My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
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.
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.
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
Jan 1, 1988 Wide
Mar 7, 2006
Cast
-
Dakota Fanning
Satsuki [Disney dub] -
Elle Fanning
Mei [Disney dub] -
Tim Daly
Dad [Disney dub] -
Lea Salonga
Mom [Disney dub] -
Pat Carroll
Granny [Disney dub] -
Lisa Michelson
Satsuki [Fox dub] -
Cheryl Chase
Mei [Fox dub] -
Greg Snegoff
Dad [Fox dub] -
Alexandra Kenworthy
Mom [Fox dub] -
Natalie Core
Nanny [Fox dub] -
Noriko Hidaka
Satsuki -
Chika Sakamoto
Mei -
Shigesato Itoi
Dad -
Sumi Shimamoto
Mom -
Tanie Kitabayashi
Kanta's Grandmother -
Hitoshi Takagi
Totoro -
Machiko Washio
Teacher
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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.
Top CriticThe lack of sentimentality will be utterly refreshing to those raised on a diet of Disney.
Too much of the film...is taken up with stiff, mechanical chitchat.
Here is a children's film made for the world we should live in, rather than the one we occupy.
Blessed with gorgeously clear transfers of the hand-drawn magic, it's worth picking up for any anime lover.
An otherworldly tale of childhood and a definitive work of imagination.
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.
As a hangout movie for kids, My Neighbor Totoro pleases with its easygoing pace, curiosity about the natural world, and sweet spirit.
Picture quality improved over previous releases, new extras an added bonus
Beautifully animated fantasy about friendship fit for all.
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.
While the fantasy and whimsy captures the playful imagination of children, a powerful undercurrent of emotional crisis grounds their experience...
A soft, approachable film, about simple, peaceful emotions and characters. That may sound unambitious, but it is the most ambitious thing of all.
Visually arresting and consistently compelling, this movie is magical.
Miyazaki's cinematic magic is so enchanting that even a slew of unremarkable extra features won't take the smile off your face.
Miyazaki is a genius.
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.
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.
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…
A real contender for the greatest animated family film ever made.
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.
Audience Reviews for My Neighbor Totoro
Super Reviewer
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.
Super Reviewer
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- Mei [Disney dub]: I caught one! Satsuki! Look!
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Foreign Titles
- Mein Nachbar Totoro (DE)
- My Neighbor Totoro (UK)
