The best movies based on toys. (2023)

Cinema has magically brought to life some of our children's most beloved toys, creating compelling and moving stories for audiences in the process. For decades, the entertainment industry has turned to these beloved objects for inspiration, taking some of the most popular toys and games and adapting them for big screen extravaganzas. The film genre has been continuously profitable for years, meticulously and carefully curating brands that are sure to stoke nostalgia for curious moviegoers. From Troll dolls to Legos, Care Bears to Mr. Potato Head, Hollywood is no stranger to successful toy adaptations. there is even anext Barbie movie with Margot Robbiey Ryan Gosling.

Without a doubt, one of the most profitable and beloved film franchises of all time,The hit Pixar movietoy storywas a game-changer for kids' toy-based visuals, introducing the world to cowboy Woody and his partner-in-crime Buzz Lightyear the modern-day astronaut (who's getting his own movie,Light-year). Michael Bay led theblockbuster transformers,Inspired by the famous line of mechanical toys from the 1980s that propelled Shia LaBeouf to stardom. These are some of the best movies based on toys.

9 little soldiers

1998 Joe Dante science fiction action filmlittle soldiers tells the story of two factions of toys that have been programmed with military microprocessors, focusing on teenager Alan, who buys a set of Commando Elite action figures not realizing he is endangering his neighborhood when one faction turns lethal and prepares to eliminate them. enemy. The entertaining film features an impressive cast, including Kirsten Dunst, Tommy Lee Jones and Phil Hartman, the picture being the last big screen role for the latter, who was tragically murdered two months before its US release.

When creatinglittle soldiers,Dante remembered,“Originally, I was told to make a risqué teen movie, but when the sponsors came in, the new order was to tone it down as a kids' movie. Too late, as it turned out, and there are elements of both approaches in there. Shortly before launch, a lot of action and explosions were removed."

8 trolls

Based on the wacky and cute Good Luck Trolls dolls, DreamWorks' 2016 hit animated comedy.trolls brings the furry little characters to the big screen, following two trolls who embark on a quest to save their village from the destruction of the Bergens, creatures that eat trolls to be happy. The captivating film features brilliant voice actors such as Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake and Zooey Deschanel, and its vibrant, colorful visuals and footsteps soundtrack helped make the animated film a surprise smash hit.

Timberlake's single, "Can't Stop the Feeling!" contributed to the success and global impact of thetrolls,which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. Critics praised the light-hearted film, withel Chicago-Sun Timesproclaiming, "You'll just walk out, or maybe dance, out of the theater feeling very happy with yourself." a sequel,trolls world tour, was released in 2020 anda third film is slated for a 2023 release.

7 the lego movie

Representing the Lego line of construction toys, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's 2014 animated comedy adventurethe lego movie centers on the ordinary Lego minifigure Emmet (Chris Pratt), who leads arevolutionary resistance movementto stop an evil and tyrannical businessman (Will Ferrell) from trapping everything in the Lego universe in eternal stasis.

Related:The New Super Mario Bros.: What we hope to see

Supervising animation Chris McCay was greatly inspired by the visual style and aesthetic of Brickfilms and the qualities of the Lego Studios sets, and created theplayful image purpose, “We wanted to make a movie similar to the way you play the game, the way I remember playing the game. We wanted it to feel as epic and ambitious and serious as a kid feels when he plays with LEGO.”the lego movieIt was a critical and commercial success, receiving praise for its animation, humor, voice acting, and story; kicked off the lucrative media franchise that led to two popular spin-offs, a TV series and a direct sequel, 2019'sThe Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.

6 Kit Kittredge: una chica americana

Abigail Breslinplays the title character in the 2008 comedy-dramaKit Kittredge: una chica americana,which is based on the American Girl doll and centers on the resourceful young Kit as she helps her mother manage a pension after her father loses his job during the height of the Great Depression. Chris O'Donnell, Joan Cusack and Stanley Tucci also appear in the heartwarming film, which was made for the big screen due to the warm reception of the television adaptations of other American Girl characters.

Kitt Kittredge: an Americangirl was a modest success at the box office and was favorably received by critics, with many praising the sincerity and brand loyalty.weekly entertainmentHe called it "gently thoughtful, audience-appropriate entertainment that brings together excellent actors to play colorful characters who don't hesitate to portray difficult times."

5 the care bears movie

The animated fantasy of 1985the care bears movie it was one of the first films to be directly based on a toy line, introducing audiences to the Care Bears characters and their companions, the Care Bear Cousins. The film centers on orphanage owner Nicholas Cherrywood (Mickey Rooney) as he tells the captivating story of the eponymous characters, who live in a cloud-filled land called Care-a-Lot, as they describe how a brother and sister came together. a troubled sister as they set out to help an abandoned young sorcerer's apprentice.

American Greetings, the owners of the Care Bear characters began developing the project in 1981 and it was created by Nelvana studios, with producer Carole MacGillvray initially having difficulty finding a studio on which to film; she saidadvertising week,“They kept telling me things like 'Animated movies don't sell' and 'Maybe we'd consider this if you were Disney,' but most of them just said, 'You're really great, bye.'the care bears movieit grossed $23 million, making it the most successful animated production outside of the Disney market at the time.

4 Advice

Inspired by the murder mystery board game of the same name, the 1985 black comedyAdvice tells the story of six guests who are anonymously invited to dinner in a strange mansion, and when their host is shockingly murdered, they must find out who committed the gruesome crime. The epic game is currently owned by the American toy and game company Hasbro, famous for its iconic products such asMy Little Pony, Sr. Cara de Papamifurbies,and the film honors the nature of its inspiration by featuring several different endings and settings.

Featuring a first-rate cast of some of Hollywood's best, includingthe iconic Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd y Eileen Brennan,Adviceit received mixed reviews and did poorly at the box office, but later developed a sizable cult following and is now considered an '80s comedy classic. A remake of the film is currently in discussion, with James Bobin in talks to lead.

3 transformers

Michael Bay directed the 2007 sci-fi action extravaganzatransformers,which is based on the mechanical toy line of the same name and stars Shia LaBeouf as a teenager caught in the middle of a war between the heroic Autobots and the menacing Decepticons, two factions of alien robots who can disguise themselves as machines. common

Related:Transformers test screening made Michael Bay believe the original movie would flop

ProducerTom DeSanto Revealedwhy he wanted to sign off on the electrifying image, having said: “In all the years of movie making, I don't think an image of a truck transforming into a twenty-foot-tall robot has ever been captured on screen. I also want to make a movie that pays homage to the movies of the 1980s and brings back that sense of wonder that Hollywood has lost over the years." Steven Spielberg, a huge fan of comics and toys, served as executive producer of the action film, which became the fifth highest-grossing film and helped establish the lucrative blockbuster franchise.

2 ted

Comedy genius Seth MacFarlane made his directorial debut with the 2012 comedy Rough and Raw.ted,which tells the story of Boston native John Bennett, whose childhood wish makes his teddy bear friend Ted come to life; the two have remained inseparable ever since, but John's relationship with the talking toy prevents him from moving forward in life. The raunchy and hilarious film stars Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, with MacFarlane providing the voice and motion capture of the foul-mouthed, alcoholic lead character, an offbeat update on the classic teddy bear.

the director saidcolisorwhy he liked portraying the contrast between youth and adulthood, explaining: "Adults acting like children and children acting like adults is generally a pretty reliable comic device... This film has a bit more texture and It's very nuanced, but in terms of the dynamic, we're essentially interpreting the teddy bear as the physical, symbolic or literal manifestation of John's inability to grow up and move on with life.tedmade over $500 million and received positive reviews, spawning the 2015 sequelTed 2.a series of prequelsis in progress

1 toy story

Pixar's beloved 1995 animated comedytoy story tells the magical story of toys that come to life when humans are not around, focusing on the relationship between an ancient cowboy doll named Woody and a modern-day astronaut, Buzz Lightyear, as they compete for their owner's attention and affection. andy Turning from enemies to friends after being separated from the boy, they work together to reunite with their beloved owner.

toy storyIt was Pixar's first major film project and became the first 3D-style computer-animated feature film, with directorJohn Lasseter having revealed,“We had to make things feel more organic. Every leaf and blade of grass had to be created. We had to give the world a sense of history. So the doors are broken, the floor is scratched." A myriad of beloved childhood toys come to life in the photo, as Mr. Potato Head, Bo Peep and a slinky dachshund, andtoy storyIt has a dynamite voice cast of greats like Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Don Rickles. The cinematic staple is considered by many to be one of the greatest animated films ever made and launched a multimedia franchise andvarious Toy Story movies.