Totoro joins a very small group of children's films which leave no nagging doubts that they might be bad for your kids to view repeatedly. Disney features constantly equate physical deformity with evil; Power Rangers teach that ugly people are evil AND need a good kicking; Pokemon considers that your kids have no attention span and need to be electro-shocked with constant stroboscopic, primary-coloured violence. Totoro preserves a magical simplicity which allows both the wonderment of child-like innocence and imaginary friends, and the doting of parents touched by such carefree marvelling. Everything in this film can be viewed through the eyes of the children or their parents, and such thematised appreciation of multiple audiences makes Disney's formula of anthropomorphised cuddly things throwing occasionally suggestive remarks at the older viewer seem cynically contrived. The Disney approach divides the audience in young and old, sneaking mild innuendo over the kids' heads and allowing the adults a sneaky smirk every now and then - Totoro is a joint viewing experience for parent and child, and has a message for both. I'm glad its been so well received in America and in the few places it has been seen in the UK. I was worried at first that it might be too slow for some children, and Totoro's appearances are few and fleeting. This is amongst the finest family films ever made, and I want to make babies just so they can see it. A little help, anyone?

Why. Oh, why must Disney be so... I don't know... predictable or formulaic. This is why I love this children's anime film so much!

"My Neighbor Totoro" is about two girls whom move out to the country in Japan. Soon they meet a forest sprit named Totoro. Now Totoro is responsible for the growth of the trees, the flow of the wind, and the nature's actions in general. He looks like a huge cute creature across from a cat, a bear, and most of all-an owl. Every once in a while he is accompanied by smaller versions of himself and a twelve-legged cat that acts as a bus. Together they go on small adventures flying through the woods and making plants grow. However, this is only is a backdrop to the movie as Totoro does not hog the plot.

Truthful, this film is looked in the girls' perspective as they experience their joyful youth and fears like dealing with their mother's absence-whom is ill and at hospital. It makes me wonder if the adventures with Totoro are partly imaginary. Mmm... does it matter? No. This is just a perfect flick that proves that children films can be intelligent while being fully entertaining.

"Totoro" is drawn beautifully with vivid colours and photo-realistic scenes. This film is a directed by Hayao Miyazaki who is huge in Japan. Disney has recently picked up some his movies to be distributed here in the States like "Kiki Delivery Service" and "Princess Mononoke" (this is not one of them; this is from Fox-Video). Therefore, Disney might be on the way of doing more profound films and stripping away the tired formula. Amen.

Well let me put it like this. I'm a 30 year old mature student and even my best friends criticize me for being too cynical. I hate Disney and I prefer films and books that are more bleak and realistic. Whilst I love films I hate 'movies' and I think that if the best thing that anybody can say about a film is that 'it is a mindless diversion' then to me that says that they are mindless.

And yet, and yet I couldn't stop myself from loving this film. This is obviously a fact that I wont tell everyone about (I have my hardcore hate the world reputation to keep up). But this was just a great film. Of course I kidded myself that I only liked it because it was by the legend 'Miyazaki' but in reality it was because it was a great film. It was free of the cloying sentimentality that obscures most (very nearly all) children's films. It was also free from the grotesque stereotypes that Disney perpetrates in its quest to turn children into consumers.

If you have kids (not that I do) or if you are still a kid (erm...I'll think that I shall pass no comment here) then do yourself a favor and forget the weather and the bills and the demands and the news and all of that adult rubbish. Sit back and be entertained. You know, I may even get this on DVD too...for my nephew and niece of course...