Friday Movie Review - My Neighbor Totoro

We wrap up Miyazaki Month with perhaps his most famous and popular movie, "My Neighbor Totoro."

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Written By: Hayao Miyazaki

In "My Neighbor Totoro," two little girls named Satsuki and Mei move to the country with their father to be closer to the hospital where their sick mother is staying. The house they move into is old and dusty and falling apart, but Mei and Satsuki still find interesting things to do, like discovering dust sprites. One day while Satsuki is at school, Mei follows a strange rabbit-like creature into the woods, and there she meets Totoro, a forest spirit. When she later tries to introduce her sister and father to Totoro, she can no longer find the path to him. Satsuki is jealous that she didn't get to meet a real forest spirit, especially when their father explains that forest spirits can only be seen when they want to be found - so Mei must be really special.
Satsuki soon gets her chance, however, when she waits one rainy night by the bus stop with Mei for their father. Totoro soon shows up and stand next to her to wait for the bus. Soon Satsuki realizes that Totoro is not waiting for the same bus as she is - he's waiting for the Cat Bus!
Now, it may be a little disturbing for us kitties to see a cat being used as a metal monster, but my mommy squeals everytime she sees the Cat Bus. In fact, she found the picture below, and it totally made her day.
After meeting Totoro at the bus stop, Satsuki and Mei and Totoro become friends, and have several adventures together. However, when Satsuki and Mei receive the sad news that their mother isn't able to come home from the hospital just yet, Mei gets very upset and takes off on foot to see her mother without telling anyone. When Satsuki can't find her sister on her own, she calls Totoro and, you got it, the Cat Bus for help.

This film is very imaginative . . . who else but Miyazaki could dream up a Cat Bus? And the fact that all the little forest spirits, including the great Totoro himself, look rather cat-like is definitely in the movie's favor. I give this film two paws up, and an extra whisker-twitch for its cuteness.

I won't be visiting or commenting today, because my mommy is taking the day off to go out and do fun stuff with Grandmama - can you believe they are going off without me? Hmph!