The shade that Toys has been thrown over the years is absurd. Why? The film certainly slips on the marbles on occasion, but its merrits far outweigh the marks against it. In terms of visuals there's nothing else like it in film. Even in the age of CGI, nothing has come close. The world of Toys is sublime, outiside of time, and that cartoon reality emphasizes the facet of the film that so many overlooked upon its release: it's a black fable. It's an art film.If Toys was a European or Asian film, that didn't have big US stars in it, and big US studios and audiences assuming any expensive movie needs to be jammed into an easy to categorize box; the narrative would be very different. As it stands it's a chilling bedtime story about the world we now live in. One totally appropriate to tell children of all ages - to remind them to make-believe, not war.

Barry Levinson brings us a strange tale of a toy factory whose owner passes on and leaves in the hands of his two children (Williams and Cusack), very much children at heart, and his brother (Gambon), a US General with daddy issues. Seeing an opportunity, the General decides to hijack the traditional methods and mentality of the factory and build a new type of tech; war toys, designed to be economically lethal. Finding this out, it is up to our heroes, along with some friends like the General's camoflauge-happy son (LL Cool J) and a copy girl who falls in love with Williams' character, to stop him.A case of 'wrong place, wrong time', Levinson odd little film is, though not without faults, surprisingly forward thinking about the desensitisation of youth and the dehumanisation of war. Today, that issue is much the rage (how often have we heard COD being called Propaganda/Army Porn or the use of drones), and in a post Columbine world, the idea of a youth perverted by the lack of distinguishing fantasy from reality is very potent, and one feels that 'Toys' would've been better served coming out now.What's more, this also qualifies as one of the oddest studio films ever; from the Rene Magritte-centric production design to the interesting mix of actors here, though they all fit their roles well. The late Williams is very much the star of the show, and the child-like, jokey nature of this character fits him like a glove. Cusack as his doll-like sister also does well, giving the role a very youthful, almost eternally naive, quality. Joining them is the always superb Gambon as the pompous and crusty General, and he's having quite the ball in the role, and even Cool J as his son isn't half bad either, and actually has some good comic timing, especially given how meticulous his character is about proper military procedures. We even have Yeardley Smith and Jamie Foxx in small background roles.However, some tonal indecisions, such as going from the dark subject matter to Williams' ad libs and wacky sight gags like a literal smoking jacket or fake vomit recipes, and a laggy climax involving a rather drawn out toy war do deflate things. In fact, that sums up why I believe the film's rep is so uncertain among critics and audiences; who is the target audience of the film? Is it an anti- war/protect our youth's innocence message for adults, or a quirky, oddball adventure for kids? It's like Levinson wants a live-action Ghibli film, but that careful blend of childhood magic and adult themes is off, making for an uneven, though still oddly fascinating, viewing experience.Honestly, 'Toys' is worth seeing once as a ambitious novelty. It's such an odd mix of ideas, stories and even practices that there is really no movie like it out there, and it's sort of interesting seeing where it'll go or what it'll do next. Sometimes, a unique misfire is better than mediocre success.

'Toys' is as confounding a movie to review. On one hand it is one of the most amazing looking movies ever made. The problem is that the plot it develops (or underdeveloped) is half-written and the message is inane. So how do you rate a movie like this? It's beautiful to look at but nothing of interest happens to the characters.The set designs by the late Fernando Scarfiotti are phenomenal. The enormous six-color factory is a sight to behold. These toy-shaped factory machines would have humbled Willy Wonka. There are rooms that look like the inside of a gigantic toy chest. There is a life-sized dollhouse in the movie that opens like a 3 dimensional Christmas card and it is awe-inspiring.I also liked the music. It opens with a gloriously winsome Christmas song 'The Closing of the Year' and continues on with a curiously strange ditty called 'Happy Workers'. We see the sights and we hear the music that would humble anyone responsible for putting together the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall. Then we wait for a story and wait and wait and wait. What there is, is very weak.Robin Williams plays playful Leslie Zevo whose dying father has decided not to leave his factory to his immature son. Nor to his daughter Alsatia (Joan Cusack) who dresses like a doll. Instead he decides to leave the factory to his brother a career military man who is interested in turning out war toys. Later we aren't surprised to find that he has more sinister motives in mind.Robin Williams is an inspired choice for this movie. He has some moments that are perfect for him; he has been given a colorful world to play in that seems build for his style of humor. But he is at the mercy of a screenplay that can't let him use his comic gifts to tell a good story.The message of 'Toys' is painfully inane: Peaceful toys are good and weapons are bad. The movie is agonizingly paced. Even at two hours the movie feels too long. Unlike this movie's ancestor 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' in which the message seemed was 'Behave yourself', the message of this movie gets muddled when peaceful toys begin a toy wars with the weapons.'Toys' was directed by Barry Levinson who has made great films like 'Diner', 'Good Morning Vietnam', 'Avalon' and 'Bugsy'. The story has it that this movie was a twelve-year odyssey getting it to the screen. If it took him that long to come up with the look of this film, I could have easily given him another twelve years to work on the screenplay, maybe longer.

This movie will be many different things to many different people.As a kid I found Toys traumatic. It starts with creepy clowns, a minor-keyed "happy workers" song, and goes downhill from there. I had always considered it a welcome death knell for 80's-style dark fantasy films.But twenty-two years later, it has aged very well. The visuals and music are excellent. The atmosphere is pervasive. The messages are as relevant as ever. The difficulty for the movie, and the cause for such mixed reviews, is that the film tries to combine at least eight themes into one:1. A surreal fantasy about innocence and childhood2. A reality about death and family expectations3. A social commentary about war and industry4. An upbeat comedy, and Robin Williams does have some great moments5. A sarcastic dark comedy, which also has some great moments6. An exposition of toys, Willy Wonka-style7. Romance8. ViolenceSince all of these are adult themes, naming the movie "Toys" could be reason enough to pan it. But if you can get past the shifting themes and the 42-minute plot introduction, there are amazingly bright spots to be found. For me it was watching Robin Williams enjoy a world he helped create, sort of akin to Michael Jackson at Neverland, with all its dire fascination.