Toys

Toys is currently streaming in Australia on HBO Max, and it delivers exactly the kind of comedy that earns a loyal following. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 5/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Robin Williams leads a cast with real comic timing. Start it on HBO Max whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Toys is worth clearing space for. Toys does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. Leslie Zevo is a fun-loving inventor who must save his late father's toy factory from his evil uncle, Leland, a war-mongering general who rules the operation with an iron fist and builds weapons disguised as toys. Robin Williams and Michael Gambon lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1992. The timing in Toys is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, Toys respects your intelligence. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Robin Williams anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.