Playmobil: The Movie

Playmobil: The Movie – Siblings Marla and Charlie once had a happy-go-lucky take on life with plans to go on adventures together but when their parents are killed in a car accident, Marla struggles with the responsibilities that are thrust upon her and Charlie doesn’t understand why she is no longer the fun-loving sister she used to be. When a mystical force plunges them both into a world full of Playmobil characters, Marla embarks on a journey to save her brother and begins to realise that responsibility can also be fun.

Playmobil (2019) – Director: Lino DiSalvo

By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60880839

Rating: U

Running Length: 99 mins

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Gabriel Bateman, Jim Gaffigan

Genre: Animated, Comedy

REVIEW: PLAYMOBIL: THE MOVIE

Taking a large leaf out of Lego’s book and creating a part-live-action/part-animated movie revolving around selling…ahem, we mean showcasing their toys, Playmobil have created a world full of different characters and sets much like their famous and popular toy ranges.

The story follows brother and sister, Charlie and Marla: a pair of fun-loving kids whose world is turned upside down with the death of their parents (so far so dark). A few years later, Marla has grown up too quickly with the amount of responsibility she now has and, of course, Charlie doesn’t understand why she doesn’t want to play or go on adventures anymore. Cue Charlie and Marla getting themselves magically transported into the Playmobil world to learn how to see things from each other’s point of view. In a tonal move that makes little sense, Marla maintains her general look but for some reason Charlie is turned into a Viking. Why not?

What brings ‘Playmobil: The Movie’ down is its lack of explanation for any of the fantastical things Marla and Charlie experience. It swaps and changes situations and characters too frequently which prevents the audience from settling into the movie or warming to any character in particular. The plot is fun and has plenty of good jokes but overall is a little bland and Anya Taylor-Joy and Gabriel Bateman as Marla and Charlie respectively do a decent job of carrying the movie. They clearly need others to bounce off of, unfortunately. As characters tend to come and go throughout the movie, the stability they need isn’t there.

Kids will love the frenetic energy and spectacle of ‘Playmobil: The Movie’ but it is a pale imitation of ‘The Lego Movies’ and as such won’t be one to remember in years to come.

CONTENT: IS ‘PLAYMOBIL: THE MOVIE’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

The movie opens with a light-hearted tone but within a few minutes, the police turn up at the door of Marla and Charlie. Marla looks very concerned and, as the camera pans away, the police can be heard saying ‘Your parents were in a car accident’. Later, Charlie explicitly states that their parents are dead.

Marla struggles to take on the responsibilities of raising Charlie, running the household and everything else that she has to do since their parents died. As Charlie is young and doesn’t understand this, the two fight a lot. This could be difficult for younger children to grasp and could prove to be a bit too dark for them although the opening only lasts around 10 minutes.

When Marla and Charlie first arrive in the Playmobil world, they become mixed up in a large Viking battle, the winning side celebrate by drinking. Marla is treated like a servant and is told to get Charlie a flagon and many of the Vikings are seen with horns full of ale.

A character tells her captors ‘I’ll rip your tongues out with my bare hands’.

Another character who is held captive is taken into an arena, watched by thousands of cheering spectators. He stands in front of a huge gate which is slowly opened and glowing eyes are seen within. The character then runs but is knocked into the air by the unseen creature. The camera cuts away but in the background, a cross appears on the image of the character which is shown on TV screens indicating that he has been killed.

Glinara is a huge slug-creature who is very threatening and when she isn’t given the money she is owed, becomes very menacing. Marla and her friend Del are on the receiving end of this and the threat to their lives could be quite frightening for younger children.

Before being sent out into the arena, Charlie is kept in a confined space. The camera stays close to his face and his terror is clear.

When the creature is released into the arena again, the same things happen as before with the glowing eyes appearing in the darkness. However, when the action begins, it becomes more exciting than scary.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘PLAYMOBIL: THE MOVIE’ FOR KIDS?

Not the best kids’ movie in recent years but ‘Playmobil: The Movie’ will excite and touch the imagination of kids with international appeal. We feel this movie is appropriate for kids of all ages but recommend parental supervision for younger children due to a few scary moments.

• Violence: 1/5 (during the Viking battle, a character falls down to the ground. They are completely still and their eyes stay open and it appears that they are dead)
• Emotional Distress: 1/5 (Marla sometimes becomes upset about being separated from Charlie and that she is unable to find him)
• Fear Factor: 1/5
• Sexual Content: 0/5
• Bad Language: 0/5
• Dialogue: 1/5 (some violent dialogue such as ‘We’re going to have to torture you!’)
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of responsibility, childhood, being out of your depth, adjusting to new surroundings and seeing things from a different viewpoint.

Words by Laura Record