My Neighbor Totoro – DVD Review

The Film:

In its scant 88 minutes, My Neighbor Totoro passes by like a light wind on a beautiful Spring day. It’s a rare film in many ways, combining wonderful cell animation, music, and style, along with the whimsicality themes of childhood, Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 film defies many traditional storytelling conventions and opens us up to senses and a world unlike the one’s we’re accustomed too. Simply put, My Neighbor Totoro is an animation masterpiece.

What makes the film so good is what many might initially not like, assuming they’re used to most animation films, and that is the simplicity of My Neighbor Totoro. Simple is not bad, in fact, to properly convey the word is a tough act. The film follows two young girls who move with their dad into a new district, that is closer to their ill mother. Getting accustomed to their new home has challenges, with being the new kids in school and discovering that in the nearby forest, lies totoros. Miyazaki, more than anyone else, knows what it’s like to be a child. If he didn’t, then his keen eye would not have made this film, as well as his recent Ponyo. The film grasps at the innocent of children, and through no major villains or threats, weaves them through something possible just as eerie: growing up.

The fun and dreamlike scenes involving the Totoro, a giant rabbit-thing and even when the Cat Bus appears, feels like things children create to escape. The underlining tension of the ill mother pops up from time to time, sometimes they’re accepting of it, like it’s just apart of their lives, and other times, they worry about the inevitability of the illness, as in death. The film hinges on these ideas, yet it’s never the film’s focus. But the meetings and appearances of the Totoro are possibly the workings of the two young girls. When they go wait for their dad to come home by the bus stop, he initially doesn’t show up. They grow considered. The camera pans to the right, showing the giant Totoro standing by them in the rain, waiting along with them. It’s magic like this subtle little things, that makes a film with little plot, such a memorable classic.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: With slight improvement from the 2006 DVD edition, Disney showcases the film as best as the DVD medium allows. Sharp black lines, colorful images, and lush forest scenery offer up a great looking transfer. I doubt fans will displeased, sans the lack of a Blu-ray. Collecting a few audio tracks, each one is nicely done, even if it’s just DD Stereo. Dubs are always the step-child of anime, yet this track featuring voices of Tim Daly and Dakota Fanning is solid. The preferred track is the Japanese. Either way, Disney offers up a nice looking version of the film, and with decent audio.

Disney is re-releasing a few of the Studio Ghibli films they own, as Special Editions, to coincide with Ponyo‘s Blu-ray and DVD release (review here).

Look for a Storyboard Presentation of the Film on Disc One.

The wealth of the extras are on Disc Two in The World of Ghibli. Here, we get two options: Behind the Studio and Enter the Lands. Behind the Studio offers up a handful of selectable featurettes covering all aspects of the film’s production with interviews and a set visit. Miyazaki is present offering his insightful analysis, as well as the producers, and more. Most of this is new, but look for some of the older extras from the 2006 release to reappear. Look for over 8 featurettes, all great for Ghibli fans, as well as some short featurettes on other Ghibli films.

Enter the Lands is basically an interactive map of the films of Ghibli. While not as deep or informative as Behind the Studio, there’s a lot of items to go exploring for that give you art work, trailers, and character information.

A collectible litho is including in the case as well.

Conclusion: My Neighbor Totoro is a superb family film, timeless for all ages. Roger Ebert said it best: “Whenever I watch it, I smile, and smile, and smile.” I did too, and Studio Ghibli fans will like this new Special Edition from Disney.

The Film: Rating:

The DVD: Rating: