dourpussdora
I LOVED this film when I was little and hadn't seen it in years and made my husband watch it recently lol.Needless to say he lasted 10 minutes but for me it brought back so many happy memories as I watched this film over and over when i was younger. I remember it being a little scary and also I was desperate to be Lisa!! (Drew Barrymores character).Yes this had really bad acting etc but it is also very endearing and has some great moments in it. I was also surprised I remembered the words to all the songs (so bad they were good lol). Give this film a go especially if you have kids :-)
lsprin2
I'm awfully surprised that this movie has received such low ratings! I never saw the original "Babes in Toyland," so I can't say one way or the other whether this film is guilty of desecrating some legacy, as suggested by other comments. I first saw the movie when I was about 4 years old, and I loved every minute of it. I thought that Troller was horrifically frightening, that Barnaby was the very embodiment of evil, and that Keanu Reeves was the most handsome and heroic protagonist in television history. I was literally on the edge of my brightly-colored plastic seat as Jack Nimble Jr. was hauled to jail by the giant teddy bear police, and was thoroughly emotionally invested in Drew Barrymore's journey to believe in Santa and Christmas and whatever. Fifteen years later, I still love the movie! Yes, it's ridiculously campy and poorly acted, but that's what makes "Babes in Toyland" so enjoyable. It isn't supposed to be serious, and it wasn't created to be some enduring theatrical masterpiece. It's a made-for-TV movie featuring the same guy who starred in the "Bill and Ted" films. I got the video in a McDonald's Happy Meal. What did you expect? "Babes in Toyland" still brings back fond memories, mostly because I remember the strong emotions that the movie evoked for me as a little girl. It makes the movie even more hilarious to watch now. If you want to see a cinematic work of art, why are you watching a low-budget TV movie from 1986? If you want a silly, fun, and entertaining holiday movie, by all means, watch on.
Jamie Parker
my friend erin and i watched this movie as children, but it wasn't until adulthood that we truly understood what clive donner was really trying to say. drew barrymore gives a tour-de-force performance, eclipsed only by her work in poison ivy. this movie is whimsical and magical and reminds us the precious gifts of Christmas, family, and most importantly, cincinnati. C-I-N-C-I-N-N-A-T-I cincinnati. the special effects of the film (i.e., lisa falling into the cake from the sky,) are on par, if not superior to those in keanu reeves second most famous film, the matrix. the costumes are horrible, as demonstrated by the fact that zippers can be seen in many shots. viewers may perceive this to be a flaw of the film. i think not. in society do we not all wear a costume, to shield us from the horrors of a life devoid of toys and songs heralding our home towns? also, have you ever seen a toy? this film dares to go to that place, and asks those difficult questions. how would YOU feel if you hit a tree and found yourself in boring, joyless land with nothing but balloons and people wearing bear costumes? lisa is a pillar of courage. this character and this film is an inspiration to all.
lschow310
As someone who tends to analyze movies, I did find this to be silly. Jack being arrested for Grand Cookie Larceny just because his entire warehouse is suddenly empty and the evil Barnaby said Jack did it? For the former, didn't it occur to the Justice of the Peace that another person could have done it. If a police officer was informed about a warehouse being suddenly emptied out, he (or she) wouldn't just automatically arrest the manager. Secondly, why was Barnaby's testimony viewed as credible when everyone knows he is evil to the bone. It didn't occur to the justice of the peace that Barnaby could be lying? He has done everything else wicked.However, this film was also a delight to see. It's what a friend of mine called a "bubble gum" flick. It means nothing. There's no substance, but it's enjoyable. I laughed when Barrymore (Lisa Piper), Reeves (Jack Nimble), Scholen (Mary Contrary), and Gress (Georgie Porgy) acted like monsters to get out of Barnaby's jail.After seeing Keanu in Speed, Matrix, and A Walk in the Clouds, it was nice to see him do something different--singing. It was also nice to see him as a teenager again.However, I did see the Babes in Toyland with Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon and was disappointed that Keanu's character wasn't more heroic like Frankie's character.
AD
