Enter the magical, musical world of Toyland in this heartwarming holiday classic starring Drew Barrymore (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) and Keanu Reeves (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure)! Once a bright and cheerful community, Toyland is in great danger from the terrible Barnaby (Richard Mulligan, The Big Bus) and his scary creatures who live in the forest of the night. The only person who can save Toyland is Lisa (Barrymore), a little girl from Cincinnati who lands in Toyland on Christmas Eve. But since Lisa, a very “grown-up” little girl, doesn’t believe in toys, she needs special help from the wise but impish Toymaster (Pat Morita, The Karate Kid), the dashing and gallant Jack Nimble (Reeves) and the mother-of-many-children Mrs. Hubbard (Eileen Brennan, Clue). Together they muster an army of toy soldiers and teddy bears to drive the villainous Barnaby and his nightmare creatures out of Toyland! Wonderfully directed by Clive Donner (What’s New Pussycat?, A Christmas Carol).

For thoughts on Babes In Toyland (1986), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/XVdHVOn5xZ0?si=YPRMf9wDLMvgbKR5&t=2217]

Video Quality

Babes In Toyland makes its Blu-Ray debut courtesy of Kino Classics with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in two different optional aspect ratios, the 1.33:1 Fullscreen Ratio and the 1.78:1 Widescreen Ratio. While there is no specific info about this being from a new 2K scan, the image is notably strong and gorgeous throughout leading us to believe it was remastered at some point. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with only minor instances of it looking a bit uneven.

The picture can run slightly soft in long shots, but the colors are well saturated with the bright hues of the production design coming through. Skin tones are mostly natural and consistent with facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches occasionally make themselves known, but overall clarity and detail are quite strong. The presentation is pleasant throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being admirable. Black levels hold up well with very little in the way of crush. This presentation is pretty great and should make fans who have been waiting for this one very happy.

Audio Quality

This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that features all of the elements of the film quite well. The star of the show is the music, and both the songs and the score hold up with a robust fidelity that rarely falters in a significant way. These tunes and all of the other sounds are presented with great clarity and pleasing fidelity as they emanate through the room. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the kinetic scenes of henchmen attacks to the quieter moments of exposition. The track avoids most instances of age-related wear and tear or distortion. The dialogue holds up wonderfully, coming through crisp and clear without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. This is a track that represents the film in a solid manner. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

Trailer: The two-minute trailer for Babes In Toyland is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Babes In Toyland is a supremely silly and whimsical holiday tale that captures the storybook quality of this world quite wonderfully. Younger kids are more so the target audience, but adults can enjoy the really creative production design and unhinged song topics about how great Cincinnati is. The performances from a young Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reeves are a fun addition, and Pat Morita in the Santa role is an inspired bit of casting. The film is playfully dark, making it ripe for discovery beyond just a standard family film. Kino Classics has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and not much of anything in the way of supplemental features. If you have been waiting for this one to be upgraded to high definition, you should not be let down. Recommended

Babes In Toyland is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.