Comingsoon.net can’t decide between playing with toys or watching movies so we’re splitting the difference and watching movies based on toys. Check out our favorites in the gallery below!
The concept of a toy movie is nothing new, despite its sudden resurgence at the box office. Dating all the way back to the last quarter of the 20th century with a whole plethora of TV shows based on toys, it was only a matter of time before they made the switch over to the big screen. Starting with Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure in 1977 and carrying all the way through to this month’s Playmobil: The Movie and beyond, toy movies certainly aren’t all that bad (despite being just a big advertisement for the products on display).
Not including Star Wars, which managed to integrate toys into its marketing model, these movies based on toys manage to operate on such a high level that you almost forget you’re watching a commercial. From building blocks to action figures to shape-shifting modes of transportation, these are the very best movies based on toys.
toy movies
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Mars Attacks! (1996)
Believe it or not, this mid-90s Tim Burton B-side is actually based on a series of card games. Mars Attacks! is so singular and unique that it’s almost hard to understand how it could come from some pre-existing intellectual property (or IP).
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The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Almost like a crazier version of its predecessor, The LEGO Batman Movie goes overboard with its LEGO set-concept in the best possible way. Combining way more franchises than just DC, this LEGO Movie spinoff amplifies the fun and the advertising up simultaneously.
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The LEGO Movie (2014)
Likely the film that kicked off this recent resurgence of toy-based films, The LEGO Movie showcases the genius of Phil Lord and Chris Miller by making the film more about fun and less about advertising. Yes, these are all real sets that you can buy and build, but the message shouts that you don’t need these sets to really have fun.
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Toy Story (1995)
Buzz and Woody might not have been name-brand toys at the start of this franchise, but the supporting characters like Slink and Mr. Potato Head have always been household names. Now, nearly 25 years later, so are the film’s leads.
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Transformers: The Movie (1986)
One of the most groundbreaking films in this slideshow, Transformers: The Movie remains much more impressive than any of Michael Bay’s efforts (except for maybe Bumblebee, which proved to be way better than anything Bay churned out). Animated in a 2D style instead of modern (sometimes nauseating) CGI, Transformers: The Movie still rules.
