Toyland: Le Pays des jouets

Judging from the low rating and some of the comments, as well as some scepticism of the idea working in an animated film, re-watching Babes in Toyland for the first time since goodness knows how long was either going to be better than remembered or be a disappointment. Seeing it, I was really pleasantly surprised, Babes in Toyland is so much better than anticipated and was actually a good movie, apart from the poorly drawn characters of Rodrigo and Gonzargo and the story dragging a tad in the middle. Of the four Babes in Toyland films, an unpopular opinion as this may seem this is second only to the wonderful Laurel and Hardy film, the Disney film was decent but one of the lesser live-action musicals and the 1986 version was mediocre at best overall with a lot of bad. The animation on the whole is bright and colourful- the backgrounds and colours are a treat for the eye. And none of the rest of the character designs being distractingly bad(Mary, Humpty Dumpty and Barnaby are fluidly drawn), Toyland just looks so inviting and full of life, with the goblin scene genuinely creepy-looking(but it is not that upsetting or traumatising).

Regarding the songs they are just great with meaningful lyrics that say a lot especially the joyous and very catchy Toyland and the sublime duet It's You. March of the Toys was very rousingly orchestrated and served very well with the edge-on-your-seat finale. The only exception for me actually was A Crooked Man, which was rather forgettable and didn't tell or say very much(The Worst is Yet to Come did have its moments though it was slightly at odds with the style of the rest of the songs). Above all the singing is at the very least listenable(though Christopher Plummer basically speak-sings through A Crooked Man, though it probably did fit the song), Cathy Cavadini's amazingly beautiful voice in It's You deserves a big mention and Raphael Sbarge's is strong and sturdy.

They also, unlike something like Quest for Camelot, match the speaking voices(helped by that the voice actors sing their own music), for example Lacey Chabert singing in Dream sounds exactly like Lacey Chabert when she's speaking. Mark Watters' score is dynamic, memorable and lovingly compliments the mood of the whole story, not all the films that he writes for are great but his music is always one of the best assets. The script is never cloying which considering one of the material here was a big trap to fall into but has its fair share of heart-warming moments. The conflict is clear while not being too over-prominent and without making the film uneven, if there were any mean-spirited moments they weren't obvious to this viewer, while the 1986 Drew Barrymore version was full of them. The story, a loose adaptation and with some influences of Mother Goose, structurally is not an exceptional one and is a tad thin on the ground, however the real sense of charm and innocence and the warmth and magic- you actually want to live in Toyland- as well as what the characters go through surprisingly really draws you in. The romance between Mary and Tom is sweet and takes its time to develop, none of the love at first sight stuff.

In fact the characters mostly are very interesting, I found myself identifying every step of the way with Jack and Jill, they are cute but with enough backbone to not sugarcoat things, that they are determined and well-meaning makes them even more likable. Humpty Dumpty serves as a warm-natured narrator-character. Barnaby, looking like Moundshroud's(The Halloween Tree) long lost brother and acting like an even meaner Ebeneezer Scrooge, is a sinister villain but despite his appearance his villainy is far more subtle than in the Barnabys in the Disney and Barrymore versions(which veered to over-the-top, admittedly though in an enjoyable way). The goblins have a real creepiness. How the characters interact are also revelations, Mary and Tom's romance is the highlight though Barnaby is a very believable threat to Jack and Jill(who genuinely care for one another and also for Mary and Tom and the factory). Rodrigo and Gonzargo are the only not-so-interesting characters and that's mainly down to not enough screen-time, there's also the sense that they weren't even needed.

The voice acting is terrific, everybody sounds like they're having a lot of fun, Charles Nelson Reilly and Christopher Plummer(though his voice-work for the Duke in Rock-a-Doodle is better) being the standouts. Raphael Sbarge and Cathy Cavadini are highly emotive as are Joseph Ashton and Lacey Chabert. Bronson Pinchot and Jim Belushi do what they can but deserved better characters. Overall, so much better than was expected and of the four versions of Babes in Toyland this personally was second-best, the Laurel and Hardy one taking the top spot. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox

Some people probably know about the several Babes in Toyland movies made throughout the years: the original 1934 Laurel and Hardy version (which I haven't seen in its entirety yet), the absolutely HORRIBLE 1961 Disney version, the just okay 1986 TV version with Drew Barrymore, and this 1997 animated version. To me, it is probably the BEST Babes In Toyland movie that anybody will ever see! Moving right along, I saw both the 1961 Disney version and this version at a young age and looking back now, I feel that this version is far superior to the atrocity made by Disney. I'll be happy to explain why and how. (And just to prepare you, I will be comparing these two versions through this review.) One review on here pointed out how this movie exceeds the Disney movie in character development, music, songs, dialogue, etc., and I have to agree with them. But I'm not gonna copy what they said. I'm just gonna put it in my own words.

First off, whereas the Disney version lacks a certain charm that makes it all around believable, this version adds a charm all its own which makes it entertaining, fairly believable, and enjoyable to watch.

Secondly, the characters in this film are more what you might say well-rounded in interaction and personality, meaning that they keep it all well-balanced as they provide some crucial contribution to the plot. The Disney film, on the other hand, has its characters more, um... monotone and straight-to-the-point in a bad kind of way.

Third, there's the romantic subplot of Tom and Mary. Now this is more a of a neutral comparison. In the Disney one, their romance is dead-straight on, while in this one, their romance is developed from secretive to clear. No comment there.

Fourth, Barnaby. The Barnaby in the Disney film played by Ray Bolger (The Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz"!) comes across as just plain annoying with no sinister seriousness. The Barnaby in this film voiced by Christopher Plummer (Captain Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music"!) is fairly more sinister and serious with his motives, though I gotta admit, he does his share of annoyance, too.

Fifth, comparing the songs in both versions, this version has songs which are all all-around worth listening to, while in the Disney version, some songs are better than others.

Lastly, those who have seen all the Babes In Toyland movies probably know that all the movies' plots are different, but with that being said, I don't wanna spoil it for those who haven't seen this one. Forget all the other versions, ESPECIALLY the Disney one (!!!!!), get this version and watch it! It is, in my honest opinion, the most perfect Babes In Toyland film you'll ever see as long as you're living on this earth!

This mean-spiritied telling of a Christmas classic (!) is just plain bad movie-making--poor "acting," a confused and confusing plot, florid animation art, and a pack of goblin characters (what classic is this?) that will scare many a small child. Held to the Disney standard, this is a very poor stab at making movie magic.

I have seen many versions of Babes in Toyland. This is the best version I've seen. Like so many versions that preceded it it follows the Laurel and Hardy version. And like always they change things up a little.

The animation is good and the songs are great. It even has a good cast with Jim Belushi, Charles Nelson Riley, and the legendary Christopher Plummer.

I'll admit it does have some flaws. For instance there are times where the animation is inconsistent, even flawed. I'm guessing they made this movie on the fly. However I find it to be charming with the flaws. On top of that the story and the songs more than make up for it.

I recommend that if you haven't seen it you should check it out.

I find some of the comments on here ridiculous. Are we really comparing this to the Exorcist?! REALLY? I'm sorry, but there isn't a child's movie out there that doesn't have a villain or an evil character. Otherwise, there'd be no point to it. I watched this when I was very little, and loved it. In fact, it was a favorite of mine. And my childhood wasn't "destroyed" or whatever you all are saying. I loved the songs and the characters. It's fun, and I recommend it for anyone. A great family movie. Kids will enjoy it, I can promise you that. In fact, I'm on this page today because I remembered how much I loved it, and I wanted to watch it again. But the reviews shocked me, and I had to comment.