MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO

Family Movie of the week.

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO

The modern animated movie is a technological marvel. Computer generated characters can be so lifelike that you sometimes can't tell. Hair is realistic, fire, every little detail is just right. In fact, the whole image just sparkles. It should! Computers make it possible. As slick as they look, and as impressive as the final result is - I sometimes miss the artistry, and the innocence of "real" animation. Compare "old" Disney with "new" Disney.

So few animated films are actually drawn by hand these days. It's a lot of work and labor intensive = expensive. Fortunately, Studio Ghibli, in Japan, is still doing just that. Hayao Miyazaki, perhaps the greatest animator/storyteller in movie history, has often been compared to Walt Disney. Walt was certainly a visionary, but he would mostly oversee the movie projects, he rarely drew them himself. Miyazaki does. The master draws thousands of individual cels (24 per second of film - it adds up).

For years MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (released in 1988) was one of the most beloved family films of all time. Why haven't you heard about it? Don't get me started on that. But that may be starting to change. I'll explain why. This is a "family" film - not necessarily a children's film. This concept is familiar to those who’ve enjoyed recent animated movies from Disney and Pixar and others. They want to entertain children, but adults who watch with their children can often enjoy the movie on another level. Animation is HUGE in Japan. Approximately one quarter of the box office take is from animated films. Not just for kids – many adult movies are also animated (art is art, right?).

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is unlike most animated movies you’ve seen. It is confident enough in the story that it doesn’t need contrivances and formula plot gimmicks to hold your interest. It doesn’t have a villain. It doesn’t have conflict. It doesn’t have a hit song. It doesn’t have the double layer jokes ubiquitous in most animation. In fact, no clever dialogue at all. Sounds dull? I watched it in a room full of adults, a 6 year old, and a 3 year old. Nobody, not even the 3 year old stirred for the entire 90 minutes. You just honestly don’t know what’s going to happen next. This is definitely not - not - NOT - a Disney movie! Far from it ……………

………. er……… well ........ actually ……..

……. Since Disney bought the video distribution rights to the catalog of Studio Ghibli films, I guess it technically “is” a Disney movie. That’s why you may be hearing more about films like Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Spirited Away. At least you’ll hear about them here.

Do yourself and your family a favor and rent MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (or just you if you don’t have a family). Here’s why you will want to.

1. The dialog has been translated to English and French on the DVD. The original Japanese soundtrack is also available on the disc. This is so the adults don’t have to read subtitles. Kids usually don’t need the dialog to know what’s happening.
2. For an hour and a half, you can escape the real world. It’ll still be there when you get back.
3. So you can say, “Well, now I’ve seen everything!”
4. Rated 94% on the tomatometer.
5. Loved the catbus. ????
6. Reveals an imagination that transcends the everyday. If you want to expand your (or your child’s) imagination, you need to be shown that there are no limits.
7. How many family movies have you forgotten? How many would you like to forget? This one sticks with you.
8. There is no “why”. The Totoro just “is”.
9. It’s more Zen than most Zen movies. It’s Zenner than “Now and Zen”, and it’s also Zenner than "Zen Came Bronson".
10. I don’t know if it’s Zenner than Winnie the Pooh. You must decide this for yourself, grasshopper.

Enjoy.