MOVIE REVIEW: THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER (1987)

Nostalgia bit me big time with this one. I watched this as a kid and I had a storybook of it as well (possibly a read-along by cassette?). With memories of this being a great movie, I was excited to share it with my children. It wasn’t a mistake, but boy did I have rose-colored glasses on. To be fair, this is a decent film; I just forgot how dark it was.

After a few years of disuse, several appliances see a ‘for sale’ sign put in front of their cabin. Taking it as a sign that their owner, whom they affectionately call the Master, isn’t coming back for them, they decide to go find him in the city so they may be useful to him once more. The journey is long and dangerous. Animals frighten them, nature thwarts their trek, and other people threaten to destroy them for parts. Led by a determined toaster, the group keeps finding ways to be resourceful in achieving their goal and encourage each other.

Who knew you could pack so much existential crisis into a 90-minute kids movie! While this is an animated film, it avoids being cartoonish. It doesn’t retreat back to simple or silly cutaways to rescue the characters from their troubles. Sometimes it feels like the danger lingers a little too long, so some scenes may be upsetting to the youngest of children.

The voice cast is also a strong point for the film. Phil Hartman and John Lovitz were still up-and-comers at this stage of their careers, and Thurl Ravenscroft’s iconic voice adds a dash of familiarity to the mix. The rest of the main voice cast provide distinctive characterization to the project, so very little of the voice work feels generic at all.

While The Brave Little Toaster didn’t make waves upon its release, it’s influence on childhood-adjacent films is evident. Take a look at the list of people who worked on this film and you will understand how it serves as a literal warm-up to Toy Story. There’s the general concept of nuance and maturity of anthropomorphic household objects that is the focus of the first Toy Story, the fear of abandonment that drives Toy Story 2, and the threat of finality and destruction that creeps into the final reel of Toy Story 3. This movie was ahead of its time.

People on my end of the millennial cohort remember that this non-Disney movie exists, but it’s a shame that only its sequels are available on streaming. There’s an issue with the distribution rights gumming up the works. This is disappointing, as it prevents more people from watching this unique piece of non-Disney animation. It won’t change your life, and you may question its appropriateness for young children, but it’s fascinating to watch this film in the context of how it influenced what came after it.

FINAL SCORE: 3.25 out of 5