Search - My Neighbor Totoro on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Child Classic, Excellent For Children Movie Release: 1988 DVD Release: 12/03/2002 Format: DVD - Pan and Scan - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 27 mins Studio: 20th Century Fox Members Wishing: 77 Genres: Fantasy, Children's/Family, Children's Fantasy, Family-Oriented Adventure, Anime See Also: My Neighbor Totoro

This superbly animated children's tale is directed by Hayao Miyazaki, one of Japan's most beloved animators. The story follows Satsuke and Mai, two young girls who find their new country home is in a mystical forest inhabited by a menagerie of mystical creatures called Totoros. They befriend O Totoro, the biggest and eldest Totoro, who is also the king of the forest. As their girls' mother lies sick in the hospital, O Totoro brings the sisters on a magical adventure but also helps them to understand the realities of life. Like most films released by Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli, this family-oriented feature has a powerful ecological theme. The English-language version of this film wasn't dubbed until many years later, explaining the presence of actors such as Dakota Fanning in the cast (who wasn't even born until 1994). ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide

Hayao Miyazaki's children's classic arrives on DVD in a mediocre presentation from 20th Century Fox. This release is limited to the English-dubbed version in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround with a 1.33:1 full-frame transfer, failing to preserve the original aspect ratio and the original language. To its credit, at least the credits are in widescreen and the English dub isn't all that bad. In addition to scene access, the extra features include trailers for Bushwacked, Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog, and Lucas. As the first and only Region One DVD version of this 1988 masterpiece available in the U.S., this release is sure to please younger viewers and casual fans of the film. Those interested in the widescreen presentation and the original soundtrack can seek out the double-disc Japanese release. In the meantime, Fox's DVD will have to do for most U.S. viewers. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide