I was expecting a trip down memory lane and got so much more. This movie is not just a nostalgic trip down the memory lane, but also an astutely crafted commentary on consumer culture and the peculiar world of economics that fueled the Beanie Baby frenzy. It's impressive how "The Beanie Bubble" seamlessly blends elements of drama, comedy, and business intrigue into a truly engaging narrative. The movie masterfully portrays the roller coaster journey of Ty Warner, the mind behind the Beanie Babies, played with great finesse by Zach Galifianakis. Galifianakis' portrayal of Warner is powerful yet understated, showcasing the eccentric yet genius character in a light we've rarely seen. It Just Don't Get Better Than This! (watch through the credits and you'll get it)
Just saw some of the other comments and not exactly sure why they scored it so low. I loved how they had different timelines from different perspectives that ultimately worked itself to it out in the end. I honestly couldn't believe how amazing Zach did in this movie. He really did an amazing transformation and if it weren't for his noticeable yell and outbursts I wouldn't have seen it. He was charming and funny while at the same time crazy and a bit psychotic. Highly recommended this as a family or a date night movie. I don't think the trailer showed how movie captures that whole movement and the whole story of what happened afterwards.
Wanted to like this, but just didn't feel engaging or interesting for some reason. For one thing, it jumps back and forth in time which just felt confusing when trying to understand the evolution of the beanie baby and how it became popular. Like we literally jump ahead 10 years then back 8 then forward 3 then back 3 again.. ugh. We also found Zach and Banks both were somewhat jarring in such a strange appearance from their normal look. The dyed brown hair seemed unnatural and just strange that it was distracting. Not a huge deal here but just seemed unnecessarily distracting... But all in all, the jumping back and forth just never led to a nice, satisfying lead up to their explosion in popularity. It actually made it all feel very anti-climactic. So, not sure, but just something with how this was put together didn't work for me. Wasn't a fan or engaged in what should be an interesting story..
The title sort of sums it up for me. There was a lot of jumping back and forth in time and it was quite hard to follow when was when and when it was. Is it impossible to just tell things in a straight line? Now I understand why Zach Galifianakis has always had a beard. The bland reason is that he looks really strange without one. Not just "I am not used to it" strange but, in fact, really strange: The bottom half of his face just isn´t.. there. The story is very interesting but for some reason the film makers chose to focus on so called "sexism" instead of the fact that the US was in a grip of a tulip fever-style mass hysteria. Basically they took a part of history and did not tell the relevant parts, but used it as a vehicle for their own political reasons. Which is sad.
I loved this from start to finish, so well done and entertaining. Cinematography, costume design and soundtrack was awesome. I had no idea these beanie things even existed, I grew up in Australia in the mid 80's where we had a cabbage patch craze, but had never heard of this one, absolutely bonkers. (copy pasting for the still word count) I loved this from start to finish, so well done and entertaining. Cinematography, costume design and soundtrack was awesome. I had no idea these beanie things even existed, I grew up in Australia in the mid 80's where we had a cabbage patch craze, but had never heard of this one, absolutely bonkers.
Watch all the way to the end before you judge this movie. The acting is great. I honestly did not realize it was Zach Galifianakis in the role of Ty but he did a fantastic job. The nostalgia strewn throughout the movie was similar to other AppleTV productions. I grew up in the 90s and remember the Beanie Baby fever vividly as my mother dragged us kids from store to store searching for them. The movie has some slow and maddening points but the end is worth every second. Even if you were not a part of the craze, it is am interesting lesson in Capitalism and Economics. It has the best ending of a movie that I have seen in a long time.
In 1983, Ty Warner (Zach Galifianakis) and his friend Robbie (Elizabeth Banks) start a plush toy business. His big idea is to under-stuffed them and make them softer. In 1993, medical student Maya (Geraldine Viswanathan) starts working as a receptionist at the company. Sheila (Sarah Snook) meets Ty as she sets up his home lighting. This type of movies is fast becoming a genre of its own. Some call it corporate biopics. I'm calling it product-bio. First, they need a recognizable product that will generate nostalgia. Then they need some drama for the bio and they should make one up if it doesn't exist. They are good on the first part. Beanie Babies are definite 90's nostalgia-fuel. As for the drama, it exists here. The movie tries to present it in an interesting way by combining three women's stories. I do have an issue with Zach Galifianakis. I thought he's gay at first even after dating Sheila. He needs to not put his spin on the character. At his heart, he's a slick salesman. He needs to set up his narcissism. The guy has real daddy issues with some juicy sexual aspects. Zach is playing it like an absent-minded professor. He may be the wrong guy to play this role. The time jumping is fine, but it may be better to simplify it. After all, both Maya and Sheila come into the story at the same time. Maya is probably the most compelling story. I don't see the chemistry between Sheila and Ty. He has more chemistry with her daughters. Robbie's story is standard wronged woman. They really need to show the sexual tension a lot more and earlier. As far as this new genre goes, this entry is an average affair.
Having read some of the reviews on here I almost gave this one a miss. Im glad I didn't . This was a cracking little movie. Great performances by everyone . The story was interesting , the acting was too notch and I was entertained from start to finish . I knew nothing about these toys and I was blown away by their story. Elizabeth Banks never fails to deliver so I was expecting greatness from her but Sarah Snook, Geraldine Viswanathan and Zach Galifianakis also kill it. You are really brought on a journey and feel all the highs and lows that the actual people must have gone through . Give this one a go. It doesn't disappoint.
This is a hell of a story. Great costume design and cinematography. Good acting. Nicely developed characters. Colors play a huge role and are on point. The way the story told is really annoying. While I don't mind the jumping back and forth through the years as long as I know when we're at, there were a few occasions they didn't put the year on and that caused a little timeline confusion. It's a story about a downfall of a vain man-child who couldn't grow up. It's also a story about investing in the dumbest of things. It's a solid 4 star piece that I'll gladly watch again only for the beautiful colors and the great makeup on Zack Galifianakis' face.
There's no point watching this. It's less entertaining, as well as less informative than reading a Wikipedia article. The short-lived Beanie Baby craze is an intriguing true story, but this is not a biopic. It is heavily dramatized, relies on clichés, and fills too much space with 1990s stock footage. Although they embellished the melodramatic lives of those responsible for Beanie Babies, they remained one-dimensional (it's probably why most of their real names were changed). A lot of the movie's runtime is dedicated to graphics and oversimplified explanations of Beanie-related milestones, flipping between the 80s and 90s, making it feel more like a marketing video than a piece of entertainment. Ultimately, the movie never comes up with a meaningful social message, ending up feeling insignificant and unoriginal.
Which such a great cast, such a big budget, good though unoriginal cinema photography and Apples prestigious name, it's hard to understand how this sham of a doco-style film is one of the most annoying things one could see, of all time. The simple answer is that it's so formulaic, a generative AI could have vastly improved it by the prompt "make the style of filmmaking a tiny bit creative". If ever there was a film made that felt like it was made by a completely uncreative, spoiled brat first year film student with ridiculous nepotistic connections, this is it. And so extremely ironic is that Apple's new series 'Hello Tomorrow', which shouldn't work well in theory, is not only surprisingly excellent, but actually has a very similar theme that the Beanie Bubble makes an absolute cringe attempt at. I pray the main creators of this film never make another that enters my sphere.
I was expecting a trip down memory lane and got so much more. This movie is not just a nostalgic trip down the memory lane, but also an astutely crafted commentary on consumer culture and the peculiar world of economics that fueled the Beanie Baby frenzy. It's impressive how "The Beanie Bubble" seamlessly blends elements of drama, comedy, and business intrigue into a truly engaging narrative.
The movie masterfully portrays the roller coaster journey of Ty Warner, the mind behind the Beanie Babies, played with great finesse by Zach Galifianakis. Galifianakis' portrayal of Warner is powerful yet understated, showcasing the eccentric yet genius character in a light we've rarely seen.
It Just Don't Get Better Than This! (watch through the credits and you'll get it)
Just saw some of the other comments and not exactly sure why they scored it so low. I loved how they had different timelines from different perspectives that ultimately worked itself to it out in the end. I honestly couldn't believe how amazing Zach did in this movie. He really did an amazing transformation and if it weren't for his noticeable yell and outbursts I wouldn't have seen it. He was charming and funny while at the same time crazy and a bit psychotic. Highly recommended this as a family or a date night movie. I don't think the trailer showed how movie captures that whole movement and the whole story of what happened afterwards.
Wanted to like this, but just didn't feel engaging or interesting for some reason. For one thing, it jumps back and forth in time which just felt confusing when trying to understand the evolution of the beanie baby and how it became popular. Like we literally jump ahead 10 years then back 8 then forward 3 then back 3 again.. ugh.
We also found Zach and Banks both were somewhat jarring in such a strange appearance from their normal look. The dyed brown hair seemed unnatural and just strange that it was distracting. Not a huge deal here but just seemed unnecessarily distracting...
But all in all, the jumping back and forth just never led to a nice, satisfying lead up to their explosion in popularity. It actually made it all feel very anti-climactic.
So, not sure, but just something with how this was put together didn't work for me. Wasn't a fan or engaged in what should be an interesting story..
The title sort of sums it up for me. There was a lot of jumping back and forth in time and it was quite hard to follow when was when and when it was. Is it impossible to just tell things in a straight line?
Now I understand why Zach Galifianakis has always had a beard. The bland reason is that he looks really strange without one. Not just "I am not used to it" strange but, in fact, really strange: The bottom half of his face just isn´t.. there.
The story is very interesting but for some reason the film makers chose to focus on so called "sexism" instead of the fact that the US was in a grip of a tulip fever-style mass hysteria. Basically they took a part of history and did not tell the relevant parts, but used it as a vehicle for their own political reasons. Which is sad.
I loved this from start to finish, so well done and entertaining.
Cinematography, costume design and soundtrack was awesome.
I had no idea these beanie things even existed, I grew up in Australia in the mid 80's where we had a cabbage patch craze, but had never heard of this one, absolutely bonkers.
(copy pasting for the still word count) I loved this from start to finish, so well done and entertaining.
Cinematography, costume design and soundtrack was awesome.
I had no idea these beanie things even existed, I grew up in Australia in the mid 80's where we had a cabbage patch craze, but had never heard of this one, absolutely bonkers.
Watch all the way to the end before you judge this movie. The acting is great. I honestly did not realize it was Zach Galifianakis in the role of Ty but he did a fantastic job. The nostalgia strewn throughout the movie was similar to other AppleTV productions. I grew up in the 90s and remember the Beanie Baby fever vividly as my mother dragged us kids from store to store searching for them. The movie has some slow and maddening points but the end is worth every second. Even if you were not a part of the craze, it is am interesting lesson in Capitalism and Economics. It has the best ending of a movie that I have seen in a long time.
In 1983, Ty Warner (Zach Galifianakis) and his friend Robbie (Elizabeth Banks) start a plush toy business. His big idea is to under-stuffed them and make them softer. In 1993, medical student Maya (Geraldine Viswanathan) starts working as a receptionist at the company. Sheila (Sarah Snook) meets Ty as she sets up his home lighting.
This type of movies is fast becoming a genre of its own. Some call it corporate biopics. I'm calling it product-bio. First, they need a recognizable product that will generate nostalgia. Then they need some drama for the bio and they should make one up if it doesn't exist. They are good on the first part. Beanie Babies are definite 90's nostalgia-fuel. As for the drama, it exists here. The movie tries to present it in an interesting way by combining three women's stories. I do have an issue with Zach Galifianakis.
I thought he's gay at first even after dating Sheila. He needs to not put his spin on the character. At his heart, he's a slick salesman. He needs to set up his narcissism. The guy has real daddy issues with some juicy sexual aspects. Zach is playing it like an absent-minded professor. He may be the wrong guy to play this role.
The time jumping is fine, but it may be better to simplify it. After all, both Maya and Sheila come into the story at the same time. Maya is probably the most compelling story. I don't see the chemistry between Sheila and Ty. He has more chemistry with her daughters. Robbie's story is standard wronged woman. They really need to show the sexual tension a lot more and earlier. As far as this new genre goes, this entry is an average affair.
Having read some of the reviews on here I almost gave this one a miss.
Im glad I didn't .
This was a cracking little movie.
Great performances by everyone .
The story was interesting , the acting was too notch and I was entertained from start to finish .
I knew nothing about these toys and I was blown away by their story.
Elizabeth Banks never fails to deliver so I was expecting greatness from her but Sarah Snook, Geraldine Viswanathan and Zach Galifianakis also kill it.
You are really brought on a journey and feel all the highs and lows that the actual people must have gone through .
Give this one a go.
It doesn't disappoint.
This is a hell of a story. Great costume design and cinematography. Good acting. Nicely developed characters. Colors play a huge role and are on point. The way the story told is really annoying. While I don't mind the jumping back and forth through the years as long as I know when we're at, there were a few occasions they didn't put the year on and that caused a little timeline confusion. It's a story about a downfall of a vain man-child who couldn't grow up. It's also a story about investing in the dumbest of things. It's a solid 4 star piece that I'll gladly watch again only for the beautiful colors and the great makeup on Zack Galifianakis' face.
There's no point watching this. It's less entertaining, as well as less informative than reading a Wikipedia article. The short-lived Beanie Baby craze is an intriguing true story, but this is not a biopic. It is heavily dramatized, relies on clichés, and fills too much space with 1990s stock footage. Although they embellished the melodramatic lives of those responsible for Beanie Babies, they remained one-dimensional (it's probably why most of their real names were changed). A lot of the movie's runtime is dedicated to graphics and oversimplified explanations of Beanie-related milestones, flipping between the 80s and 90s, making it feel more like a marketing video than a piece of entertainment. Ultimately, the movie never comes up with a meaningful social message, ending up feeling insignificant and unoriginal.
Which such a great cast, such a big budget, good though unoriginal cinema photography and Apples prestigious name, it's hard to understand how this sham of a doco-style film is one of the most annoying things one could see, of all time.
The simple answer is that it's so formulaic, a generative AI could have vastly improved it by the prompt "make the style of filmmaking a tiny bit creative".
If ever there was a film made that felt like it was made by a completely uncreative, spoiled brat first year film student with ridiculous nepotistic connections, this is it.
And so extremely ironic is that Apple's new series 'Hello Tomorrow', which shouldn't work well in theory, is not only surprisingly excellent, but actually has a very similar theme that the Beanie Bubble makes an absolute cringe attempt at.
I pray the main creators of this film never make another that enters my sphere.