so much more weight to the story as the film progresses.  The film also has no central goal and just decides to show life, which I think, is brilliant.  It does not need a complicate or central conflict to move along at a good pace and connect with the audience.

The animation in this film is gorgeous and I myself cannot wait until I get a blu ray copy of the film to really see all of the time and detail that has been put into this animation.  This is not only one of my top all time favorite Ghibli film its one of my favorite animated films of all time.  Miyazaki does things differently from any other director and you can tell when you are watching one of his films.  Totoro takes its time in telling a very human story of family and growing up, which most films have trouble doing. Disney has done a fantastic job with dubbing the film into english and I recommend watching that version especially since the blu ray will be hitting shelves on May 21^st 2013. (Available on Amazon)

Conclusion

This film is a brilliant example (Like Nausicaa) of what an incredible visionary Miyazaki is and how influential he has become. I highly recommend Totoro to anyone who can enjoy a film that takes its time.  I think I still enjoy Nausicaa a bit more but I think that may be because it was my first Miyazaki film. Nevertheless it is a fantastic film that should be watched not only for its beauty, but also for its ability to connect to its audience in a very emotional way.

Score

5 Out Of 5

Month of Miyazaki continues with my next upcoming review: Laputa: Castle In The Sky. See you next time!