Toyland: Le Pays des jouets

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.

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 was originally introduced to the "Babes in Toyland" concept via the Walt Disney soundtrack, which had the story and song, in Kindergarten. I liked the record a lot, but when I finally saw the Disney production it was based on when I was 8...well, I was horribly disappointed. It was stupid, spoofy, had lousy acting and was just plain awful. I wasn't surprised to learn that it was one of Walt's flops and was considered one of his worst failures.

So, having had the concept ruined for me for a long time, I was not exactly enthusiastic when I was visiting my mother at Christmas and she recommended it to me. I said no way, as I was guessing it would stink as badly as the Disney version only worse (they just aren't making animated films well here in the USA these days).

"No, you've got to see this one," she assured me. "I saw it just the other night and it puts the Disney production to shame."

Being a professional cartoonist, I tend to be extremely picky about new animated material. So I was very suspicious as I settled myself into a chair and waited to see what I was in store from as I feared the worst.

What I got was a fantastic surprise! This version of "Babes in Toyland" is genuinely charming, boasts nice animation and superb songs which actually WORK without being overly "showy" (the only bummer being the song sung in The Goblin Forest), fine character design and captures a special childlike magic and innocence that Disney's version simply never achieved.

While Disney's was a bunch of adults who refused to take any of the material seriously and hammed it up through a shoddy production attached to a smirk, this one is smart and serious with its characters. It also features good character development (!!!) and a better script.

Not being familiar with the original stage production, I'm not sure how much liberty has been taken here although I'm sure a lot has. Except for the classic songs "Toyland" and "March of The Toy Soldiers" and the basic concept of Toyland being a home for nursery rhyme characters, the villain Barnaby and a love story between a Tom and Mary, it is otherwise COMPLETELY dissimilar to the Disney version of the story.

In this one, Jack and Jill (you know, "Jack and Jill went up the hill...") are being sent to Toyland to live with their uncle, who unfortunately happens to be Barnaby. Mary (and her little lamb) is the sweet, professional and kindhearted owner of Toyland's prized toy factory inherited from her father. Her top employee and main man in charge, Tom (the piper's son, who looks a LOT of Leonardo DiCaprio--I'd swear he was the character model if it weren't for the fact that this was made before TITANIC) is the loveable lunk of a genius who happens to be a personal friend of Santa Claus himself and is responsible for creating the toys to order and preparing them for delivery. Tom is crazy about Mary, Mary is crazy about him as well but isn't willing to admit it to herself yet.

One of the things that is especially nice here is how the characters actually come across as being believable souls, and the script features all the little details as to why they feel and behave the way they do, such as Mary's comments which give away why she is so secretly smitten with Tom. (She affectionately remarks to him, "You're becoming more and more like my father all the time.")

All except for Barnaby, of course... but hey, he's a villain who simply hates toys, does a children's cartoon NEED a detailed explanation for HIM? This version of Barnaby is far more threatening and sinister than Disney's klunky version ever pretended to be.

But the wonderful thing about this one is how it captures a real feel for Toyland itself and what it could be like. I get the impression that everyone involved here had a lot of fun making it and that they all genuinely loved the concept enough to make it work. Toyland feels like a real place with real citizens, so to speak, and it truly does look like a child's fantasy come true.

And hey, this feature actually makes children AND their parents genuinely *care* about the fate of Toyland when it's harassed. As though it's a real and beautifully precious place.

That's not an easy feat to pull off.

This one has become a annual holiday favorite within my household, and our children (who range from ages 5 to 15) all adore it. And so do I. It deserves a long life on both videocassette and DVD (if the latter is ever released...and I certainly hope so!).

While I was able to recognize all the traditional characters from nursery rhymes and stories here, there's one that puzzles me... in the toy factory, one of the workers there appears to be a silver fox...well, at least he's far too sleek-looking and pointy-muzzled to be a wolf. I simply don't recognize who he's supposed to be!

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.