Review of The Brave Little Toaster (1987) by Christie B — 04 Mar 2012

I remember that I used to love this film as a child. Looking back, I can't really understand why...I mean it's a good film, but it's so dark. This may be an animated film, with fantasy and lots of songs and whatnot, but it is a very dark film. It's worth seeing at least once, but the writing is some of the darkest here you'll ever see in a Disney film. My issue with this is that it seemingly comes at random...there's no foreshadowing of it.

For example, there's one scene when all the appliances are just hanging out with some of the forest creatures and playing hide and seek. For some reason, the toaster chooses to hide in the forest, and finds a rose. The rose is dying, and when it sees its reflection on the toaster, it thinks that it's found another flower and a friend, and tries to hug the toaster. The toaster shoves the flower back, telling it to get away, and runs away; as the toaster leaves, the flower droops sadly, and loses another petal. All throughout this scene, music reminiscent from a similar scene from Beauty and the Beast is playing (when the rose loses its petals); this came out 4 years before Beauty and the Beast, so for all I know, it could've inspired the writing. Anyway, this scene is never mentioned again--there's no follow-up, and it has no identifiable impact on the story or characters later on. So, it's sad as hell, and there's not even a palpable reason for it to be in the film. Why is it here? I have no idea...but it's depressing.

I realize that I'm badmouthing this film a bit too much. The ending is cool, and though dark, the writing is great. The scene in the junkyard is really well done, and way more dramatic than animated Disney films had been in the past at this point in time. Check this film out..just don't be expected sunshine and smiles the whole time.