Toy stories can make us burst with joy, but this wannabe post-modern take on the bonkers “Beanie Baby craze” is no Barbie. Wacky costumes and sterling work from a perfect ensemble (Zach Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Snook and Geraldine Viswanathan) are rendered null and void by a muddled script, diabolical editing and blah camera-work. Though the movie’s heart is sort of in the right place, it has no soul.
We travel backwards and forwards in time (far too often), as we meet three smart women drawn into the orbit of dysfunctional, spiteful, and fitfully charming soft-toy maker, Ty Warner (Galifianakis; the only member of the cast playing a well-rounded character). Two of these women, Robbie (Banks), and Sheila (Succession’s Snook), sleep with Ty. Maya (Viswanathan) is simply one of his employees. What the female trio share is a willingness to boost Ty’s fortunes, because they think he’s a team player.
