I'm as big a fan of Miyazaki as the next guy but an 8.1 seems way too high for this movie. Sure, it's cute & heartwarming, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to it. There's no real sense of conflict & not everything is developed quite as well as it could have been. I've watched it twice recently & enjoyed it, but it was very unsatisfying compared with some of his others.
shareThis film has a huge following and a lot of people love the simple story and charming concepts, I agree that it's really not a great Miyazaki film or deserving of a top 250 spot, but I understand it.
The film is one of the most popular films in Japanese history and that means something, I just don't love it as much as many others, I find it to be at the bottom of his filmography.
Compare this serene, beautiful film to any of the poorly-animated 3D animation films being cranked out every few months in American theaters. Consider that we're raising modern children on these kinds of films, and I think it will become fairly evident why a wondrous film such as My Neighbor Totoro is a bit of a tough sell for modern American audiences.
sharei agree why is everyone here a hipster. This is at best a 7/10, seriously just because it makes up everything a story shouldnt be does not make it good. Its a bad story well told with animation. And whats this about it "doesnt bounce all over the place," say in your head what happens in the movie scene by scene; its sooooooo random, and with no clonflict there is no attachment. The only conflict is their mother and even then its not resolved, and its not even properly addressed. I love Miyazaki's other movies, but at the end of this one i felt nothing i just went "wtf did i just watch, oh well i cant get back that hour and twenty-four minutes."
shareJesus Christ...
It's not "...just because it makes up everything a story shouldn't be."
First, what do you think a story is "supposed to be." The only thing a movie needs is a subject, it doesn't require a story. My Neighbor Totoro has a strong subject.
"its sooooooo random,"
No, it isn't random at all. It's set in one place the entire time, it's set in one period of time, it follows linear structure with clear associations, it's focused on a distinct and consistent group of characters, and it follows the daily occurrences of these places and people. This is the opposite of random.
"with no clonflict there is no attachment."
This is a nonsensical statement. One could rattle off thousands of films with 'conflict' that add up to nothing, attach you to nothing, and leave you feeling absolutely nothing.
"The only conflict is their mother and even then its not resolved, and its not even properly addressed."
The mother's illness is just a fact of life and it IS resolved - she gets a little better and is able to comes home. What did you expect...death? How do you think this should be "properly addressed"?
There is a ton of detail in this film and cumulatively it adds up to much more than any mere conventional story would. The relationship between sisters, children and parents, families and community, the individual and the land that they live on, the activities that they participate in, the ways and customs, the transition from childhood to adolescence, innocence vs. the larger world, the period of time. This is a film of uncommon good nature and it is a masterpiece.
I want to marry this post!
The person this post is replying to is the hipster scum they claim to despise. They find nonsensical things to criticize this wonderful movie for BECAUSE it's too popular/mainstream. That is the DEFINITION of hipster.
This will be rather biased due to me watching this movie with my little sister when I was around 12-13, and sympathizing with Satsuki's character due to similarities in my life at the moment, but here we go:
Although there is no real antagonist nor conflict, there is a major one and that is: pure uncertainty. Through the whole movie, especially, towards the end, will their mother eventually come back or not hangs over our heads; along with will Mei come home. The antagonist of this movie is life itself, and in my opinion, it teaches us to value those little things and look for hidden meanings in life. Thus the wind is Totoro or a Catbus, and even when acorns have just started sprouting - it gives us hope and the energy of a new life that (I think) we miss in our daily, rushed lives.
It's heartwarming and filled with beautiful pictures, and if you're watching it when you're older/teenager - you should let your imagination run wild and look at with a simplistic view, not look for hidden meaning, just let it embrace you. Japanese cinematography is rather different than Western, while we look for meaning and plot inside the movie itself, this movie for instance gives a perfect background for us to create our own. To, as I said, look for hidden things and be happy with small changes and always have hope. It certainly deserve a strong 8.2 in my opinion. Should it go higher; fine, but not because it's a great movie, it's because it has moved others, and that's what it deserves. I'd give it a 10 because it inspires me and makes me laugh everytime I remember it. Although I -would- like to see more background stories of the soot-balls and Totoro's and a bit more characters/a stronger plot, or that I believe some scenes are unnecessary etc. and if I look at it that way - sure it lacks.
But then ask yourself, are you watching movies like this to fall into a different world and enjoy a completely different yet strong atmosphere, lets you relax and completely let your imagination run wild while looking at a piece of Miyazaki's imagination or to think of ways it could've been better in a -technical- manner? If the latter's the case, this movie won't be too great to you in my opinion, but you won't be able to say you've dived into it with 100%.
This movie is pure poetry.
It conveys emotions so strong that the viewer can't but feel them himself.
Can someone not feel deeply the tremendous love of Miyazaky for nature? It's not even just a message, it's like your grandfather telling you the stories of his youth.
Is it possible to not share the underlying loneliness and sufference of the girls for their mother's illness? The father's effort to show that everything's fine? The incredibly human reaction of the girls of creating their own, happy and magical world, where everything is fine?
And everything is depicted with the most simple scenes. To quote another reply: "The simple act of Totaro standing next to the girls at the bus stop is one of the greatest single moments in cinematic history"
No other movie fill me with so much joy (senseless, childish joy) as this one, when I watch it.
What is cinema all about, if not emotions?
I don't think it's a rule that a movie can only be good or satisfying if it has a lot of story or complexity of characters. The same goes for conflict or drama. Totoro works on a different level. I find it hard to describe but the simplicity of the story and the characters is probably what makes it so good to me. Nostalgia is probably another reason. I enjoy this movie as much as any Ghibli-movie because of it.
shareWhen I was a child, I loved fantasy. I adored Narnia and Oz and Moominland and the land inside the Phantom Tollbooth.
Now that I'm grown, those stories no longer have the power to enchant me. I've read them too many times, and I know there's no Tumnus in the wardrobe and no Moominmama hibernating all the winter long. I've read the commentary on Through the Looking Glass, seen through the Christian allegory of Aslan, and I will wonder, as the tornado whips Dorothy away, if her shoes really are a metaphor for the free coinage of silver.
But Totoro still has the power to make me feel that the world is a magical and wonderful place, full of magic and mystery.
And that's why I love it.