“The Toys That Made Us” Television Review: To Binge or Not to Binge

    I freely admit that I am a massive toy collector and while I am currently trying to pair my collection down, I still have a ton of toys and they still temp me to this day.  While many people grow up and leave their toys behind, some of us embrace our inner child with nostalgia.  Remember the sense of wonder you had playing with an action figure?  Remember how much imagination went into playtime with your dolls?  Why do adults like myself still collect toys?  Some of us find inspiration in our childhood playthings, some people find them to be interesting display pieces, and others are still just kids at hearts.  Regardless the reason, this show is dedicated to everything regarding toys.

    The show is a documentary focusing on different toy subjects each episode.  Episodes range from Star Wars to Barbies and showcase how each toy line has changed and evolved over time.  You will hear interviews from toy developers and collectors to get a better sense of the complete history of each line.

    This series success far better than most other documentary style shows because it has fun with it’s subject and can be very funny at times.  I found myself fascinated with episodes involving toy lines I have and never will have any interest in.  When an episode about Barbie or Hello Kitty can hook me for a hour, you know the show is something special.

    The show perfectly captures what drives collectors crazy about toys.  Though some adults just see mounds of plastic, collectors see a gateway to their childhood and a way to show their fandom.  This show depicts collectors as a form of fun loving historians which isn’t far off.

    What I love most about the show is how it details the history of each toy production.  The show’s focus on the development of each toy line helps show why each brand has managed to stay relevant over decades.  The format Netflix embraces is perfect for this series.  This show once again proves that while Netflix’s original movies still need a lot of work, it’s television shows are still a step above a lot of network television currently airing.

    “The Toys That Made Us” will make you feel like a kid all over again.  It’s worth a watch at any age and you will want to learn the history of every toy possible.  Who knew learning could be so fun!

Overall Grade: A

To Binge or Not to Binge Verdict: BINGE

“Bumblebee” Movie Review

    As a child, I grew up in a family very invested in toy culture.  My dad was a big toy collector and I spent a lot of my childhood in toy stores and going to various toy shows.  Now, keep in mind, at the age of 33, I grew up in an era before the internet and the birth of E-Bay.  Needless to say, I was very aware of Transformers toys as a kid.  Ironically, I actually had less Transformers toys than your average kid.  I remember I had a Beast Wars Transformers but I believe that might have been my only Transformer toy despite liking them.  I think they might have been a little too expensive for my parents though and I had plenty of other toys interests including Power Rangers.

    When Michael Bay made a big screen version of Transformers, I was keen to see what the movie would be like.  Despite being divisive, I remember enjoying the first “Transformers” quite a bit.  At the time, I also watched the original cartoon “Transformers: The Movie” but I had a harder time getting into it probably because I never watched the cartoon as a kid.  For better or worse, I found the Bay version more accessible.

    As much as I liked the first “Transformers” movie, I didn’t enjoy the sequels quiet as much.  The first two sequels had some fun moments and I didn’t hate them, but they weren’t as good as the first movie.  Then by the time Mark Wahlberg took over the lead in the fourth and fifth film, it just felt like three hours of explosions and cgi garbage thrown of screen.  The Transformers movie became less enjoyable to watch and more of a chore.

    Now, all that being said, I wasn’t super eager to see “Bumblebee”.  I was pretty much done seeing Transformers movies in the theaters.  I skipped The Last Knight in theaters and still have not watched all of it yet.  That being said, I kept reading good reviews and more importantly for me, good word of mouth so I managed to drag my poor girlfriend to go see it with me.  (I swear she is an angel for letting me indulge in all my nerdy movies and going to see them with me).  We left the movie both really enjoying the movie more than we expected we would!

    “Bumblebee” is a prequel to the Michael Bay “Transformers” movies.  It tells the story of how Bumblebee arrived on Earth and his mission to protect Earth in order to set up a new base for the Autobots.  Upon arriving on Earth, he accidentally crosses paths and makes an enemy in the form of Agent Burns.  After escaping the clutches of Agent Burns and the Decepticons, he is picked up by a young girl named Charlie. The two bond and continue to evade the pursuits of Agent Burns, the military and the Decepticons while Bumblebee continues his mission to keep the Earth secure.

    The movie itself is very sweet.  The movie showcases the relationship between Charlie and Bumblebee much like the relationship a person has with their pet so it’s easy to connect and relate to.  It also helps that they made Bumblebee extremely lovable in this film.  The movie is also very funny at times.  I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times.

    The movie stars Hailee Steinfeld as Charlie and she really carries the movie.  It isn’t easy alongside a non existent co-star but she manages to make you feel like Bumblebee is always there and interacting with her on set.  John Cena plays Agent Burns and does a good job in the film.  Cena continues to be interesting to see on film and I am still curious to see if he can break out in the same way Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson did.  Cena essentially plays a version of himself in this movie so you can tell he was comfortable with the role.  Dwayne Johnson usually picks roles suited to his personality as well so it’s clear he is taking a cue from his playbook.

    This is the first live action Transformers movie not directed by Michael Bay and it shows.  Travis Knight took over the directing duties and he focuses the script more of the characters over the action set pieces.  This was also one of the first Transformers movies in which I could tell what was going on during the action sequences.  It didn’t look like cgi diarrhea.  Transformers fans will also appreciate the Generation One toy line influence including Bumblebee being a Volkswagen Beetle over a Chevy Camaro as depicted in the Michael Bay films.

    “Bumblebee” is ultimately a film that turned out better than I expected (and ultimately better than it had a right to be).  It resparked my interest in the Transformers films and I would gladly go see another adventure if it was made with this tone.  “Bumblebee” is the rare sequel/prequel that exceeds it’s predecessors and delivers a fun movie going experience.  It isn’t a deep film, but it will have you leaving the theater happy.

Grade: B+