A charming film; however not one of Studio Ghibli's strongest productions

Rating: 7/10 (22 March 2012)

I'd firstly like to say that I am a HUGE fan of the movies created by Studio Ghibli; they are unlike anything else and this is the case for all of the right reasons.
However, I was somewhat disappointed with "My Neighbour Totoro" as, although the charm and imagination of Ghibli productions is there, the actual story-telling techniques seem inadequate for such a great studio.
In terms of the positives of this movie, it has the cute, crazy, original and adventurous style that fans of Japanese anime and especially Studio Ghibli will know and love. In addition to this, the story is one that will probably put a smile on your face at various points. Furthermore, the characters are, for the majority of the movie's run-time, very likable.
However, whilst the style that Ghibli is famous for makes this film a good one, the actual film-making is just not up to the same standard as some of Hayao Miyazaki's other productions, such as Spirited Away and The Castle of Cagliostro. Firstly, some of the characters are introduced in a manner suggestive of a depth to them, however this complexity is never really provided in some cases. We are, essentially, made to want to know more about some characters (their motives, origins, thoughts), however this thirst for knowledge is not entirely satisfied. This limited feel to the movie is furthered by the fact that the whole plot seems slightly too trivial and lacks a driving purpose. Finally, considering the fact that the run-time is around 80minutes, the pacing is quite peculiar, which left, me personally, wanting more to happen quickly, however this desire is never really met.
Overall, this is, undoubtedly, a very good film, and worth a watch for any fans of Japanese anime. However, underneath the wonderful style, originality and creativity Studio Ghibli invoke, is a fairly shallow production that relies far more on its charm as opposed to its production values.