Rating: Summary: A subtle movie of sheer genius Review: Unfortunately, many don't know of the spendors of Miyazaki's films, however, this fim should not be overlooked. Totoro is a phenomenal family film. The subtlety of the acting and sheer honesty of the characters is amazing. Miyazaki's ability to hone in on well-spun "everyday" stories is incredible.The fantastic world set up by studio ghibli is breathtakingly simple, and the characters are so real, you could hardly believe they're animated. Totoro is a classic deserving of limelight and fame, but sorely overlooked by the US. The dubbed version is quite well done, although some translations are misleading. What child could resist a large cat/owl creature like Totoro? Or the loveable cat-bus? None that I know of... Truly a work of genius...
Rating: Summary: 5 stars for the film 1 star for the DVD spec Review: According to the release info, the DVD will contain only the English dub soundtrack (in Dolby Surround 2.0) and pan & scan 1.33:1 video transfer (and trailers for some US films). LAME!!! The Japanese version contained a lot more: 1:85:1 anamorphic video, both Japanese (Dolby Surround 2.0) and English (Dolby 1.0) soundtracks and subtitles, 15 minutes featurette, storyboard-to-film comparison, opening and end sequence without the text, 20 minutes "Mitaka No Mori Ghibli Museum" featurette, 3 trailers of Totoro, and trailers for several other Ghibli films.
Rating: Summary: My Neighbor Totoro Review: The animation was lovely but the movie was boring and the screeching and giggling of the 2 girls was incredibly irritating.
Rating: Summary: A Wonderful Movie for All!!!! Review: A friend highly recommended this movie to so I rented it one rainy afternoon. I was never a fan of animation, that is until I saw My Neighbor Tororo. This movie was wonderful! It's a touching tale of the friendship between two sister and a bunch of wonderful and friendly totoros. The soundtrack is fabulous and the animation/artwork is indescribable. I went out the next day and bought my own copy of this movie and became a collector of Totoro stuffed toys, posters, etc..., and also a great admirer of Hiyao Miyazaki. He is truly a master storyteller and Disney really needs to get it together and release his movies (I believe they bought the right for American distribution) and release his other masterpieces to the public. People of all ages will be captivated by this magical tale.
Rating: Summary: family favorite Review: This video has become a cult classic of sorts in our family. My 4 and 2 year old boy and girl LOVE it, and the animation is so beautiful that we still enjoy it with them even the fiftieth time around! The fantasy characters are enchanting. The setting and scenery are represented with care, patience and artistry. It is a real pleasure and treat to watch this imaginative story unfold again and again.
Rating: Summary: WE LOVE IT! Review: I watched it with my 1.5 yr old daughter. We both were spellbounded by the beauty of it. I really hope I can find more films like it.
Rating: Summary: Totoro, my neighbor and compatriot. Together forevermore. Review: My favourite movie. My nieces' (both) favourite movie. My father's favourite song. My Neighbor Totoro is the touching story of two girls living with their father is post-war Japan. Their mother is in the hospital, under unsure conditions. It is at this point that the two girls, Mai and Setsuki are introduced to the king of the forest, Totoro. A beautiful movie, entertaining for children, awe-inspiring for adults. Great for the whole family. This was my first anime, and without Totoro I cannot live on this planet you call Earth. The music is touching, despite the fact it has been dubbed into English. The score is composed by Joe Hisaishi, the lyrics are written by Hayao Miyazaki. I would highly reccommend this movie for anime fans, animation fans, Miyazaki fans, and children of all ages.
Rating: Summary: Perhaps the BEST Film for Children AND Adults Review: In a recent course I taught on Japanese animation, I used My Neighbor Totoro during the section of the course on auteur theory and Hayao Miyazaki. Students ranged from 17 to 30-something, from anime newcomers to diehard otaku, and they ALL seemed to really love this film. My Neighbor Totoro speaks to the child within us all, the child that wants to play and interact with the imagination and with creatures that adults cannot see. Mei and Satsuki both embody that child within us all. Through these two young girls, we discover Totoro, Nekobus/Catbus, and plenty of other imaginary/magical/fantasy creatures which are often comedic and always kind and caring towards the children. The girls learn from these creatures, and teach the creatures as well; Totoro's first experience with an umbrella is one of the more touching (and comedic) moments in the film. Best of all, My Neighbor Totoro differs from much of the anime available currently in the States in one important area: dubbing. The voice-acting is absolutely SUPERB - compared to the third and fourth seasons of Sailor Moon, which had such horrible voice-acting that they can only be watched with the sound turned off. The voice-acting is excellent in providing an aural portrayal of the characters of the film. This is one of the best films ever for children... and their parents. My Neighbor Totoro shows a lot of imagination on the part of Hayao Miyazaki and his animation team; I would truly LOVE to see the original or subtitled versions to experience the film as originally intended.
Rating: Summary: An excellent kid's film Review: My daughter (age 5) and son (age 4) love this movie. We rented it 3 different times before we finally bought our own copy.
Rating: Summary: Gotta Love Totoro! Review: My kids begged me to rent My Neighbor Totoro a year ago, and I reluctantly agreed. I'd never heard of this movie and was extremely skeptical that it would be good. I was totally wrong! It has become a family favorite. The day their very own copy came in the mail, my kids jumped for joy.
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