Episode 72 — Toys

[JulyDiaz 2797]

HitFix’s Drew McWeeny joins Paul & Jason to discuss the less charming and more preachy Willy Wonka aka Robin Williams in Toys. It takes a special kind of movie with a strange choice of casting, tone, and plot for us to truly ask “how did this get made?” And this movie delivers. We get into everything from LL Cool J’s interrogation scene to the big reveal of Joan Cusack’s character. Oh yeah, we didn’t forget about the sea monster.

[JustinL 216]

Paul, you have to do this. You have to do every SECOND of this.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYiYZxbXm-E

[RockmeAmadeus 0]

OK, so the theme of the movie is basically that teaching war to children through toys is bad, blah blah. But if you took your kids to actually see this movie, what they would be subjected to is a battle that glorifies combat. Which is exactly what they're against in the movie. So that’s pretty fucking weird…

[justsomeman 127]

Was this marketed as a kids film? I remember watching this when I was little and feeling weird and confused when the sex scene came up. Maybe this was the first instance I saw sex in film. Oh shit... my first sex scene I viewed in film had Robin Williams in it...

[Herself 107]

Oh shit... my first sex scene I viewed in film had Robin Williams in it...

 

Are you only into furries now?

[mattman92ish 823]

great ep haha come on you couldn't tell she was a sandwich bot? haha

[PuncturedJesus 354]

I don't know if this was marketed at kids, but seven year old me was obsessed with this movie. I just loved the art direction, in retrospect.

[ben mcd 127]

Saw this in the theater, too, and was equally confused by it. Cool looking, but not funny. In that category and time of directors who aren't Tim Burton trying to go hyper-stylized like Tim Burton and failing on content (Spielberg's Hook, Beatty's Dick Tracy). BTW, 1992 was a nuts year for movies.

[Hot - Slunch 772]

Holy fuck, I think I saw this as a kid and blocked it from my memory.

[pepperjack 303]

Sorry. Any time anyone talks about Michael Gambon, all I can think about is Top Gear.

[danpinto 17]

Everyone in this movie is like Tom Hanks in Big. Everyone is a 12 year old kid stuck in a 30 year old body.

[DeathToMikeyBay 130]

This movie was the cinematic equivalent of clowns: something thought of as fun for children only by creepy lunatics.

 

 

On Paul's question of long time dream project movies that turn out terrible, HDTGM's very own Nothing But Trouble definitely qualifies. I'd also throw up Avatar like you mentioned (great effects, horrendous and laughably outdated script). And don't forget Love Guru!

[Marmaducca 12]

this was one of the videos i rented the most as a kid. i think it was the art direction i was inspired by and it started my love of Joan Cusack. however, watching this movie now a few things caught my eye that must have went over my head when i was litte.

 

Gambon's character was almosted fragged in Vietnam? that is a bit dark and i did not even think he would be sorta trapped in that make shift field hospital. i just thought he was recuperating there not trapped. I also completly forgot that he sent his wife to masquerade as another Jane Fonda which led her to be killed by the North Vietnamese. WTF?

Robin William's sexual stuff - chiefly the puppet and his whole relationship with Robin was unsettling. i am pretty sure i just blocked the sex out of my mind as a kid.

the happy worker song just reminded me of soviet propaganda.

this move is just dark but it did deserve the oscar nomiations in art.

[Misleading Ninja 14]

Jeez, McWeeny is breathing like Darth Vader in the background the whole time!

[robinsbruce 4985]

[cmac94 191]

Kind of upset June couldn't be there for this one, this seems like the perfect movie for her and her brand of insight.

 

Was I the only one thoroughly creeped out by the canned laughter in the dad's coffin? Like before it was revealed to be a toy the creepy laughing coming from the coffin was something out of a horror movie, and everyone thought it was hilarious!

[robinsbruce 4985]

This movie is an hour too long, and near un-watchable.

 

"This movie is a FUCKING bummer."

[wakefresh 689]

If Joan Cusack is a robot in this movie, and Robin Williams had this robot since he was a young kid as a replacement for his mother (that's a weird thing, right?) and he ends up fucking his step-mother robot in the movie? That's strange. Very strange.

 

And if this company had the technology to build life-like robots -- fuckable life-size, life-like robots -- then, why not transition into the hi tech field? Can you imagine how big a company could be if they made life-size, life-like robots...that are also fuckable? C'mon man, the money is in the sex robot market, not drones.

[wakefresh 689]

this was one of the videos i rented the most as a kid. i think it was the art direction i was inspired by and it started my love of Joan Cusack. however, watching this movie now a few things caught my eye that must have went over my head when i was litte.

 

Gambon's character was almosted fragged in Vietnam? that is a bit dark and i did not even think he would be sorta trapped in that make shift field hospital. i just thought he was recuperating there not trapped. I also completly forgot that he sent his wife to masquerade as another Jane Fonda which led her to be killed by the North Vietnamese. WTF?

Robin William's sexual stuff - chiefly the puppet and his whole relationship with Robin was unsettling. i am pretty sure i just blocked the sex out of my mind as a kid.

the happy worker song just reminded me of soviet propaganda.

this move is just dark but it did deserve the oscar nomiations in art.

 

I didn't watch this movie, but it sounds like they set up Joan Cusack as Robin Williams' girlfriend. But we later learn that she is robot that was built as a replacement mother for a young Robin Williams after his birth mother died...So why then did he end up fucking his step robot mother? That makes absolutely no sense at all.

[elizamuffins 4228]

wait robin wright penn was a robot too?

 

he didn't have sex with Joan Cusack's character did he?

 

this movie was so hard to follow..did I miss something?

[seanotron 2307]

If Joan Cusack is a robot in this movie, and Robin Williams had this robot since he was a young kid as a replacement for his mother (that's a weird thing, right?) and he ends up fucking his step-mother robot in the movie? That's strange. Very strange.

 

And if this company had the technology to build life-like robots -- fuckable life-size, life-like robots -- then, why not transition into the hi tech field? Can you imagine how big a company could be if they made life-size, life-like robots...that are also fuckable? C'mon man, the money is in the sex robot market, not drones.

 

No no no...he doesn't have sex with Joan Cusack. No one has sex with Joan Cusack. He has sex with Robin Wright (who is a human, not a robot).

[wakefresh 689]

 

No no no...he doesn't have sex with Joan Cusack. No one has sex with Joan Cusack. He has sex with Robin Wright (who is a human, not a robot).

 

Oh, I apologize. I misunderstood. I though Robin Williams was fucking both of them.

[seanotron 2307]

I cannot put into words how bummed I am that June couldn't do this one. This was custom-made for a classic JDR character breakdown. Not that I don't love my bros, but the Holy HDTGM Comedy Trinity is not complete without JDR.

 

I was also waiting for someone to describe the final battle as 'Toy 9/11', but it never came.

 

[seanotron 2307]

 

Oh, I apologize. I misunderstood. I though Robin Williams was fucking both of them.

 

No, but that definitely would have been SO UPSETTING were it the case.

[cmac94 191]

Edit: disregard. My reply came way too late