Babes in Toyland

There's no comparison to Laurel and Hardy's March of the Wooden Soldiers, but I do love watching the animated kids' musical Babes in Toyland every year. The songs are really beautiful, and you might recognize a couple of voices! Siblings Jack and Jill come to Toyland to live with their uncle, but he turns out to be Barnaby, the crookedest man in town. Voiced by Christopher Plummer, he gives off some hilarious one-liners that make you want to root for him. He also gets a very funny song describing why he hates Christmas. You've got to hand it to someone who doesn't sing a single note but manages to be so entertaining, you don't even notice he's not singing.

Meanwhile, the toy factory is run by Cathy Cavadini, who's being courted by Raphael Sbarge; they share some beautiful love songs that you'll want to listen to over and over. And in case you recognize the sweet voice of little Jill during her songs, it's Lacey Chabert! You'll also hear Charles Nelson Reilly sing "Toyland" in the beginning as the kids get welcomed to town.

Unfortunately, this movie doesn't end as well as it starts. The first half hour or so is just perfect, but once Christopher Plummer goes to Bogieland, everything goes downhill. It had the potential, given the lyrics to his song, to end a different way. I won't ruin anything for you, but just take the ending with a grain of salt and appreciate the first half of the movie, like I do.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There are a couple of scene transitions filmed in canted angles, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"