Robin Wright Penn Movie:

Editorial Review:
There are two reasons to see Toys: some phenomenal visual spectacle and the utterly adorable performance of Joan Cusack. The story: When the founder of the Zevo toy factory dies, he leaves it to his militaristic brother Leland (Michael Gambon) instead of to his whimsical son Leslie (Robin Williams). When Leland starts making war toys (and worse, actual weapons masquerading as toys), Leslie is forced to stop being capricious and take on some authority. Toys is supposedly about innocence and peace, but really it's director Barry Levinson's cry of anxiety about modern-day playthings, particularly video games--which is almost psychic of him, given how video games have started to devour the entertainment market. Fans of Williams will enjoy his performance; the visual design really is gorgeous; and Cusack, as Leslie's sister Alsatia, is so lovely she almost carries the film through its muddled themes. Almost. --Bret Fetzer

Toys [Region 2] Reviews:
Strange, but Enjoyable
2009-12-17 - I saw this for the first time when I was about 12 and I did not like it at all. I didn't understand what was going on. But, my parents have it on DVD and I decided to give it a second chance, 10 years later. It made so much more sense to me.

A toy maker dies and leaves his factory to his military brother, who wants to change it and use it to make war toys (tanks, etc.). The toy maker's son decides that creating war toys would ruin his father's factory and works to bring down his uncle.

It's very strange and it takes alot of imagination to watch this movie, but it's fun when you get into it. This movie stars Robin Williams, Joan Cusack, Michael Gambon (Dumbledore, for all the youngsters out there), Robin Wright Penn, and LL Cool J. The cast works well together and the factory makes me wish that this factory actually existed because it looks so much fun.

Many memorable and funny lines added with the cast and scenes makes this movie a must see and one you will never forget.

A great holiday movie that not to be toyed with
2009-11-08 - Last year was a dried up year for me, because not much has been going on. I bought this DVD 2 days before Thanksgiving because I needed something to get me into the holiday spirit, and it worked and keeped me laughing from the scean where the head of Zevo toys dies to the end of the film. The film starts out when the Zevo toy company puts on a christmas ballet musical in the style of The Nutcracker with singing, the lead female singer sings this song in the production called toys at christmas which is a really great holiday song that should of got a grammy nomanee. Then theres the scean where the General(played by Michael Gambon who played Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films) goes to viset his brother who is the head and founder of Zevo toys tells him that he is dying and wants him to take over Zevo toys because he thinks that his son Leslie (played by the funest and funnest actor in movie history Robin Willams) is not ready to take over Zevo toys, this shows that you can't always get what you want. The head of Zevo toys dies with his pace maker attached to his beeny with a propeller attached. So they give him a ride in the vicheal in the desighn of a toy amblunce. Then we go to the funeral scean where everyone is gathering around the casket. The Minster tells them that Kenneth was the child in all of them and goes on until they hear some kind of strange laughter coming from the casket. Leslie open the lide and pulles out this toy called the barral of laughter. He put the toy back in the casket. Owen tells Leslie that he should remove the batteries from the laughing barrel and back in the casket. Leslie tell him that the batteries will die in a couple of hours. Well the batteries don't die. As for the rest of the movie, you have to see it through the eyes of a child. Everything in the rest of the movie looks like toys, The toy making machines, Anastasia work cloths look like doll cloths, The house Leslie and Anastasia live in is a giant doll house, Leslie bed is in the shape of a rubber ducky, and Kennth Zevo tombstone is a giant elephant blowing bubbles with that laughing barrel still working and laughing. The general who now run the toy company now has the toys made into war toys. So its up to Leslie and Anastasia to to fight the battles of war toys. They even make a music video in the style of a Peter Gaberal and The Talking Heads. The question is can Leslie and Anastasia save the toy company? that you will have to find out when you watch this movie. This movie was kinda like if Willy Wonka decided to turn his beloved chocolate factory into a toy factory. This movie is also dated, because a new type of video game was invented for the movie and for Cedar Point in Sandusky Ohio called Virurital reality. So don't wait for christmas morning to open presents and one of them to be this DVD. buy it now while you are starting to get into the christmas spirite.

Visual Treat
2009-06-06 - What a visual treat this movie turned out to be, with some really colorful scenes that were unique and fun to view. Robin Wright was also great to view, looking the prettiest I've ever seen her, and playing the role of a nice lady, to boot! Joan Cusack is a treat to watch in here, too, playing a very unusual character.

There are so many neat toys and so many Robin Williams' jokes that you can't catch them all, but it's fun trying.

The bad news is the obvious anti-military agenda, so common in movies the last half-century. There are so many cheap shots in this film against the military I lost count. I would have rated this 5 stars if not for all the PC propaganda.

Overall, a fun movie, quite entertaining despite the bias.


Dreadful is not a strong enough word...
2008-12-16 - This is the only movie that I walked out of, ever. The movie is non-sensical and boring. The plot is horrible. Don't waste your time. Avoid this with a 39-and-a-half foot pole!

A movie that persists
2008-12-06 - I first saw Toys in the theaters. The movie was surreal, funny, oddly-paced, and utterly gorgeous; it was like nothing I would see again for 10 years until Amelie would come out.

16 years later, it holds up. It's still just as original, quirky, beautiful and engaging as when I first saw it. And the soundtrack is just as fresh and delightful as when I first heard it.

It has its flaws - the message is heavy-handed, some of the jokes are strained, and the star is still Robin Williams truly pushing the boundaries of his acting skills by being Robin Williams. But the warmth, charm, and child-like wonder persist and delight.