1961 / 106m - USA
Fantasy, Musical
2.0*/5.0*
Babes in Toyland poster

Watches

December 31, 2020

2.0*/5.0*

A somewhat obscure but extremely colorful Disney musical. I wasn't familiar with the Babes in Toyland story, though there have been quite a few adaptations already. The story's a bit messy here (and broken down in two rather distinct parts), it's also quite dark for a Disney film, but that's hardly a bother.

Barnaby is an old miser who wants to marry Mary. Mary's engaged to Tom though, so Barnaby hires two goons to get rid of Tom. Instead of throwing him into the ocean as agreed, they sell him off to a Gipsy commune. Barnaby thinks he can finally pursue Mary, but Tom has a plan to get back at him.

Babes in Toyland is equally charming as it is daft. It's aimed at younger kids, but the colorful presentation, over-the-top performances and the somewhat grim story make for a peculiar mix that did keep me weirdly entertained. I wouldn't call it a very good film, nor a film I'd like to watch again, but it was no doubt an interesting experience.