NoFace for Film

Title: となりのトトロ (My Neighbor Totoro)
Year: 1988
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring Voices: Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto (original Japanese version); Cheryl Chase, Lisa Michaelson (American version)
Rated: G

NoFace Rating: 3.5 out of 7

Tonari no Totoro is the story of two little girls, Satsuki and Mei, who move with their professor father in an old house near a forest to be closer to their mother. The mother is very ill and is in a nearby hospital.

While exploring their new surroundings, the girls meet and befriend some totoros (the word “troll”, mispronounced by little Mei), which are magical, furry spirits who live in the forest. Adorable adventures ensue.

Although I thought that the story was sometimes too slow and Mei annoying, the movie is really cute and has many funny moments. My favorite scene is when little Mei stumbles upon the giant King totoro for the first time. He’s so big that she’s barely the size of his furry stumpy tail, and when she realizes what she’s found, she squeals and hugs that stumpy tail, causing him to wake up.

Tonari no Totoro is a nice film with a simple plot, suitable for young audiences. Kids will fall madly in love with the chubby, furry totoros, especially the King. I personally will scream with glee if I ever get my hands on a soft, ginormous totoro doll. Incidentally, the King Totoro is the official mascot of Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki’s animation company.

NOTE: Disney is re-releasing Tonari no Totoro in March 2006*, with Dakota Fanning and her younger sister as the voices of Satsuki and Mei, and with the brilliant animal voice actor Frank Welker as the King Totoro. I don’t know how much different this will be from the first American release, but I hope Disney doesn’t ruin this movie by “Disneyfying” it.

*The original American release of this film was apparently handled by Troma Productions. Yes, the same people that put out The Toxic Avenger. Yeah- I know, weird.

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