Toys
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the article on actual toys, see toy. See also: Toy (disambiguation)
| Toys | |
|---|---|
| Image:Toys-poster.jpg Toys DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Barry Levinson |
| Produced by | Mark Johnson Barry Levinson Charles Newirth |
| Written by | Valerie Curtin Barry Levinson |
| Starring | Robin Williams Michael Gambon Joan Cusack Robin Wright Penn LL Cool J Donald O'Connor Arthur Malet Debi Mazar Jack Warden Jamie Foxx |
| Music by | Hans Zimmer Trevor Horn |
| Cinematography | Adam Greenberg |
| Editing by | Stu Linder |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | December 18th 1992 (USA) |
| Running time | 118 min |
| Language | English |
| Budget | Unknown |
| IMDb profile | |
Toys is a 1992 film about a large family-owned toy company whose change of management threatens to make it a factory dedicated to producing only violent and war related toys. The movie is noted for its strong use of surrealism with its creative sets and sense of humor.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
Upon the death of Kenneth Zevo, founder and owner of the pacifistic company Zevo Toys, the company is willed to Zevo's ruthless brother Leland, a Lieutenant General, rather than his son Leslie or daughter Alsatia (later revealed to be a gynoid), both of whom would better hold the ideals of the company.
Leland begins making violent products in secret, products that not only simulate violence but actually cause it. He also begins to employ children to participate in electronic, computer-based combat simulations (some fans of this film say that Leland did this as a plan to take over the world or to start a new war).
A battle later ensues between Leland and his destructive toys against Leslie and Alsatia and their peace-loving, but fiercely loyal toys. The company is restored to Leslie and Alsatia, when Leland falls foul to one of his own creations, a prototype Sea Swine equipped with cannons in the nostrils.
[edit] Response
The film did not have much of a success despite its cast. Levinson was often criticized because no one seemed to think the film had a point. In the years following the release of the film, however, it gradually began to catch on as a cult classic, particularly among those who first saw it as children.
[edit] Soundtrack
The soundtrack reunited Hans Zimmer and Trevor Horn, former bandmates in The Buggles. Other musicians featured on the movie's soundtrack included jazz fusion legend Pat Metheny, Tori Amos, Thomas Dolby, Grace Jones, Seal, Wendy and Lisa, Jane Siberry, Enya, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
[edit] Cast
- Robin Williams - Leslie Zevo
- Michael Gambon - Lt. General Leland Zevo
- Joan Cusack - Alsatia Zevo
- Robin Wright - Gwen Tyler
- LL Cool J - Capt. Patrick Zevo
- Donald O'Connor - Kenneth Zevo
- Arthur Malet - Owen Owens
- Debi Mazar - Nurse Debbie
- Jack Warden - Old General Zevo
- Jamie Foxx - Baker
[edit] Video Game
A video game for the movie was released in 1993 for the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis systems by Absolute Entertainment. The game is played from an overhead perspective, and involves you, as Leslie Zevo, attempting to destroy the elephant-head security cameras in the factory, cafteria, and warehouse levels in order to shut down those defenses. Once you get to the Manhattan model, the game switches to a side-scrolling Gradius-style level, where you must fly all the way to the General's control center, shut down the production of the war toys, and save the good name of Zevo Toys.
The game, like the movie, was not received well and didn't sell well. The game has become a cult classic among fans of the movie.
