My Neighbour Totoro: R1 Fox vs. R1 Disney vs. R2 Optimum

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 22 Sep 2006, 23:42

My Neighbour Totoro

Part One

Top: R1 Fox release
Bottom: R1 Disney release

Disney is much better with more natural colours and compression. This new master is also progressive whereas the Fox is interlaced. The
biggest advantage, and one I've been waiting for for a while is the widescreen formate. One truly sees what was lost
through panning and scanning.

The Disney also features the original Japanese language track with English subtitles. A new English dub by actors Dakota Fanning and
others is also available. I prefer the original English dub actors than the new ones but I'd rather have the Japanese
track any other day.

Part Two

Top: R2 Optimum
Bottom: R1 Disney release

The Optimum does show some downsides to the Disney release, most obvious is that the Disney exhibits overly red tones.
However, it does have a better saturation level with the Optimum being a bit too de-saturated. But it also shows that the
Disney is a little cropped on all 4 sides but this varies from scene to scene. The Optimum also has some bad artifical
edge enhancement and I think this detracts from the whole image and makes the Disney more easy to recommend.

Recommendations:

If you live in region 2, settle with the Optimum as it's not a terrible transfer. If in region 1, definately go with the Disney
release. Don't touch the Fox release unless you want the original English dub.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 22 Sep 2006, 23:56

Both are R1 I presume? Is one a Canadian and the other American release? Is it the Fox which is cropped?

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 23 Sep 2006, 02:05

Fox was the original US release Brad. I might rustle up some r3hk grabs to compare with the new Disney tomorrow.

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 23 Sep 2006, 03:17

Fox and Disney are both R1 although I'm not sure about the other regions. The Fox is a pan and scan version.
Disney has the original japanese soundtrack and a new english dub with Dakota Fanning and others.
The Fox only has and english track and it is different than the Disney one.

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 26 Mar 2007, 03:24

I re-issued this review matching the picture resolutions and writing up a little summary of the DVDs.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 26 Mar 2007, 14:56

I'll wait for the German disc. Maybe it is even better. But thanks CJ. Good to know that at least one quality release exists.

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 26 Mar 2007, 16:01

thelostdragon wrote:I'll wait for the German disc. Maybe it is even better. But thanks CJ. Good to know that at least one quality release exists.

What about the R3 IVL reissue, that is pretty nice, that the version I have, which in my eye, looks nice.

Kris · Post by **Kris** » 26 Mar 2007, 22:40

The original Fox R1 fails miserably for being both pan-&-scan and not having the original language track. In my opinion the two worst things you can do to a release, along with outright cutting/censoring it.

I bought the Disney R1 but it would be nice to see comparisons to any R3s or the Japanese R2. I recall seeing some caps a long time ago and I believe the R1 has less windowboxing (=more resolution) but I might be wrong on that one. Aren't the IVL discs interlaced?

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 27 Mar 2007, 00:26

If anyone does have access to other DVDs I'd be more than happy to add them into the comparison.

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 27 Mar 2007, 08:18

captainjoe wrote:If anyone does have access to other DVDs I'd be more than happy to add them into the comparison.

I have the R3 IVL, will try to post them up soon, please bear with me..

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 27 Mar 2007, 17:55

Take your time.

the68monkey · Post by **the68monkey** » 07 Apr 2007, 22:22

I have the Disney R1 DVD now, as well as some others, but I can't really be negative about the Fox release. Call me sentimental, but I first saw Totoro on the Fox VHS tape. My kids fell in love with Totoro and the Fox dub long before DVDs even became commonplace, and they knew all the lines by heart. When we started watching the Disney DVD, they were really irritated with the new dub, regardless if it's a closer translation to the original Japanese or not.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 07 Apr 2007, 23:20

Joe, any chance for a cap or two from your Disney disc that match beaver's Optimum caps?
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview ... review.htm

Disney looks a bit red to me. Optimum suffers from EE and they usually screw up the compression, too.

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 08 Apr 2007, 02:53

I'll have that up by tomorrow. Didn't know they had that on DVDbeaver.

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 08 Apr 2007, 22:59

I added the other comparisons. Funny thing is, the Optimum, while not being better, still shows some downsides to the R1 Disney. And you were right about the red hues on the Disney.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 08 Apr 2007, 23:31

Great, thanks.

This what I was afraid of. I prefer the colours on Optimum, but it's got more EE and it's softer too.

I'll probably get the Disney release.

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 13 Apr 2007, 23:50

the68monkey wrote:I have the Disney R1 DVD now, as well as some others, but I can't really be negative about the Fox release. Call me sentimental, but I first saw Totoro on the Fox VHS tape. My kids fell in love with Totoro and the Fox dub long before DVDs even became commonplace, and they knew all the lines by heart. When we started watching the Disney DVD, they were really irritated with the new dub, regardless if it's a closer translation to the original Japanese or not.

Same here. I was so used to that dub that when I sampled the new dub I was disappointed. They should've included both along with the original Japanese dialogue track.

Kris · Post by **Kris** » 17 Apr 2007, 11:53

Yuck, the Optimum is amazingly bad. It's been filtered and sharpened to hell and back in order to remove all traces of grain and enlarge the black edges. Whoever was at the controls at the time should be fired immediately, it's not their job to change the look of the movie to whatever suits their tastes.

And I prefer the colours on the R1, particularly the catbus in the last shot looks far too cold and unpleasant on the R2.

Nasty stuff, but just makes me appreciate the job Disney did on the R1 more.