MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988) ***

Rating: 7/10 (10 November 2006)

This is my fourth film from this celebrated animation artist; while I've always enjoyed his work, I still feel that it's somewhat overrated. The ones I'd watched - PRINCESS MONONOKE (1997), SPIRITED AWAY (2001; his best, in my opinion) and HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (2004) - were all plot-packed, overwhelming visual experiences, so I was surprised to find this one much simpler, virtually kiddie-oriented and essentially plot less! It was still meticulously detailed and inventive, with two extremely likable female protagonists and equally delightful anthropomorphic characters - not to mention an infectious title track. I've yet to catch up with quite a number of his films (TCM showed a retrospective of his work while I was in Hollywood late last year, but I didn't have the time - or stamina - for them) but, given their basic similarity, I guess it's best to approach them one at a time (my local DVD rental outlet does carry a few more titles, though)...