Everyone
loves to receive a cuddly teddy bear, whether it’s to cheer you up, a way of
saying thanks or in celebration of some achievement that you’ve made. The
experience is shared by children and adults alike. But without any doubt,
there’s something about the imagination of children that far exceeds that of
adults. We all remember playing with teddy bears when we were little tackers
and imagining with wonder the idea that they might secretly be alive when we’re
not around. This notion has been explored in countless films, books and
television programs, and we thought we’d count down some of our favourites.
Toy Story
This
Pixar trilogy well and truly earns its spot on top of the list. Starring some
classic characters including Buzz, Woody, Ham and Mr. Potato Head, Toy Story is
the quintessential film that explores the secret world of toys, who cannot
reveal their intelligent and conscious nature to humans. Throughout the
trilogy, the gang goes through a lot including convincing Buzz that he is
actually a toy (rather than a spaceman), saving Woody after he is stolen by a
collector and dealing with the inevitable fact that their owner Andy will
eventually outgrow them.Nowadays, kid’s films are as much fun for adults as they are for the little ones, and the Toy Story movies have enough laughs to keep everyone in the family entertained. Not to be missed!
Small Soldiers
In
these kinds of stories, the reason why or how the toys are alive is usually
explained by magic, or not at all. And a lot of them depict the toys as living
in a secret world that humans do not know about. In 1998’s Small Soldiers, a
scientific explanation is provided, as the toys are installed with micro chips
that enable them think and interact. Trouble brews are two different classes of
toys have an all out war with improvised weapons, most of which are extremely
dangerous to humans. An interesting take on the genre, Small Soldiers is fast
paced, action packed and a lot of fun!
Winnie the Pooh
The
classic series of books were published in 1926 and written by AA Milne, later
being adapted for the big and small screens. The story follows the lives of the
lovable toys of Christopher Robbin, a character that was based on the author
himself. We are especially fond of Pooh because he is teddy bear, though we
love the rest of the gang as well! Many Hollywood remakes have allowed the
childhood memories of parents to live on with a new batch of stuffed toys and
merchandising to give to the youngest generation.
Pinocchio
Everyone knows the story of Pinocchio, the wooden puppet that dreams of being a real boy and eventually has his wish granted. But this results in Pinocchio being exploited and taken advantage of, and there are the notion of ‘being careful what you wish for’ is cleverly portrayed. This hugely significant story - first conceived by Italian author Carlo Collodi in 1881 - has been reimagined and most people would remember Disney’s 1940 version. A true classic and a great story!
