Haven't seen the original, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I loved the dub! I thought Mei sounded perfect especially! 9/10, great movie
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IMDb is the almighty, superior, purple leader.
The FOX dub was a good dub for its time indeed, but that does that mean that the Disney version is a travesty by comparison? Not at all. I grew up with the older FOX dub and I still found a lot to enjoy about the Disney version.
Dakota and Elle Fanning are not Lisa Michelson or Cheryl Chase, but it was still a good move on Disney's part to cast two actual sisters for the roles of the sisters. To me they both had a genuine chemistry that really brought their roles to life. Elle Fanning is the more juicy of the two by far; she effortlessly upstages her sister in every scene. Which is not to knock Dakota by any means. She's good, although sometimes she does underact in some scenes. By and large, though, both VAs for both dubs are acceptable. I had no issues with the rest of the cast in either dub.
As far as the dialogue translation is concerned, both tie, but I think the Disney script just edges out the FOX dub, it sounds more natural to my ears and not quite as occasionally stiff as the Macek one. I'm not knocking the FOX dub by any means by saying this; both the Hewitts and Greg Snegoff do justice to this story.
The only weakness of the Disney dub is that the OP/ED songs aren't quite as good as in the FOX ones. Sonya Isaacs sounded too "gung-ho" for my tastes, although on the flip side, the sound quality in the older dub is kinda scratchy.
Other than that, I'd say both dubs of TOTORO excel. I'm probably one of the few people who likes both dubs equally for different reasons. Neihter one is better or worse than the other, only different. The only obstacle to enjoying either one may be nostalgia, but anyone who views the Disney dub first should be fine with it. The FOX dub will always be loved, but the Disney version doesn't even begin to deserve the ridiculous amount of BS hate it gets. Despite being a different version, it is not a disgrace to the movie at all.
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The Pan grew up...I mean matured watching the Fox dub. Although I'm sure the Disney dub is fine, I can not bring myself to watch it. Love the film, great for lost boys of all ages!
I can fly, I can fight, and I can crow! I am the Pan!