This post may contain information which may spoil the film if you have not seen it.
The Brave Little Toaster was one of my favourite childhood films. Although the same concept had been done before (ie, Lassie Come Home, The Wizard of Oz and similar stories), it had not been done with appliances, and The Brave Little Toaster excels at telling a story, introducing lovable (and odd) characters, and teaching about friendship. It is a strong film with an emotional message - although a little frightening. This film has plenty going for it, no matter if you're looking for comedy, action, responsibility, and moral lessons. It's an all-around enjoyable film.
The basic storyline of The Brave Little Toaster follows five different appliances on a trek across the country (and city) to find their 'master' in the city. Along the way, they meet unusual characters and have to get out of a lot of scrapes, but they all help each other and come closer together - for which they all need to get to their final destination. None of them can manage to do this all on their own, and each of them have to learn to 'grow up' and become more responsible (and get along) in order to accomplish their goal. They each of different 'talents' and flaws.
The toaster is probably the most mature of the bunch, and he/she is the natural leader of the group, though he/she suffers from what people may think or what may happen. However, at the end, the toaster makes the largest sacrifice to sacrifice himself/herself to save the life of the master. The blanket is the more immature or childlike of the bunch, and it is his photo of the master that helps them to get saved. The radio is the motor-mouth and comical element (along with the lamp), and he is able to pick up radio signals to find their way to the city. The lamp is a little bit dim and gives in to peer pressure and hasty arguments (mainly with the radio), but it is his light and bravery that leads his fellow appliances to their final destination. The vaccuum is the grumpiest of the bunch, and he learns how to be more appreciative while using himself as the vehicle to transport the others.
This film teaches children an important concept - to look at the situation from another point of view. When the lamp and toaster are talking at night about the master and how it feels to be around the master, the toaster compares the feeling to a warm loaf of bread. The lamp does not understand this because a loaf of bread is meaningless to him, so the toaster compares the feeling to a warm glow, and the lamp knows exactly what the toaster means. Dialogue like this is done extremely well and directly aimed at children, though done without talking down at them.
In conclusion, The Brave Little Toaster is a heart-warming story with a lot of lessons, comedy, music, and adventure that children will appreciate and have already appreciated. Although it is a classic story rewritten throughout history, it's like a warm loaf of bread.
The Brave Little Toaster is a must-watch, but don't bother with The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars. The latter was a disappointment and has nothing to offer that the original has. This time, the characters have to go to Mars to save the master's baby. There are too many characters, and some of the original and lovable characters from the original are over-looked, and there doesn't seem to be a coherent plot or lesson learned. It's a dull watch, and I personally don't know why they bothered. (Do note that I only saw this film sometime in my late teens or early twenties. I have seen the original in the past year, and it's still an adorable film.) However, see The Brave Little Toaster. Now.
The Brave Little Toaster was one of my favourite childhood films. Although the same concept had been done before (ie, Lassie Come Home, The Wizard of Oz and similar stories), it had not been done with appliances, and The Brave Little Toaster excels at telling a story, introducing lovable (and odd) characters, and teaching about friendship. It is a strong film with an emotional message - although a little frightening. This film has plenty going for it, no matter if you're looking for comedy, action, responsibility, and moral lessons. It's an all-around enjoyable film.
The basic storyline of The Brave Little Toaster follows five different appliances on a trek across the country (and city) to find their 'master' in the city. Along the way, they meet unusual characters and have to get out of a lot of scrapes, but they all help each other and come closer together - for which they all need to get to their final destination. None of them can manage to do this all on their own, and each of them have to learn to 'grow up' and become more responsible (and get along) in order to accomplish their goal. They each of different 'talents' and flaws.
The toaster is probably the most mature of the bunch, and he/she is the natural leader of the group, though he/she suffers from what people may think or what may happen. However, at the end, the toaster makes the largest sacrifice to sacrifice himself/herself to save the life of the master. The blanket is the more immature or childlike of the bunch, and it is his photo of the master that helps them to get saved. The radio is the motor-mouth and comical element (along with the lamp), and he is able to pick up radio signals to find their way to the city. The lamp is a little bit dim and gives in to peer pressure and hasty arguments (mainly with the radio), but it is his light and bravery that leads his fellow appliances to their final destination. The vaccuum is the grumpiest of the bunch, and he learns how to be more appreciative while using himself as the vehicle to transport the others.
This film teaches children an important concept - to look at the situation from another point of view. When the lamp and toaster are talking at night about the master and how it feels to be around the master, the toaster compares the feeling to a warm loaf of bread. The lamp does not understand this because a loaf of bread is meaningless to him, so the toaster compares the feeling to a warm glow, and the lamp knows exactly what the toaster means. Dialogue like this is done extremely well and directly aimed at children, though done without talking down at them.
In conclusion, The Brave Little Toaster is a heart-warming story with a lot of lessons, comedy, music, and adventure that children will appreciate and have already appreciated. Although it is a classic story rewritten throughout history, it's like a warm loaf of bread.
The Brave Little Toaster is a must-watch, but don't bother with The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars. The latter was a disappointment and has nothing to offer that the original has. This time, the characters have to go to Mars to save the master's baby. There are too many characters, and some of the original and lovable characters from the original are over-looked, and there doesn't seem to be a coherent plot or lesson learned. It's a dull watch, and I personally don't know why they bothered. (Do note that I only saw this film sometime in my late teens or early twenties. I have seen the original in the past year, and it's still an adorable film.) However, see The Brave Little Toaster. Now.