Greatest Toy Films Ever Made

After recently re-watching The Lego Movie, I got the idea to reconsider some of the greatest toy movies out there… Seeing as I had fun coming up with a similar list about my choice of the Greatest Movie Monsters earlier this week. Check out the toys that rock the silver screen below:

RULES:

The toy/s in question must have been portrayed in a film

The toy/s in question must have had their own consciousness

The toy/s in question must have come to life at some point in the film

8^th – Labyrinth 

Goblin King! Goblin King!

A classic 1980s film, Labyrinth is a good place to kick off this list.

The plot of the film is about the teenage girl Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) and her unforgettable journey to rescue her baby brother, Toby, from the Golbin King, Jareth (David Bowie). She’s aided by allies made up of the toys in her room, which come to life and help her on her journey. In the opening scenes, you can actually see the stuffed animals, bookend, Escher poster and the toy maze as the camera pans her room, ending at a likeness of the conjuror himself, standing right by her bedroom mirror.

The film itself holds not only original songs written and performed by Bowie, but countless riddles, optical illusions and conundrums, Labyrinth is a brilliant collaboration of some of the finest talents in filmmaking, with timeless themes and humour enhancing the feel of the 80s. 

Definitely worth watching… Mainly because of the feel-good factor of the film but of course David Bowie himself.

7^th – Small Soldiers

Gorgonite scum!

Placing missile technology into toys was never going to be a good idea... So when a batch of toy soldiers, The Commando Elite, decides to go on the rampage against a group of peaceful alien toys, the Gorgonites, obvious chaos and comedy only ensue.

Released in 1998, Small Soldiers acts as an enjoyable watch for all ages that have a heart. I mean, when the two leagues of action figures are instilled with critical thinking, the Commando Elite go all evil A-Team on the Gorgonites, who prefer hiding to fighting, mix that together with a bit of comedy in a live action setting with other actors, you have a good film on your hands!

The animatronic design and effects are still rather impressive today and when people say “opposites attract” well the two different action figures here are completely opposite and, bringing them together into this film make it an enjoyable watch and something that is associated to a lot of kids childhood’s in the 1990s.

6^th – Child’s Play

God that's terrifying...

Chucky. Just the name alone of that notorious murderous doll is enough to make anyone cower away in fear. 

Now being one of the most iconic and recognisable horror icons, Chucky is the titular antagonist of the slasher Child's Play series. Chucky is portrayed as a notorious serial killer whose spirit inhabits a Good Guy doll and continuously tries to transfer his soul from the doll to a human body. 

Seeing this film as a child scared me so much that it has put me off even looking at any sort of doll ever again. Arguably, this film shouldn’t be on my list at all because of the doll is inhabited by the spirit of another but that really seems all relative to me. It’s on here because the doll is his identity and so, its own conscious.

The reason this film is so high up also is because it made a toy frightening and turned it into a recognisable pop culture icon.

5^th – Jumanji

Play the game Peter!

The 1995 fantasy adventure film based on a supernatural board game that makes wild animals and other jungle hazards materialize upon each player’s move, Jumanji makes a grand entry onto this list at number 5.

Technically still a toy (yes, board games are still toys) this film has turned into a classic Robin Williams film. Jumanji starts in 1969, where 12-year-old Alan Parrish is trapped in Jumanji whilst playing the game with his friend Sarah. Twenty-six years later, siblings Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce) begin playing and unwittingly release the now-adult Alan (Robin Williams). After they track down Sarah (Bonnie Hunt), the quartet work together in order to finish the game to undo all of its consequences. The movie also stars David Alan Grier as a hapless shoemaker-turned-police officer and Jonathan Hyde in a dual role as both Alan's father and Van Pelt, a big-game hunter intent on killing Alan.

Jumanji is – at least it should be – considered to be a classic with brilliant special effects, amalgamated dynamics and animatronics and an original storyline that was based off a book. Not to mention a huge box office haul of $262 million upwards.

4^th – Ted

Ok, speed round...

Because Ted is a film about a teddy bear coming to life in an R-rated comedy (That is now the highest grossing original R-rated comedy of all time) this is just one of the reasons why it’s so high up on this list.

Created, produced and directed by Family Guy genius Seth MacFarlane, Ted tells the story of John Bennett, a Boston native whose childhood wish brings his teddy bear friend Ted to life, but Ted keeps John and his love interest Lori Collins from moving on with their own lives. 

Starring Marky Mark and the Fuzzy Bunch (Mark Wahlberg and a teddy bear, voiced by MacFarlane himself), Mila Kunis, Joel McHale and Giovanni Ribisi, this film has that raunchy humour in its actors alone.

This film, despite being a critically and financially successful, is something of an acquired taste; if you’ve ever laughed at a joke in Family Guy or any other stupid (yet hilarious) comedy or if you’ve ever dreamt of one of your teddy bears coming to life, then this is the film for you! A sequel to this film will also be hitting cinemas on June 26^th 2015.

3^rd – Pinocchio

I'm a real boy!

Being the second animated feature-length film ever made by the conglomerate Disney, Pinocchio comes in on my list at number 3.

Released in 1940 and produced by one of the greatest visionaries of our time, Walt Disney, Pinocchio focuses on an old wood-carver named Geppetto who carves a wooden puppet named Pinocchio. The puppet is brought to life by a blue fairy, who informs him that he can become a real boy if he proves himself to be “brave, truthful, and unselfish”. Pinocchio’s efforts to become a real boy involve encounters with a host of unsavoury characters. 

Critical analysis of Pinocchio identifies it as a simple morality tale that teaches children of the benefits of hard work and middle-class values. It eventually made a profit in its 1945 reissue and today it is considered among the finest Disney features ever made, and one of the greatest animated films of all time… It even holds a rare 100% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes!

Because of its cultural significance and ground-breaking achievements in effects animation, Pinocchio wholeheartedly deserves this spot on my greatest toy movies list.

2^nd – The Lego Movie

Great! I think I got it. but just in case... Tell me the whole thing again, I wasn't listening

 A movie that’s based entirely on AND made of Lego… Of course it’s going to be good!

The Lego Movie comes from the minds of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the two who brought you Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street and their respective sequels. The film tells the story of an ordinary Lego minifigure named Emmet who is prophesied to save the Lego universe from the tyrannical Lord Business who plans to use the “Kragle” to glue everything in place.

The movie was a critical success, with many critics highlighting its visual style, humour, voice acting and its heart-warming message. As well as earning more than a worldwide total of over $460 million, the film proved to be a commercial success too, with a sequel already in development.

One of the best things about the film is its extremely strong cast of actors voicing the Lego figures. The cast includes the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Elizabeth Banks, Alison Brie, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day and Morgan Freeman. As well as this, there are cameos of not just famous Lego minifigures but also other actors such as Cobie Smulders, Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Billy Dee Williams and even Shaquille O’Neal.

If you’re going to make time for a toy film to watch, I would highly recommend this one; enjoyable to watch with constant gags throughout you’ll not be disappointed.

1^st – Toy Story

It's not a laser! That's just a little light bulb that blinks!

When you think of toy films, the first film and the best film that comes to mind (at least to me) is of course Disney Pixar’s first major hit, Toy Story.

 

Toy Story was the first feature-length computer animated film follows a group of anthropomorphic toys who pretend to be lifeless whenever humans are present, and focuses on the relationship between Woody, a pull-string cowboy doll, and Buzz Lightyear, an astronaut action figure. The film boasts not only an incredible cast of actors to voice the toys (Tom Hanks, Tim Allen & John Ratzenberger) but it gave the toys egos, hurt feelings and a heavy dose of kid-friendly sass with plenty of wise-cracking in the first film alone.

If you haven’t seen this film by now – or the two sequels that followed – then there must be something wrong with you…

That's it from me again! Let me know what you think and  who you would have on your list in the comments. Follow me on Twitter @Miarls for more up-to-date film & TV news and when new content is hitting the blog.