87
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The A.V. ClubSam AdamsThe A.V. ClubSam AdamsMiyazaki so effectively captures the feeling of a child’s life, inside as well as out, that little ones are often mesmerized by the movie, and adults are returned to a time when they could enjoy mystery for its own sake.
- 100Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertHere is a children's film made for the world we should live in, rather than the one we occupy. A film with no villains. No fight scenes. No evil adults. No fighting between the two kids. No scary monsters. No darkness before the dawn. A world that is benign. A world where if you meet a strange towering creature in the forest, you curl up on its tummy and have a nap.
- 100The GuardianSteve RoseThe GuardianSteve RoseHayao Miyazaki's family fantasy is full of benign spirituality, prelapsarian innocence, but little icky sentiment.
- 100Time OutTrevor JohnstonTime OutTrevor JohnstonAn animated achievement almost without parallel.
- 88Slant MagazineSlant MagazineIt’s a film that proves time and again that life itself is the grandest, most galvanizing of all dramas.
- 80Chicago ReaderTed ShenChicago ReaderTed ShenSheer enchantment, this 1989 animated feature is a key early work by Hayao Miyazaki. It exemplifies Ghibli's style of fanciful realism, paying close attention to minute details as well-drawn figures move across a fluid backdrop. It also deals straightforwardly with substantial emotions like fear of death, though at times it veers toward the heart-tugging cuteness of the Pokemon series.
- 75TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineAn ideal animated film for young children, it has also found favor among adults who appreciate its unusually gentle, painterly style of animation, a trademark of the film's director, Japan's most renowned animator, Hayao Miyazaki.
- 50The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenWhen My Neighbor Totoro, which was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is dispensing enchantment, it can be very charming. Too much of the film, however, is taken up with stiff, mechanical chitchat.