Le avventure del piccolo tostapane

I saw this for the first time when I was four or five, and I've loved every second since. It's more than a kids' movie; it's actually incredibly funny and insightful. (My mom started cracking up when she heard the 'They couldn't. I lied' part when I was watching it last week.) Great work from the entire cast, great animation, great script, great, well, great everything.

I have not watched this movie in over ten years but I still remember almost every scene with great accuracy. This movie entertained me till no end. It's hard to find one person who did not watch this movie as a child and even harder to find one that disliked it.

This is a wonderful movie.

I still get the song "Tooty Fruity" stuck in my head and think of the little toaster sliding down the rail. I hope to find my old copy and watch it again. Its movies like this one that make my childhood seem so fun and innocent.

This movie gets a ten out of ten for originality and for its obvious impact. If I were to name my favorite movie from my childhood this would be it.

This is excellent stuff, thank god for Channel 4 in the UK for showing it from time to time. I caught it one early morning, straight after a night of serious zonked-out clubbing - probably in the "right" frame of mind for it, you could say - and ten minutes into it I was hooked. Funny, witty, crisp and unusually dark for a cartoon kiddies story, it does work throughout, bar a couple of plodding moments. But the points the film makes and the motives it revolves around, although not new or original, are well placed and executed - companionship, callousness, bonding, slip shoddiness, arrogance, transience and loyalty are all treated in a way which justifies even the occasional lapses into exaggerated sentimentality.

What's even more interesting is to see how the film works in the setting of it's own initial premise - that is, an "older" apparatus, with cruder animation, compared to the marvels of CG graphics which nowadays we take as set standards. And even there it's an overall winner, it shows that one doesn't need a high flying budget, the latest technology or big name voice characterisations to make a point and come up with a thoroughly enjoyable and heartwarming cartoon flick.

Whether this will become a true children's animated classic is yet to be seen, but it's on the right path, and it's ageing really well. Recommended for pre-teens and their parents everywhere, plus just about anyone who gives it a chance. True, there are a few moments of horror which very young children might find upsetting (I myself never really got over my first viewing of "Bambi" all those years ago -even my mum was in tears) - but that's the deal.

Watch it, highly recommended.

I'm not sure which is more surprising: that this movie still holds up, or that it wasn't really a Disney production (while still being a proto-PIXAR movie). And just like everybody else, I'm surprised by just how dark things get in this story.

It's a story that doesn't patronize its audience, and I loved that aspect. It's what made this a joy to watch with my own kid. The movie strikes just the right affective tone, the performances feel genuine, and even the songs are still catchy. You find yourself getting attached to these characters while still wincing at some of the imagery. Seriously, this is a strange film, yet somehow still endearing.

7/10

I remember early one morning as an eight-year-old, I caught this film on ITV and thought it was really good, and guess what? More than ten years later, I still do.

Shown on Channel 4 this morning on half-term week, it's more than meets the eye. Toaster, Lamp, Blankie, Hoover and Radio(I think) all go on an adventure to find their master, who appears to have abandoned them in his old childhood cottage.

It seems like this is like an 80s Toy Story or something, only with the appliances coming to life, and having their own personalities. Like Toy Story, it has a good plot and likable characters.

Sure, it has it's dark moments, so parents of young children should take note and check beforehand, but honestly, it only adds to the excitement of the film, and makes you actually care about the characters.

The animation may seem quite dated now, but the story in itself is timeless. This is definitely one to keep for generations to come.