Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- broad
- childish
- warm
- family movie night
- 1980s nostalgia
What critics said
Critics overwhelmingly regarded the film as a muddled, unfunny blend of broad family comedy and class satire that squandered its leading performers.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Eric literally selects Jack as a purchasable toy inside his father's department store, making economic power the engine of the story.
Jack begins as Eric's coerced plaything but becomes the lonely boy's first meaningful friend.
Jack, a janitor, is forced to navigate the privileges and humiliations of life as a wealthy child's personal toy.
The department store and Bates household foreground extravagant consumer goods and the gap between employer and employee.
Films like The Toy, and why
The Kid
shared fish out of water comedy, class conflict, and an adult forming an unlikely bond with a child
Problem Child
shared family comedy, wealthy dysfunctional household, and a lonely child seeking connection
Arthur
shared class satire, child centered humor, and an adult outsider reshaping a privileged family
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Donner
- Release Date
- 1982-12-10
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (236)
Cast
- Richard Pryor
- Jackie Gleason
- Ned Beatty
- Scott Schwartz
- Teresa Ganzel
- Wilfrid Hyde-White
- Tony King
- Annazette Chase
- Don Hood
- Karen Leslie-Lyttle
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Toy about?
- A wealthy man's lonely son chooses a janitor as his birthday toy, turning a degrading arrangement into an unlikely lesson in friendship.
- What is The Toy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Toy as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Toy violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Toy.
- What did critics think of The Toy?
- Critics overwhelmingly regarded the film as a muddled, unfunny blend of broad family comedy and class satire that squandered its leading performers.
- Which films are like The Toy?
- Films with a similar feel include The Kid, Problem Child, and Arthur.
- How long is The Toy?
- The Toy runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Toy?
- In United States, The Toy streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
