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General => News => Topic started by: tahra on August 20, 2019, 18:02:58

Title: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: tahra on August 20, 2019, 18:02:58
What do you think?

Well.. the reviews are not good... and I felt like insulting the reviewers. The trailers were more promising...

If I am being realistic, I am afraid it is a great waste of opportunity.  I mean, klickys = win for me. <- period.

But... no real characters, no backstories... Some great gems there, of course, and LOADS of WONDERFUL klickys and animals and stuff that I would love to see "in the plastic"  (my wallet firmly disagrees!)

As in all movies (I think) the silly singing is mostly pointless and annoying - but that is probably just me...

Now... the greatest mystery of this... can ANYONE please explain me WHY there isn't a passport, with the stickers to fill it spread in ALL FREAKING SETS of the movie?!  Anyone? Please?

Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: Klickteryx on August 20, 2019, 21:02:17
The reviews are mostly bad because it sounds like the movie is like Super4. A bunch of disconnected worlds/themes where you can travel between them. A concept that would only appeal to young children because they're trying to cram in everything they sell instead of telling a story and getting people interested in the characters - something which playmobil is supposed to be better at than lego.

Never saw the Lego movie so don't know if it did something similar and I don't know how they travel between themes in this upcoming movie - is it normal to travel from one to the other or do the characters have some special ability that allows them to?

I think it would have been better to set the movie in the present as the vast majority of the sets are contemporary and they could have had a plot where a magical group forces a door open to the modern world and that magical world would then allow all the fairy, magic, dragon, castle stuff to appear and you could also have a scientist come up with a time machine allowing access to the pre-historic, western, pirate and more medieval stuff - perhaps even a nod to the Planeta Agostini series.
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: Hadoque on August 22, 2019, 08:30:34
Overhere too reviews in newspapers and in specialized press are deadly, mostly ratings from 0 to 2 (out of 5 stars).
It looks more and more like "The Movie" is going to turn out to be an epic ... disaster.
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: bml87 on August 22, 2019, 12:49:49
Overhere too reviews in newspapers and in specialized press are deadly, mostly ratings from 0 to 2 (out of 5 stars).
It looks more and more like "The Movie" is going to turn out to be an epic ... disaster.

The reviews are bad indeed! But, how can Playmobil The Movie compete against The Lion King anyway?! I was in Ghent last week for the Lion and all the cinema halls were sold out for the Disney remake. The hall for Playmobil The Movie had sold barely 10 tickets...
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: JLMatterer on August 22, 2019, 17:46:42
‘Playmobil: The Movie’ Delayed To December 2019 US Release (https://movies.mxdwn.com/news/playmobil-movie-delayed-till-december-2019-us-release/?fbclid=IwAR3t0qfqZx7jDkUkowh_wVjAUGbnNiTj5TSzFiyBzCyK7Z1O3kNLCHttRRY)
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: GrahamB on August 23, 2019, 08:56:03
What is the reaction in Germany? Or Spain? Or other places where PM is not just a toy with a niche market (as it is here in the UK, I feel)?
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: tahra on August 23, 2019, 09:58:58
But... nobody actually saw it yet?  :o
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: Oliver on August 23, 2019, 11:29:56
I mean, it's a children's film designed around a toy range. It was never going to be Shakespeare,  was it?
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: jodawill on August 23, 2019, 19:01:27
I haven't seen the movie, and I most likely never will. Honestly, it looked awful to me from the beginning. Their faces look stupid and it seems like a big ripoff of the Lego movie.
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: Klickteryx on August 25, 2019, 06:14:03
I've seen people calling it a lego ripoff but how is it?

It's not like lego was that original either, they were just the first to market a film in the digital era based on a current toyline where the characters actually looked like the toy.  Prior to that there was Toy Story, Small Soldiers plus all the GI Joe cartoons which came with ads for the toys of course. Not sure where all the Barbie and Jem cartoons fit into it but marketing toys through film is not that new.
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: tahra on August 26, 2019, 08:01:05
I know I watched the first lego movie... but I don't actually remember it... not memorable. Unlike this one.  I know I didn't like the end, but don't remember why...

IMO, the problem with the movie is that it's not a LONG series... I  mean, the sheriff rides by. And does not return. An example. It could have everything it has now, but we'd need hours and hours and hours to get to the characters. I'd make the time.

Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: Marco_4124 on September 08, 2019, 17:59:39
Playmobil The Movie review.

The best way to criticize a film is to go to the cinema yourself. And that's exactly what I did today. After all the criticisms in the press, I wanted to see with my own eyes if the film really is that bad. And the short answer to that is, with the risk of being declared crazy, NO. I had a great time, the film runs smoothly without any dead moments, the story is good and like all children's films it ends well.

The story starts when Marla has just obtained her passport, and rehearses in her own room to ask her parents to go on a (world)journey. Because she is so busy with that, she is caught by her brother. But because Marla likes her brother, she explains to him why she wants to travel so much, even though her brother doesn't fully understand it. In the evening the children play with their favourite toys (Playmobil) when suddenly the doorbell rings. Unexpectedly, the police are there with the nasty announcement that their parents have died in a traffic accident. The familiar world of both children collapses in one moment.

Four years later, brother and sister unintentionally grew quite apart because Marla had to take care of the housework, and her little world is completely shattered. This comes to a climax when, after an argument, her brother runs away to go out with some friends. On the way to his friends, however, Charlie is attracted by a huge dinosaur on a truck, which is on its way to a toy fair that is under construction. Meanwhile, Marla also finds out where her brother is and they meet each other in the toy fair building, where a huge diorama of Playmobil is under construction. Charlie feels right at home, it reminds him of the nice hours he spent with his sister when they were playing with Playmobil. Marla doesn't like it and wants to go home immediately. Just as the quarrel is settled, the lighthouse in the diorama brings them into the world of Playmobil by magical powers. Here too it appears that they have grown apart, because Charlie feels right at home, and Marla has a lot of trouble to adapt.

For the rest, I don't give away too much about this film. Marla and Charlie quickly loose each other, where Marla does everything in her power to find her brother. She meets people who want to help her, but also discovers that the world of Playmobil is sometimes surprisingly strange. She also discovers that she has changed a lot and that she and her brother have grown apart. But the sudden responsibility for her brother has also made her uncertain. It takes a lot of effort for her to overcome that, but after that she is determined to find her brother again, and to get home safely from this strange world. And that works too!

Returning to the film critics, it's easy to forget that the film is announced as an animated film, but that it starts as an ordinary film. First of all, I would like to praise the casting of brother and sister, who play convincingly as brother and sister in the film. They could really be siblings, with the well-known siblings' quarrels, but also interdependence and affection for each other. Ask any director or film producer: working with children is particularly difficult. But in this film it is well succeeded.

The animation side of this film is excellent. There is a lot of criticism on the movability of the Playmobil dolls, but also in my imagination the klicky's are much more movable than they really are. Every child who plays with Playmobil will be able to confirm that. And film critics who don't understand that apparently never played in their youth or have a lack of imagination. If you judge a children's film, then put yourself in the shoes of a child who looks at the world differently.

One of the supporting roles is Rex Dasher. This delicious parody of James Bond and The Saint certainly deserves its own spin-off!
The world of the good fairy is also modeled with a big wink at Disney World.

I don't share another criticism of the film critics. This film is not comparable to the Lego films. I've played a lot with both in my youth, but Playmobil is essentially something different from Lego. Star Wars and Star Trek are not comparable either, nor is Meccano with Fishertechnik. Each I appreciate, each has his own for and against, but they are not comparable with each other.
Just watch this film out of the eyes of someone who loves Playmobil, or just enjoy watching it. But if you do make comparisons with other toys, then you're wasting time on the fun of watching a film.

Another point of criticism I hear a lot is that the film is an advertising film for Playmobil. Uh, sorry: isn't Lego The Movie, or the TV series about Barbie either so? The pot blames the cauldron for being black?

I give the film 5 stars (5 *****). If it comes out on DVD I will definitely buy it. But I'm afraid this is a film that will do better in DVD sales than in cinemas. It's sad that in the Netherlands there is only one press service (ANP). And if a film critic there is negative about this film, it will be in all the newspapers. Can someone give him a box of Playmobil as a gift?

I discovered two easter eggs (but I'm sure there are more). On Charlie's toy shelf is Buzz Lightyear, and when Marla makes binoculars of a magazine you'll see a drawing of Rex Dasher on the world map.

Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: tahra on September 08, 2019, 18:18:59
Playmobil The Movie review.

The best way to criticize a film is to go to the cinema yourself. And that's exactly what I did today. After all the criticisms in the press, I wanted to see with my own eyes if the film really is that bad. And the short answer to that is, with the risk of being declared crazy, NO. I had a great time, the film runs smoothly without any dead moments, the story is good and like all children's films it ends well.

Thank you for the detailed comment... And you are very right about the human actors :)

I loved the movie - hope to see it in the theater later, and I REALLY hope to find an original version...

I have explained my problem with it... I wanted details and backstories on EVERYONE - especially the amazon. But the movie rushes past everything...

That said, I LOVED it.  (even if I did expect better)  I realize I am easy to playmoplease.

Still no idea why there is no passport...  What about the dino?  Still, I find it hard to believe there will be more sets.. what does everyone think? I had hopes that more would be released later in the year (with the figures) - my wallet, as usual, disagrees.. However, catalogs are out.... is it possible to have a theme not announced?

The movie was moved back in the US, right? Here it's supposed to arrive in October...

And I will also buy the DVD as soon as it appears. I ASSUME it will appear? I wanted Super 4 too :(

 
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: GrahamB on September 09, 2019, 09:12:47
Marco, I nominate your post for the Playmofriends Post of the Year. Interesting, informative and thought-provoking! I could not agree more with you that Playmobil is all about TOYS and CHILDREN!

I don't know what the prize is for Post of the Year, or if such a thing exists, btw!
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: Macruran on September 11, 2019, 10:38:09
Playmobil is all about TOYS and CHILDREN!

and also GROWNUPS in their SECOND OR MAYBE THIRD CHILDHOOD!
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: CountBogro on September 20, 2019, 17:16:40
I went with my sister a few weeks ago.

We were the two only persons in the theatre - but then again; it was tropical outside, so I guess most parents had other plans for that day :)

It isn't the best movie ever made; but it is nicely done. Me and my sister enjoyed it.
Every thing passing by reminded us of sets we do or do not have.
We liked the characters and the story.

We definitly had a great time.
And in the end; isn't that all that is important?

Bogro
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: tahra on September 20, 2019, 17:43:37
We definitly had a great time.
And in the end; isn't that all that is important?

Yes :)

I liked the movie, I just think the trailers were better than the movie..
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: Hadoque on September 20, 2019, 19:06:57
I just think the trailers were better than the movie..

Ouch.
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: tahra on September 20, 2019, 19:08:39
Ouch.

I mean, I expected a LOT more from the movie. It was great, but I expected more.  Needed more time, I think. A LOT more time.
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: Hadoque on September 20, 2019, 19:14:41
Yeah, but I didn´t find the trailer that amazing. So if it showed the best parts of the film, then I won´t watch the movie. Not even on TV.
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: tahra on September 20, 2019, 19:48:16
Yeah, but I didn´t find the trailer that amazing. So if it showed the best parts of the film, then I won´t watch the movie. Not even on TV.

I did.... It's not that it showed the best parts, I suppose...  It's just that things are so rushed.. and underdeveloped... Like Count Bogro, I had a blast with my sister spotting all the sets and such...

Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: Hadoque on September 21, 2019, 20:31:14
I see. Well, when/if it is released for TV by the Movies/Series-provider I have a subscription from, I might give it a try after all.
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: playmovictorian on September 22, 2019, 09:30:23
I have been so very busy in real life that I missed the release of the movie  :(

When is it due to be released on DVD please ?
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: StJohn on August 03, 2020, 20:15:05
I finally watched Playmobil: The Movie and found it very enjoyable. Of course I am biased and all that, but still thought that its basic message – make the best of any situation & reach out to others – are uplifting, and conveyed in a very attractive way. My 10 year old, who has no interest in PM, liked it as well, so it is not just the force of my partiality. It is just a pretty and charming movie, so too bad it tanked so horrifically (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playmobil:_The_Movie#Critical_response/). Life is unfair. I guess it will have its redemption, some day. Its value will be rediscovered.

I guess I came to the movie in the wrong way, by first being completely familiar with the sets but not knowing the story. Up to now I was often quite puzzled by the details of the toys. How do the figures fit together? Who on earth are they anyway? Why is there a techno gadget underneath the prison cart? Etc., etc. So very satisfying to get all of these questions answered!
Title: Re: playmobil: The Movie: your opinion? (WITH SPOILERS!)
Post by: Giorginetto on August 27, 2020, 09:19:00
Loved this movie. We have it on dvd as well now and the girls watch it all the time !!!