Opening

78% Fast & Furious 6 May 24
36% The Hangover Part III May 23
100% Epic May 24
95% Before Midnight May 24
67% We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks May 24
83% Fill the Void May 24
—— A Green Story
—— Alyce Kills May 24

Top Box Office

86% Star Trek Into Darkness $70.2M
78% Iron Man 3 $35.8M
49% The Great Gatsby $23.9M
46% Pain & Gain $3.2M
69% The Croods $3.0M
77% 42 $2.8M
56% Oblivion $2.3M
98% Mud $2.2M
37% Peeples $2.2M
8% The Big Wedding $1.2M

Coming Soon

—— After Earth May 31
—— Now You See Me May 31
88% The East May 31
100% The Kings of Summer May 31

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

tomatometer

91

Average Rating: 8.1/10
Reviews Counted: 32
Fresh: 29 | Rotten: 3

My Neighbor Totoro is a heartwarming, sentimental masterpiece that captures the simple grace of childhood.

No Score Yet...

Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 2

My Neighbor Totoro is a heartwarming, sentimental masterpiece that captures the simple grace of childhood.

audience

93

liked it
Average Rating: 4.3/5
User Ratings: 81,092

My Rating

Movie Info

This superbly animated children's tale is directed by Hayao Miyazaki, one of Japan's most beloved animators. The story follows Satsuke and Mei, two young girls who find that their new country home is in a mystical forest inhabited by a menagerie of mystical creatures called Totoros. They befriend O Totoro, the biggest and eldest Totoro, who is also the king of the forest. As their girls' mother lies sick in the hospital, O Totoro brings the sisters on a magical adventure but also helps them to

Mar 7, 2006

Cast

ADVERTISEMENT

All Critics (32) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (34) | Rotten (3) | DVD (19)

Obviously aimed at an international audience, the film evinces a disorienting combination of cultures that produces a nowhere land more confused than fascinating.

September 1, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comments (26)
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The lack of sentimentality will be utterly refreshing to those raised on a diet of Disney.

June 19, 2007 Full Review Source: Time Out
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Too much of the film...is taken up with stiff, mechanical chitchat.

August 30, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comments (23)
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Here is a children's film made for the world we should live in, rather than the one we occupy.

January 6, 2002 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comment (1)
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Blessed with gorgeously clear transfers of the hand-drawn magic, it's worth picking up for any anime lover.

May 21, 2013 Full Review Source: COEDMagazine.com
COEDMagazine.com

An otherworldly tale of childhood and a definitive work of imagination.

May 20, 2013 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine
Empire Magazine

With the finest rhythm of any Ghibli film, this masterwork gently see-saws the faint aches of youth with utter trust in the wonder of a nature-inspired imagination. In lulling, Ozu-like moments, the landscape twinkles in its beauty, like the film itself.

May 6, 2013 Full Review Source: Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

As a hangout movie for kids, My Neighbor Totoro pleases with its easygoing pace, curiosity about the natural world, and sweet spirit.

February 4, 2013 Full Review Source: Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema
Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema

Picture quality improved over previous releases, new extras an added bonus

May 2, 2010 Full Review Source: Movie Habit
Movie Habit

Beautifully animated fantasy about friendship fit for all.

April 27, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

One of the best animated films ever made for families: it celebrates feminine sensitivity, the importance of the spirit world, respect for nature, and the pre-eminence of the spiritual practice of kindness.

March 30, 2010 Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice
Spirituality and Practice

While the fantasy and whimsy captures the playful imagination of children, a powerful undercurrent of emotional crisis grounds their experience...

March 25, 2010 Full Review Source: Seanax.com
Seanax.com

A soft, approachable film, about simple, peaceful emotions and characters. That may sound unambitious, but it is the most ambitious thing of all.

March 17, 2010 Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy
Antagony & Ecstasy

Visually arresting and consistently compelling, this movie is magical.

March 6, 2010 Full Review Source: PopMatters
PopMatters

Miyazaki's cinematic magic is so enchanting that even a slew of unremarkable extra features won't take the smile off your face.

March 4, 2010 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine

Miyazaki is a genius.

April 29, 2009 Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed
Cinema Crazed

The painted backgrounds are lush, realistic, and full of luxuriant foliage. The character animation, while stiff by Disney standards, is appropriate to the characters and expressive enough to bring them to life for the audience.

September 1, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide
TV Guide's Movie Guide

what Miyazaki has animated is an idyll, that most melancholic and nostalgic of genres, where landscapes vanish, innocence is lost and death is as much a part of nature as life.

August 2, 2007 Full Review Source: Eye for Film | Comment (1)
Eye for Film

How can I describe its inexplicable power? It is like how childhood memories feel, if you had a happy childhood — wide-eyed and blissful, matter-of-factly magical and entrancingly prosaic…

August 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide
Decent Films Guide

A real contender for the greatest animated family film ever made.

May 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comments (5)
Combustible Celluloid

The beauty of My Neighbor Totoro is its simplicity. It's a warm and friendly story that just made me feel good after watching it.

March 11, 2006 Full Review Source: 7M Pictures
7M Pictures

Audience Reviews for My Neighbor Totoro

definitely one of miyazaki's best films, and one of my favorite animated films of all time. the story is so simple, yet so profound in terms of the underlying nuances of family life and what it means to be a child. totoro is a great character, and the imagery of many scenes such as the bus stop or the cat bus are ingrained into my mind. very effective animation.
January 26, 2007
sanjurosamurai
danny d

Super Reviewer

Just when I thought I was turning into a grizzled old man, My Neighbor Totoro helped me enjoy a joyful regression. Much like Satsuke and Mei, the heroines of this story, I couldn't be more thrilled to shout that "I saw Totoro!" Miyazaki's exploration of the magical nature of children is incredibly sweet without be saccharine. It doesn't try to preach the importance of such a puerile mind, but just serves as a remembrance of its beauty. And in circumstances such as the sickness of loved ones, how hard it is to hold on to that innocence.
The animation is stunning for being released in the late 80s. After seeing Pixar push the limits of animation with every new release, this film reminded me that any film can be groundbreaking if it is treated with care.
The characters are earnestly thought out and I forgot at times that I was watching animated characters. Which is an impressive feat for me, a man who hasn't always been in love with the medium. Mei's inability to understand time and seeing her ask whether it is lunch time just minutes after her breakfast is consumed are small touches that really got me immersed in her world. That childhood belief that no time is more important than your own time is just one of the many things that Miyazaki captures beautifully.
I have been putting off my Miyazaki marathon for years now for fear that I would be a wet blanket. Souring people's love of one of the most highly regarded animators of all time. After my viewing of My Neighbor Totoro, I am getting the feeling that there isn't much one man can do to sour such magical experiences.
March 28, 2011
axadntpron
Reid Volk

Super Reviewer

    1. Mei [Disney dub]: I caught one! Satsuki! Look!
    – Submitted by Facebook U (11 months ago)

Discussion Forum

There are no discussion threads for My Neighbor Totoro yet.

Latest News on My Neighbor Totoro

February 21, 2012:
The 75 Best Animated Movies Ever!
From the forest lairs of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, to Ralph Bakshi's urbane concrete...

September 8, 2010:
A Look Inside the Studio Ghibli Museum
Miyazaki fans who can't afford a trip to Tokyo can console themselves with Collider's visit to the...

Foreign Titles

  • Mein Nachbar Totoro (DE)
  • My Neighbor Totoro (UK)
Help | About | Jobs | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Mobile