Movie

Babes in Toyland

1986 · 95 min

A cozy, silly Christmas musical that feels like a warm, low-stakes pantomime with toy soldiers and a sneering villain.

Overview: 11-year-old Lisa has no time for toys; she's too busy taking care of her siblings and cooking for her mother. During the Christmas Eve blizzard, Lisa travels to Toyland in Wizard of Oz-like fashion and arrives just in time for a wedding. Young Mary Contrary is about to marry mean, old Barnaby Barnacle, despite the fact that she loves Jack Be Nimble. Lisa tries to stop this terrible wedding and, together with her new friends, discovers that Barnaby wants to take over Toyland. Lisa, Mary, Jack, and Georgie Porgie ask the Toymaster for help, but he can't help them as long as Lisa doesn't truly believe in toys.

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: whimsicalstrength 3 of 3
warmstrength 2 of 3
campystrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 2 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: family
coming-of-age
identity
love
betrayal
Places: fantasy world
small town
home
Era: contemporary
Audience: family
Form: musical
twist ending
Content intensity: Gore none
Language none
Violence mild
Sex none

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	4
Horror	2
Humour	5
Realism	2
Romance	4
Tension	3
Darkness	3
Complexity	3
Emotional weight	4

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Where to watch in the UK

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Details

Genres: family, fantasy, tv movie, adventure
Directed by: Clive Donner
Written by: Paul Zindel
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Richard Mulligan, Eileen Brennan, Keanu Reeves, Pat Morita, Jill Schoelen, Googy Gress, Walter Buschhoff
Cinematography: Arthur Ibbetson
Runtime: 95 min
Country: Germany, United States of America
Languages: English

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Babes in Toyland

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