Siskel & Ebert’s original review of MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO from May 1993



by DJAHa

16 Comments

  1. quitaskingforaname on

    I used to hate when this show was on, it was Sunday evening and I had to get ready for school again

  2. jeremysbrain on

    There is a reason why all these years later people still talk and post about Roger Ebert, but you hardly ever see anyone mention Eugene. Siskel was a basic bitch.

  3. Melodic_Sherbet_3629 on

    I agree that the film is incredibly boring for like the first hour. I actually had to stop watching because I was falling asleep, and then I never had any interest in finishing it.

  4. I always half-forget that “two thumbs up” meant a thumb-up from Siskel and a thumb-up from Ebert.

    This movie is a litmus test for how much of your inner child has died. If you aren’t captivated by kids running around and exploring a new place, you’re the sort of person Peter Pan would never come visit.

  5. ThePreciseClimber on

    Does anyone have their review of Cats Don’t Dance? I know from the S&E review database that Ebert liked that movie but Siskel did not. But I can’t find the actual review anywhere.

  6. captainporcupine3 on

    I’ll say this as a middle-aged guy who is a MASSIVE fan of Totoro and Ghibli in general. When I first saw this movie 20 years ago I was a little bored. I admit it. It is a slow-paced and often even meditative film that does not cater to audiences who are accustomed to fast-paced western movies with the classic 3-act structure, not in the slightest. The plot is episodic and meanders along without a gripping central conflict, taking many odd little detours. And yeah, I remember feeling a bit ambivalent on the film because of that.

    As I got older I started to appreciate Totoro as a chill vibes movie, similar to how I enjoy Kiki’s delivery service. You really have to meet the movie on its own terms and be ready to luxuriate in the small-stakes magic of it. Pay attention to the little details, soak in the incredibly unique and evocative soundtrack. If you go in with the wrong expectations or tastes you probably won’t enjoy it. And it doesn’t surprise me at all to hear young people with short attention spans hating on this movie — I was one of them once upon a time.

  7. AppleJuiceTwo on

    Had I not seen it as a kid idk how I’d feel about it now. But I did see it as a kid, so all criticisms are invalid and it’s greatest movie ever. Also cat bus.

  8. I’ve been a fan of Ebert for a long time, and I still watch his reviews on Youtube. One of my favorite things about him was his love of Ghibli and anime in general. He gave Mononoke a glowing recommendation, and I think it was in his top 10 movies of that year.

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