Toys (1992)

The shade that Toys has been thrown over the years is absurd. Why? The film certainly slips on the marbles on occasion, but its merrits far outweigh the marks against it. In terms of visuals there's nothing else like it in film. Even in the age of CGI, nothing has come close. The world of Toys is sublime, outiside of time, and that cartoon reality emphasizes the facet of the film that so many overlooked upon its release: it's a black fable. It's an art film.If Toys was a European or Asian film, that didn't have big US stars in it, and big US studios and audiences assuming any expensive movie needs to be jammed into an easy to categorize box; the narrative would be very different. As it stands it's a chilling bedtime story about the world we now live in. One totally appropriate to tell children of all ages - to remind them to make-believe, not war.

Toys was one of my favorite films as a kid, and still has a fond place in my heart. I love this bizarre, beautiful movie. The sets and design are fantastic and surreal, the characters are all charming in their own ways, and it's a good mix of silly and thought-provoking.

I decided to watch "Toys" as it was missing from my childhood, I remember seeing the trailer on the "Mrs. Doubtfire" video (that was never out!) And I thought it looked good. So it was on TV and I recorded and thought it was definitely something different and which definitely does not LACK imagination! The visuals are the most impressive things in "Toys", it's as if life is inside a Dhali painting. Everything is surreal and tongue-in-cheek which is quite refreshing to see through the midst of countless films that all start to look the same. Films like this don't come around very often and maybe some of you think this is a good thing? But it's important that you open your mind when watching this and just enjoy the imaginative images that flourish before you on the screen.The visuals and directing style reminded me of a Tim Burton film, such as "Big Fish", it was very colourful with Burton-esque ideas and I really liked that. Although the film did sort of fall apart during the evil toys vs not evil toys due to the lack of direction and not focusing on the editing.Hans Zimmer's score was also very impressive. It lifted the child-like atmosphere. Robin Williams was mis-used however, he did have some very funny lines (the Mother Teresa bit is worth watching for those few seconds) but his talents weren't used to the extent.Weird and wonderful, "Toys" is unlike anything I've ever seen, and i also think that underneath this child-like exterior is quite a serious metaphor. The story-line is simple, the directing is driven and the visuals are stunning. "Toys" is definitely worth a watch if you have at least some imagination.

The BAD news: the story really 'goes off the boil' after about forty five minutes and the second half of the films drags like an anvil being hauled over rocky terrain. Michael Gambon, as the 'baddie', also gives what must be a career-worst movie performance and his character is more sleep-inducing than threatening. Williams also puts in what is one of his irritating/nerve-grating performances and his one-liners fly off at such speed that they can hardly be understood (and when you have really strained yourself enough to hear one, you rapidly conclude that it was not worth the effort in any case).The GOOD news: this film is an absolute visual treat. I remember being totally blown away when I saw this upon release in 1992 on the big screen and (despite having seen it quite a few times on the small screen subsequently) would go virtually any distance to see it in that format again. The factory production lines, the 'house' Williams and his sister live in and, in particular, the countryside around the toy factory (and Williams' father's 'grave site') are just stunning visual statements and ones you can never tire of. Secondly, the musical accompaniment is very good (even if not always perhaps in line with the development of the plot) and, in the case of 'The Mirror Song', is accompanied by a really neat video backdrop. Thirdly, Joan Cusack gives a gloriously wacky performance as Williams' sister which easily outshines him and really embodies the mad-cap, zany atmosphere I am sure the script writers and director had in mind (and which Gambon and Williams are light years away from achieving to any degree at all).Overall, then, a real mixed bag but, in my view, certainly a film worth seeing at least once and one which, with two different male leads and better script work, could have become a real 'cult' film (a la 'Tron') (and which, incidentally, has become even more interesting in plot terms when you consider the use of drones (pilotless aircraft) as a regular feature now of warfare in the 'war on terror'!)