Anyone who has seen 'Toy Story', 'Toy Story 2', "The Christmas Toy," or any number of Yuletide tales about abandoned playthings that long to be with their children again will appreciate the premise of this oddly touching little cartoon. Though the plot itself is nothing original, and the neatly-packaged ending comes as no surprise, this is a feature that is both skillfully animated and directed with style. Bob Hoskins' voicework is perfect -- his Teddy Bear is a rough-and-tumble, adorably irascible character. The pencil-sketch like animation is reminiscent of "The Snowman," one of my favorite holiday films -- both cartoons share a dreamlike, snow-covered vision of the holidays.
The song that is the centerpiece of this cartoon deserves special notice. Usually musical numbers in Christmas features are forgettable to an extreme degree (when's the last time you hummed "It Nearly Wasn't Christmas"?), but the song the doll sings in "The Forgotten Toys" is heartbreakingly beautiful. It actually brought tears to my eyes, but then, I'm just an old softie.
The song that is the centerpiece of this cartoon deserves special notice. Usually musical numbers in Christmas features are forgettable to an extreme degree (when's the last time you hummed "It Nearly Wasn't Christmas"?), but the song the doll sings in "The Forgotten Toys" is heartbreakingly beautiful. It actually brought tears to my eyes, but then, I'm just an old softie.