The Christmas Toy

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The Christmas Toy

"The Christmas Toy" VHS cover
Directed by Eric Till
Produced by Jim Henson
Written by Laura Phillips
Starring Dave Goelz
Steve Whitmire
Kathryn Mullen
Jerry Nelson
Richard Hunt
Camille Bonora
Music by Jeff Moss
Editing by Geoff Craigen
Distributed by Henson Associates
Sony Pictures
Release date(s) December 6, 1986
Running time 50 minutes
Language English
IMDb profile

The Christmas Toy is a 1986 made-for-TV movie by The Jim Henson Company. It originally aired on ABC on December 6, 1986.

It has only been released on VHS format, with the latest release in 1998.

The film later led to a series: Secret Life of Toys.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

When no people are around, the toys still play in the playroom. But since a toy will be frozen forever if a person catches it out of position, they have to be very careful. It's Christmas Eve, and Rugby the Tiger remembers how he was the Christmas Toy last year, and thinks he's going to be unwrapped again. And it's up to Apple the Doll, whom Rugby supplanted as favorite toy, to tell him what's in store. But Rugby won't believe her, and tries to get into the Christmas package and lets Meteora, Queen of the Asteroids loose. Unfortunately, she doesn't know she's a toy, and thinks she's landed among aliens. And it's up to Apple, Mew (the Cat's toy mouse), and the other toys to get Rugby out of the box and Meteora back in it before they're found and frozen forever!

[edit] Featured cast

Actor Role
Dave Goelz Rugby the Tiger
Steve Whitmire Mew the Cat's Toy Mouse
Kathryn Mullen Apple the Doll
Jerry Nelson Balthasar
Richard Hunt Belmont
Camille Bonora Meteora, Queen of the Asteroids
Brian Henson Cruiser
Rob Mills Bleep
Nicky Tilroe Ding-a-ling the Phone
Marsha Moreau Jamie
Zachary Bennett Jesse
Jim Henson Kermit the Frog (Narrator)

[edit] Similarities to "Toy Story"

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

There are similarities to the plot of this film and to Disney/Pixar's computer-animated feature film Toy Story, released in 1995. These similarities include (but are not exclusive to):

  • Rugby, Jesse's old toy, is jealous and feels threatened by Meteora (who is a newer, space-themed action figure) and tries to get rid of her. In Toy Story, Woody, Andy's old toy, is jealous and feels threatened by Buzz Lightyear (who is a newer, space-themed action figure) and tries to get rid of him.
  • Meteora, like Buzz Lightyear, does not understand that she is, in fact, a toy and not "Queen of the Asteroids". Rugby must teach her that being a toy is not inferior to her assumed role, as Woody must convince Buzz.
  • As the voice of reason (and practically the only main female character in the cast), Apple the Doll serves the same purpose as Bo Peep.
  • The toys revert to their inanimate form the moment a human nears. (Although The Christmas Toy adds the plot device that a toy is frozen forever if seen by human eyes.)

[edit] External links