My Neighbour Totoro ( Tonari no Totoro ) ( My Neighbor Totoro ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ]

The DVD arrived still in the wrapper with the annoying stickers on all sides that brought me back to 2001. It has the original 1994 20th Century Fox Dub. One the opening credits started with the song I loved as a child tear actually came to my eyes. The voices and dialog are perfect and 1000x better than the Disney dub. Knowing that this will never be made again now that Disney owns the rights I feel that this movie is well worth the price. I would grab it as more times passes it will become more valuable.

This is the original dub from Fox...which is the version I grew up watching and the only one I'll accept as the "legit" dub. No offense to Disney, but nothing beats nostalgia. But, honestly, no matter what version you watch, this is quite simply a great movie!

I am a huge Miyazaki fan and missed the sweeter voice over that Fox Video released before the Disney version. I had forgotten that they seem to have also dulled much of the beautiful art to a flat “typical” anime look. Overall, I’m thrilled to have found a copy of the old version!

the most i've spent on a dvd. ever. and it was worth every penny. i made priceless new memories with my kids and checked a box in my heart. other reviews are right, newer version with new voices are like nails on a chalkboard. i had to buy this. or a vhs player. old school is all there is. find one and buy it!

I remembered this movie from my childhood in the mid 90s. I saw a copy of it last year and decided to buy it so my kids could watch it. By to my surprise the english dub was redone and it just was not doing it for me at all, and script modifications didnt help. Not trying to hate on the Fanning's. Just not what I remember. If you are looking for the original english dubbed version. This is what you want.

Since the first theatrical release in Japan, I have been a devoted fan of this film, and Totoro and two sisters' wonderful, magical, fascinating tale in rural Japan is my all-time best.And if you think this film is just for kids only, trust me, it is not. Now I'm a grown-up, but still can enjoy watching it. Two lovable sisters are always well-drawn and credible while three furry monsters "Totoro"s (lovely creatures, indeed) are nothing but charming. And these things many fans have said rightly. Now I could add some reasons for the enormous popularity, especially popularity in Japan.As you know after watching the opening scenes, this animation uses the countryside of Japan as its background. Sadly, these beautiful country is now becoming a past memory even for Japanese people. We no longer see conducters (guides) on local bus service; no good old three-wheeled trucks can be seen (on which sisters' father was seen), and school buildings are modernized so little chance for you to see Satsuki's school in reality. These facts, beside its good story telling, make the film all the more charming for us, Japanese.On top of that, many adult viewers surely remember the way they acted like spies when they were kids; made their own story of adventure, fought against imaginary creatures, and so on. Yes, we see even our autobiography in it sometimes. Have you ever experienced a childlike. thrilling sensation of finding a hidden passage in a house where you newly moved? Have you lost your way amid the places you had never been, and felt scared of the coming sunset as a child? I have, and all those memories would spring back to my mind vividly while watching "Totoro."Of course, kids enjoy this film, but it is something more as director Hayao Miyazaki's films always are. Creatures are cute, 12-legged cat-bus is infallably the favorite and wonder for kids, and three "Totoro"s always steal your eyes. Now remember, "Totoro" is much more than that. Kids can enjoy it, and so can adults. Definitely.By the way, something about sisters' names. "Satsuki" is the old, elegant way of calling the fifth month of the year; hence, meanig "May." So, the sisters' names mean virtually the same thing, the best time of year of Japan.

There is a moment in "My Neighbor Totoro" that demonstrates what sets it apart from so many so-called family films. Four year old Mei has wandered into the giant tree chasing two little creatures called Totoros. She falls into a pit and lands near a giant sleeping totoro. Eventually she falls asleep. When her big sister Satsuki returns home she and their father discover her. Mei tells them about the totoro.A lesser children's film would have the father believe she was making it up, and the two children would soon not trust their father and go to great lengths to keep the creature a secret. But the father in "My Neighbor Totoro" believes his children are telling the truth. He believes it so much that he thanks the spirits for watching after Mei. The father can be a little absent minded, but he has such a good heart and is a kind person who loves his two daughters. When was the last time a family entertainment was about two sisters instead of two brothers, or a brother and sister?That is one of the magics of "My Neighbor Totoro". It demonstrates that family films don't have to be about children whose parents die in the first scene, or have evil villains, comical sidekicks, or even songs. (Only two songs occur at the beginning and end. One of them has nothing to do with the story.) It also has a character (a boy next door) that made me laugh not because he was acting funny, but because he behaved in the exact way that boys his age acted around girls.When I wasn't laughing at some of this film, I had a very big grin on my face. I was caught up in this family, as well as the neighbors. The totoro's completely won me over. The giant one was like a big fat cat when it sleeps.I would like to mention another scene. The father and his two girls enjoy a bath together. This was a scene I feared would cause some concern with parents I recommended the movie to at Hollywood Video. I had a response to them: In Japan it is traditional for families to enjoy evening baths together, although they take a quick shower before entering the bathtub together. It is considered impolite otherwise. The scene is interesting and something that would be very unlikely to be shown in any American film, let alone a family entertainment. Disney certainly wouldn't include such a scene. I believe it is a scene that parents could discuss with their children involving the differences between American and Japanese cultures. But in all my years at Hollywood Video not one parent ever came back showing such concern.I would like to finish by indicating that the legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurowsawa called "My Neighbor Totoro" one of the best films he had ever scene. To have such an honor given by someone who was considered at that time to be the greatest living director says a lot for any film. But for an animated film, it's truly an astonishing achievement. Seeing "My Neighbor Totoro", I can understand why Kurowsawa would say that. It is one of the best family films ever made.FOOTNOTES: Some of the review is information from Helen McCarthy's fantastic book: "Hayao Miyazaki, Master of Japanese Animation". It is available at Amazon.com(Special Update): Since I originally wrote this review, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO has been re-released twice on DVD by Disney, with an updated English dub. The other release is a re-packaged one that was put out at the same time Miyazaki's PONYO was released. This new dub features Dakota Fanning and her real-life sister Elle as Satsuki and Mei. The movie is not only flawlessly dubbed but is completely uncut with the original music and effects soundtrack. My opinion has not been changed. It is still an absolute delight all the way through.

A visual masterpiece, this is a rare example of a film that succeeds in spiriting you away to a different time and place. Those who are looking for more of a plot might be disappointed - though I'd argue that this is precisely what makes the film so appealing, particularly to adult audiences. As you might expect, the animation is stunning, yet there is much more to it than simply being visually attractive - much of the scenery and visual detail is drawn directly from Miyazaki's experience of the Japanese countryside and literally paints a detailed and nostalgic picture of a disappearing Japan. Indeed, the movie itself has become a driving force for the preservation and regeneration of 'Satoyama', rural areas such as those depicted in the film. The Blu-ray has both the original Japanese language track (with English subtitles) and an English language track - it's great having both options since I prefer the original soundtrack but the non-subtitled version lets you concentrate on looking at the stunning artwork!

For those unfamiliar with Studio Ghibli, this is a great place to start. This film is such a feel-good film that celebrates the beauty of nature, the innocence of youth, and doesn't bend to stereotypes. And it doesn't follow the too familiar boring pattern of all cartoons produced in Europe and US. It is sprinkled with fantastical creatures in a very wholesome way, and it is easy to imagine that it is either happening, or it is in the girl's heads, as you feel like. The story is about 2 girls that move out into the countryside with their father after their mother has to stay in the hospital with an illness. They discover the house has been unused for some time, and dustmites have moved in, however they soon disappear when the house comes back to life. As the big sister goes to school, the little sister encounters the spirit of the forest - Totoro, one of the most iconic cartoon figures that have achieved near cult status as can be seen in the plethora of merchandise that is available in it's image. Not to be missed is the cat-bus. My daughter is not yet 2, and already watches this fascinate, and runs up to the screen and makes cat-noises whenever the catbus comes around.

Great movie for any Miyazaki. Visual quality is tremendous - it's something about the studio Ghibli art style which manages to pack soooo much detail into the animated media format which makes it special. As always with Miyazaki movies the Japanese culture is apparent throughout, whether it is with their storytelling tropes, or the their ancient ability to be able to tell a story within a story.As far as the visuals go for the bluray version I was entirely satisfied - no visual artifacts, no banding, no stuttering, the only thing at a stretch I could even count as a "flaw" is the variable framerate - that is, some character movement is as low as 8 frames a second, and other things like pans are a standard 24 frames a second - but this isn't actually a flaw in the technical side of things, it is just going along with the art style.The story itself also strongly hints at some slightly risqué metaphors - (SPOILER) such as the suggested theory that Totoro (the big fluffy bear), is a physical manifestation of death itself, which is suggestion based on later plot points in the movie (END SPOILER), and so on. This makes it very enjoyable for adult viewing while the whole story is light enough to be viewed as a family/children's movie overall.

This is the sort of great kid's anime that you should watch on Christmas day with the family. To be honest I was not overly impressed with the story the first time I watched it as nothing really seems to happen. However I then realised I had missed the point. The story is pretty slim but the anime remains a magical landmark for the Japanese culture who have embraced the central character. The Totoro character is so well loved and know that he actually appears as a toy in one of the later toy Story movies when Pixar tipped their hat to Ghibli. There is just something about this movie. It is entrancing. Everything about it is trippy. It is meant to be. Two young children move to the countryside with there dad to be close to their mum who is ill in hospital. They soon find that their new home and its surrounding woods are inhabited by all kinds of magical creatures who will come to their help at the critical moment of the movie's climax. Enjoy.

A classic. Bought it as a gift to a friend who kept on wanting to visit for play dates to watch the movie. Think its a wonderful way to introduce children to the world outside Pixar/Disney. My oldest visited Japan this year all thanks to Master Miyazaki.