Most most audiences are not you and I want to hear what you think of it. So, answer two of the following questions:
- What is the theme of My Neighbor Totoro? Back up your response with at least three examples?
- What did you like most about the movie? What did you like least? Why?
- How would this film be different if an American animation studio like Disney made it? (Note: Disney did distribute this film in the United States but did not produce it.)
I really loved this movie! I thought it was really cute and super adventurous. it reminded me of when I was little and made up make believe friends. I love that Tortoro was really big and could have been scary but instead he was very welcoming to new friends and so willing to help out through the movie. I loved that he was magical just like a real child would think of a big fuzzy animal like him.
ReplyDeletewhat I didn't like about the movie was that in the beginning the dust fuzz-balls seemed like a bigger part of the movie then I expected. I also thought that the kids did allot of yelling and screaming.
I'm not sure how Disney would make this movie different. I thought it was really good and would like to own it and watch it more then once.
In some ways, some of the words you used to describe this film could also be used to describe Winney the Pooh. Interesting.
DeleteSo, your complaint with the dust fuzz-balls is that they didn't pay-off as much as they were set-up or that they were more important to the plot than the movie set them up to be?
I agree with that. The fuzz balls seemed like they would be a bigger part of the movie than they ended up being, which was disappointing. When they first got to the house, the whole kitchen was covered with the little fuzz balls and they scattered as soon as the girls came in- not to subtly, either! They were mysterious and the girls were really curious about them but they ended up being a small part of the movie when I expected the opposite.
DeleteTommy Kiter
ReplyDeleteI really like this movie it kind of reminded of ned divine in a way. The theme of the movie is friend last as long as you stay together if that makes any sense. What i like about this movie was what courtney said how he was magical how big and fuzzy his freind was.
What i didnt like about the movie was there was alot of screaming in the movie and in parts of the movie it seemed more important then what i expected if that makes sense.
I think they should make main characters that is focusing on and change up the characters a little and not too much screaming. Overall i liked this movie it wasn't a favorite but it was something.
Good work responding to Courtney's comment.
DeleteI'd like to know more about your objections to the screaming. Can you provide an example of a specific moment when the screaming took away from the story.
Tayia Groesbeck-
ReplyDeleteWhat I like most about the movie was the illistrations, they are really cute. Usually I don't notice illistrations that much but these ones were adorable and I would probably draw them sometime!
The way it wasn't like disney films is they didn't make it all boring and stupid like most disney movies are now days. Usually disney films make there charaters look life like and these ones don't look life like at all and disney movies never make up animals and stuff like that and this movie made there own creation.
That's cool that you found this movie less boring than Disney's films. Can you elaborate. Some people would say that this movie's simple plot makes it more boring than the very dramatic plots of many Disney movies.
DeleteThe theme of 'My Neighbor Totoro"? If I had to sum it up in one word... Persevere. Within the first few minutes of the movie, the girls have already had to persevere. They're in a new home, away from their mother. The eldest daughter struggles with finding herself, and learning that she can't control everything, although she still tries. The youngest daughter struggles from separation from her mother, and also growing up. Throughout the movie, the two girls persevere through not being able to help their ailing mother. And coming into their own! Which isn't easy without a mother. But for better or worse, the girls stick it through to the end. And they live happily ever after.
ReplyDeleteIf Disney had made this film, oh man, it would not be this film. The eldest daughter would have fallen in love. The dad would've had to go on this quest to cure his wife. There'd be some stereotypical Western European Deus Ex Machina. Like the fairy godmother, the little brothers in Brave, the rocket in Toy Story, etc. In this film, the Deus Ex Machina comes more from within than it does from an outside force, although you could argue that the Totoro was in a way the Deus Ex Machina. The ending would've been too happy. And you know what they say. "Too much of a good thing..."
This is a cool theme to draw out from the film. Makes me want to watch it again.
DeleteHonestly, this movie wasn't my favorite. Sure, it was creative... for a Japanese film. A lot of the plot wasn't even plot and I didn't feel it had much relevance. Nothing felt connected. All of the forest creatures felt like they were in it simply to make it a fantasy.
ReplyDeleteAn awesome thing would have been if Totoro and the other creatures had been only in the imagination of the younger girl as a coping mechanism for all of the things going on in her life.
Disney couldn't have done this film. Disney animated features almost always have great plots that are interwoven with intense themes. This film was just kinda wishy-washy blah blah blah.
Fair and well articulated opinions here. For some reason, I still like it even though, in many ways, nothing really happens but I can't figure out why ....
DeleteI loved this movie. I thought it was extremely cute and inspiring. I felt the theme of this film was that you can find a friend in ANYBODY. Even if its a giant furry...Totoro. haha. I thought the little boy in the beginning was a little brat! But boys are totally like that when they're that age. (; But all around, I really really loved the connection between the two sisters, I felt like they knew they needed to stick together for their mother. They needed to stay strong. I loved the relationship between the dad and the two daughters, because it reminds me of my relationship with my dad. We had to stick together my whole life, because my childhood wasn't all the best, but because of him, we made it through, and he's such a strong, loving, great father because of it.
ReplyDeleteHey! You calling me a brad when I was younger! JK
DeleteSo first of all I love this film its so freaking awesome. I've always loved Hayao Miyazaki's films. My favorite of which is Howl's Moving Castle. Ever since I have remembered I have Been intrigued by what goes into animating. They're so creative an cool.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing that he does is in most of his movies it almost seems like a camera is acually filming in an animated world. He plans our his camera angles and I like that, on to the movie. I've always liked the happier movies and thats probably why I like this movie so much. It's so cute, It gives me a warm feeling whenever I see it. I just absolutely love his films
Stephen, I sense that you've really caught on to the idea of watching film as art in this class. It's really cool to see. I'm glad you like Totoro and I agree that Miyazaki really does plan out the shots just perfectly.
Delete-Randi Ralston :3
ReplyDeleteI honestly can't think of a theme for this movie, even though I've seen it over a billion times. I guess out of anything I could possibly come up with, the theme would be friendship. Even though Totoro and his friends were only spirits, they still made an impact on Satsuki and Mei's lives. He flew them around the country side, he took them on top of the giant tree, he let them ride the cat bus, and most importantly he helped Satsuki find Mei when she was lost. I don't know about you, but that seems like a true friend to me.
What I like about this movie, is EVERYTHING. Pretty much, haha. I love the theme, I love the story line, I love the music, everything about this movie makes me happy. It's so cute and heart warming, and honestly one of my top 5 Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki films ever. Something I don't like about it...that's a hard question, because there really isn't much I don't like about My Neighbor Totoro. If I had to choose though, I do wish it was longer and had Totoro take Satsuki and Mei on more adventures or something.
I think friendship is a great theme for this film. Can you expand that into an entire theme statement?
DeleteMy Neighbor Totoro has become a new favorite of mine and I want to live in it. If I had to put a theme on this film it would be "it's okay to ask for help" because of all the series of events that go on. The two young girls learned to use what's around them to help them instead of trying to do it their way. When they first get to their new house and try to get rid of the dust bunnies they can't do it because they don't know what they actually are. It's not until Nanny tells them what they are and when they will leave until they calm down about it. And when Totoro helps Kanta and Mei grow the seeds he gave them. And in the end when Mei runs away and gets lost.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like most about this movie is that Totoro is big and fluffy and cute and I just want to hug him. Also now I get Totoro references. What I liked least about this movie is that the mother was so sick. It made me sad.
I just don't want Disney to remake Japanesse films. I feel like the girls would be a lot more dependent and I like how even though they do need help at some points they are very independent.
This post makes me almost as happy as the film does.
DeleteIf Disney made this movie, the animation would have been so, so different. Japanese animation is so distinct in the fact that it looks so realistic, but also so simple in terms of living things. I've always noticed how human figures in Japanese animation (anime..?) are very simple, there isn't much detail aside from in clothing, and sometimes hair, but all the scenery and the background art is very detailed, and looks almost like a realistic painting from the Renaissance. Also, as a common theme with "What if the U.S. made this?" answers I produce, there wouldn't be the same charm that Ghibli has captured. Disney is great, and I enjoy so many of their animated films, but Ghibli is so distinct; I'm empathetic when I watch Ghibli movies, I'm almost always bordering on a catharsis, if not experiencing one, when I watch their movies.
ReplyDeleteWhat I didn't like about this movie... is honestly, really difficult to state. Its hard to find things to dislike about Ghibli movies, but I guess, if I'm made to, I would have to say the least-enjoyable thing from My Neighbor Totoro was how the little girl's underwear/diaper was flashed so many times. Its a really redundant thing to comment on, I think, and I know that in Japan they view things like this very differently than us in the U.S., but... yes, it seemed unnecessary for her to fall down so often and for us to see her diaper.
Your diaper comments are pretty enjoyable to read.
DeleteAshton Bowers:
ReplyDeleteIf disney made this i probably wouldnt like it at all, because disney made their movies to be mostly just for childrens liking, this movie was a great movie for children that could also entertain anyone else of any age who watched it.
This movie was just a great movie, i liked almost everything about it, like totoro and his little friends, and that cat bus was really wierd. I also like how totoro reacted to things like the umbrella. the only parts i didnt like was the couple of parts where the girls screamed as loud as they could.
Graded.
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