"Don't call it violence, call it action. Kids love action! It sells!"

Bustin' out of the box, we're prepared to defeat the Commando Elite in this sanded down but still bitingly satirical romp about AI toy warfare. Life in plastic? It's fantastic.

Joe Dante giving us Susan Sontag camp sensibility, the Everything Is Terrible Jerry Maguire video pyramid, transmascs loving shark movies, Action Man vs G.I. Joe, corporate synergy, Aladdin's nipples, Martika's Kitchen, the Toy Story of it all, Spinal Tap turning it up to 11 as assorted Gorgonites, the Frankenstein throwback of the Gwendy doll conversion, Sarah Michelle Gellar being sued by Burger King, contraband Furbies, the pronunciation of Kirsten Dunst, the Barbie Liberation Organisation, surprise Spice Girls connections, the diva doll herself Dead Meat's James A Janisse, Phil Hartman's big TV, loving Archer loving Encarta, Gremlins comparisons, putting away childish things, Led Zeppelin, the Creatures life simulator PC games and Titanic references await.

We share our thoughts on the movie and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish moments and dream up some ridiculous merch.

Why did we decide to cover this when there's no magical or supernatural element involved? Listen and find out!

Art by Ashleigh Jane Cosgrove. Music by Karl Casey at White Bat Audio.

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Join our Clamshell Club on Patreon to support the show and gain access to exclusive Once Upon A VHS bonus episodes updated monthly:

• Boxset - reviewing 80s and 90s fantasy TV (including Jim Henson's The Storyteller)
• Rewind - looking back at fantasy films from before 1980 (including Star Wars)
• Fast Forward - our thoughts on fantasy movies from 2000 onwards (including The Lord of the Rings)

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