On a dreary night at home I begin to scan through my overly large
dvd collection, trying to figure out what to watch. Suddenly, I stop and begin
to grin as I pull out “My Neighbor Totoro” from my animated section. This is pretty usual for me.
Two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, move into an aged house in the
Japanese countryside with their loving father because it’s close to the
hospital where their mother is sick. They are not the only ones in the house
though. Small, fluffy, black balls of soot disperse each and every corner of
the walls; they only run away from laughter. Finally, the Totoros themselves, enormously
lovable small creatures (they’re a hybrid between a raccoon, rabit, owl, guinea
pig, and cat) carrying acorns and making tress grow at night. There is even a
gigantic Totoro who sleeps beneath a tree, so cuddlesome and calm, who also
grins like a Cheshire cat. The gigantic Totoro always lends a hand to others in
trouble.
“My Neighbor Totoro” is pure delight and amusement; from the
score to the animation, from the adored Totoro to the Necko-Bus, this film excels
and fascinates. The imaginative pictures make the film seem like a beautiful vision.
There are so many magnificent scenes and nearly everyone will lawfully point to
the brilliant bus stop scene as the centerpiece scene, and with no hesitation it’s
my favorite scene in the film too, and so many additional comparable scenes
where only a few words are spoken. Disney animated films are frequently too impatient
to produce an atmosphere like this. The settings, background, noises, and
sounds are extraordinary. The voice actors did marvelous job.
Is this a kid’s film? Well yes, of course it is. Is this a
film for adults? Well yes, because it brings out our inner child. “My Neighbor
Totoro” is special because it lets the viewer be free to be a child again and
it helps reflect the world through a point of view that they possibly have
forgotten. It shows us that we live in a
magical place and it’s positively worth captivating the time to be thankful for
this. We may not have a neighbor like Totoro, but we are all lucky in other
ways. Each of us has something to love, something that transports joy and reassurance.
“My Neighbor Totoro”
is not tied up by any of the established systems of storytelling. Instead, it presents
incidences that feel on a essential human level that is so deep and philosophical
that it will have you feeling a variety of emotions. There are so many numerous
levels to this film, each one significant and extraordinary. It captures the childhood innocence that we
all lose to soon nowadays. The humor in this film makes kids laugh and also the
adults will laugh in addition to appreciating it, without it being “adult humor”.
This film is a true classic of animation
better than any other Disney or animated film ever created, like The Iron Giant, Toy Story, Akira, Howl’s
Moving Castle, Beauty and the Beast, yet “My Neighbor Totoro” will always remain
my favorite. It’s sacred, magical,
authentic, unique, simple, lighthearted, poetic, emotional, and humorous. “My
Neighbor Totoro” will appeal like few animated films can. What more can be said
about this great film? Get this film without delay, you won’t be sorry.
10 out of 10
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