Director: Lino DiSalvo
Distributor: Belga Home Video
Duration: 109 minutes
Playmobil: The Movie (DVD) – Movie Review
After LEGO received its fair share of movies, the most mainstream one being The LEGO Movie, it seems that Playmobil also wanted to try and immortalize its toys on the big screen. The movie itself lured a lot of younger viewers to the theaters and had moderate success. The movie seemingly tried to mimic the success of the LEGO Movie, but we reckon these toys, while still very popular, don’t have the same following as the Danish brick manufacturers.
At the beginning of the movie, we see a tragic event occur, as Marla (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Charlie’s (Gabriel Bateman) parents die in an accident. The movie fast forwards to four years later where the siblings have difficulties getting along, as Marla has now assumed a parental role. When one night Charlie sneaks out, Marla is worried, but she finds him in a hall that is filled with Playmobil toys. These were the toys they were fond of when playing together, before the accident happened. Before they know it, they are sucked into the giant diorama and are forced to find a way out of the toy universe.
Charlie has a great time, as he is incarnated as a strong Viking, earning praise on the battlefield. Marla tries to stop him before it goes to his head. Sadly, Charlie doesn’t listen and joins the crowd of Viking warriors. His status as a strong warrior is soon discovered by the henchman of the evil emperor Maximus (Adam Lambert), who is kidnapping strong warriors to fight in his coliseum.
Marla is soon separated from Charlie, who is taken hostage by the emperor’s henchmen. She soon finds herself in the company of Del (Jim Gaffigan), as she pretty much hijacks his car. While the two don’t hit it off initially, Marla stumbles upon some Viking gold that wins Del over to help her find her brother.
The flow of the movie is somewhat predictable and it also follows the same premise of the LEGO movie, where a lot of different play-sets are shown in the movie, clearly showing what the company has done over the years. Other than that, there is the fairly predictable expectation that everything will be okay in the end. We don’t really get why the entire plotline of both parents dying at the beginning was actually needed, as it could simply have been because of an argument between siblings. Other than that, there is some mild humor embedded in the story, but compared to the LEGO movies, which are suitable for all ages, this film feels more suited for a younger audience, because of the slapstick humor.
Acting performances are okayish. The movie is well-voiced, and some bigger stars can be found in the cast, such as Daniel Radcliffe, Jim Gaffigan, Meghan Trainor and several others. The two main cast members are voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy and Gabriel Bateman, who do a formidable job presenting their characters. While there are clear notions of overacting present, it’s not bothersome, especially for the audience this movie is catered towards.
Outside of a few trailers for other Belga Home Video releases you’ll have no special features revolving around Playmobil: The Movie. This feels like a letdown, especially for younger viewers who would certainly be happy with some short snippets about their favorite characters. It feels like a missed opportunity to leave the extras section blank for this release, especially when looking at other animated movies that do a lot of effort to provide a lot of extra content.
Conclusion
Playmobil: The Movie is a reasonably entertaining film, but it is catered towards a younger audience and might not be that interesting for the parents. The movie itself follows a fairly simple premise, but it does succeed in painting a proper picture of two siblings that grew apart and now have to work together again. The movie will not be winning an award any time soon, but it is fun to watch once nonetheless. That being said, the movie will provide a fun evening for your children.
Playmobil: The Movie (DVD) - Movie Review,
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