The Beanie Bubble (2023) User Reviews

A pleasant way of remembering the craziness of the 80's & 90's

[ccarriere-43044 · 7/10 · 2 August 2023]

A very interesting movie about the back story behind the craziness of the Beanie plush toy ...I remember the beanie babies ...who crazy people where getting with them...it depict rather well how crazy the last part of the 80's, the 90's. The social trend of the day, the arrival of the WWW/internet. All this with a very good rhythm.

How this young woman daughter of immigrant saw that the net could be used to measure demand, increase sale etc she was year ahead of the rest. It also depict the founder of the Ty Toy Corp. How this man-child could manipulate people while maintaining his child like creativity. This emotionally abused man was generous only to outsider, to insider he was repeating the pattern he learn from his father.

Based on some of the truth behind the crave that was the beanie babies ...fetching price on the after market that parallel the tulip bulb in the Renaissance Holland...(the first but not the last case study of crazy speculation cause by imbalance between desirability & limited supply).

The choice of going back & forth could be an issue for some. But it does finally make a circle on itself.

another product-bio

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 30 July 2023]

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.

Good Enough

[PennyReviews · 6/10 · 7 August 2023]

The Beanie Bubble is a movie about, well, the Beanie Bubble. It tells the story about their creator and the women who actually were behind everything. It does have multiple POVs and a lot of time jomps, but, once you get used to that, the movie unfolds nicely and its enjoyable to watch. The best part of it was, though, the colors! Bright and vibrant, they did give the movie a nice spin on the old and stuffy historical drama, and they made the movie fun to watch. The performances were also great by everyone in the cast, and the main leads did an excellent job with their characters. Though the story is okay on paper, those two factors did make the difference.

A global delusion ends in economic apocalypse

[dfloro · 6/10 · 29 July 2023]

It's funny how the buzz on "The Beanie Bubble" is how it's Zach Gallifianakis' best performance, since the whole point of this made for AppleTV film is that the billionaire entrepreneur behind Ty Toys was not the "brains" behind anything. Those brains belonged to three women (or five, if you count one of the women's two daughters). The first was the uncredited co-founder, Robbie, played by multitalented actor/director/producer Elizabeth Banks. The second was the unsatisfied young adult, Maya, portrayed by an impressive Geraldine Viswanathan, who was earning a $12/hr. Receptionist wage while acting as Ty's unappreciated Chief Operating Officer. And the third was Ty's all-shrink-wrapped "family" and romantic interest, Sheila, played by Succession's wonderful Sarah Snook (and whose daughter, Ana, would design the first of the Beanie Babies to truly become a genuine "viral" sensation.) The three would go on to enjoy much future success as a wealthy CEO, well respected consultant and loving mother to daughter Ana, the designer), respectively. Zach's mean and petty, tantrum-throwing character eventually fails spectacularly in a foreshadowing of everything from MySpace to cybercurrency and NFTs! I rate it 6/10 stars.

It's not as much fun as it should be. I mean it's about toys!

[trinaboice · 7/10 · 1 September 2023]

IN A NUTSHELL: At the very beginning of the film, we see these words on the screen: "There are parts of the truth you just can't make up. The rest, we did." It's about Ty Warner and the three women that played a role in creating the legendary Beanie Baby explosion in the 1990s.

The film was directed by Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash. Kristin Gore also wrote the story with Zac Bissonnette.

THINGS I LIKED: You've never seen Zach Galifianakis like this before! He plays Ty Warner, a frustrated salesman who grew his idea into the biggest toy craze in history with the help of three women. He was one of the executive producers of the film and did an excellent.

Others in the cast include Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Snook, Geraldine Viswanathan, Tracey Bonner, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Kurt Yaeger, and Rowan Delana Howard.

Maya Kumar's character is based on Lina Trivedi in real life who was played by Geraldine Viswanathan.

Limited editions...pretty genius.

It's fun to hear conversations about the internet in the early days.

Energetic soundtrack.

We see a lot of clips from the 1990s.

We learn about metrics for supply and demand. It's fascinating to see the role eBay played in the strategy for Ty products.

It's fun reading on the screen at the end of the movie about what happened to the three women involved in the making of the company and what they did next in their lives. So inspiring.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Sadly, the timing of this corporate biopic is unfortunate, as it follows a bunch of other ones like Air, Tetris, Blackberry, and Flaming Hot.

Viewers might get confused by the timeline that bounces around back and forth. It's a creative telling of the story but VERY confusing.

The film takes a fluffy look at what could have been a deeper version of a film that looks at capitalism.

It's not as much fun as it should be. I mean it's about toys!

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Profanity, including F-bombs Kids will probably be bored due to all of the business talk.

Unmarried people "sleep" together.

Another corporate biopic....

[parksiet · 6/10 · 19 August 2023]

Continues this year's streak of "corporate biopics", however despite the solid cast, this movie deploys every cliche and ends up coming off as pretty shallow. It's a story that could've been told in 15 mins stretched over a 2 hour film, and loses sign of what it's trying to say due to a messy structure. Still, an easy and interesting watch because of the talents of the cast and the subject matter on screen. Just comes off as bland where it should be, as Ty says, "sparkly".

It's just nothing special... yeah the story is cool, but I don't know that it deserves the full biopic treatment. Go watch "Air" instead.

Its Bright And Colourful But Not Much More

[damianphelps · 6/10 · 26 September 2023]

When thinking about this review and the movie, I kept getting drawn back to how flamboyant the characters were and then it struck me. I was watching characters apparently 'borrowed' from The Righteous Gemstones. I know it was the 80's but it was a little cartoonish.

The characters are also presented in such a way that shows most of them in a pretty poor light. Except for the Maya character who was presented in the film as the great underbelly of the company.

Has some entertaining moments and is often interesting but lacks any depth perhaps as its presented more as a comedy than a drama or bio film :)

Loved it.

[GoalDigs · 29 July 2023]

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.

Learn to take nothingatching this movie

[jkb2012 · 6/10 · 31 July 2023]

As someone Grew up in the air where beanie babies were everywhere but I didn't personal Buy Any of them and after watching Film all I have to say is wow. I thought that it reminded me of the time when Beanie babies were everywhere. And I also thought that zach Galifanacas Was perfect as Lead character And I learned from. This movie and from others like it do not take anyone or anything for granted. And appreciate what you have until it's Gone I absolutely cannot Wait 2 Read the book that this film is based on I highly recommend this movie I also thought the ending was very satisfying and earned.

Go Big or Go Home

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 12 August 2023]

The film opens by saying it is not about Ty Warner (Zach Galifianakis) but the three women who made the company who were not treated fairly by Ty. Robbie (Elizabeth Banks) started the company with him. Shelia (Sarah Snook) became his later wife and muse. Maya (Geraldine Viswanathan) was a numbers person who was able use the Internet to build the company. In spite of the movie being about them, Ty has in most frames. The film shows us how the company started and how Beanie Babies were created by a child. It was less about the bubble in the title.

The main problem of the film was it jumped back and forth in time for no particular reason other than they can. I didn't see the sense in it. Elizabeth Banks does a great job. In fact the cast saves the film from the poor script.

Guide: F-word. Implied sex. No nudity.

Boring and disjointed

[ryan-beauchesne · 4/10 · 29 July 2023]

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..

Loved It

[carlcasso · 9/10 · 30 July 2023]

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.

Who Knew?

[lagthirteen · 6/10 · 29 July 2023]

I was there for the Beanie Bubble. I never participated, did not see the point. My kids were gifted a few by their grandmother. I did recognize some the toys from the movie. My sister in law however, really took to the craze. She lived in Houston. Her daughter had a closet stuffed with the under stuffed toys. This was her daughter's retirement, college fund, she will make millions!!! So ironic. Her husband's company annual was in 100mil, my annual was closer to fifty. But, all in all, through the in's and outs of the 90s/2000s , I made out better in the long run. Plus, I still have great hair .

Great story told in an annoying way

[thenonminimalist · 4/10 · 29 July 2023]

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.

Fun throwback

[DanTheButler · 17 August 2023]

It was a nostalgic trip down memory lane, reminding me of the beanie baby craze my own mother went through. The cast was great and the story had a lot of focus on women empowerment, or lack there of, which is a great message to keep at the forefront of our society. There were a bit too many time jumps, back and forth, forth and back, and so on for my liking though.

Not Galifianakis' best role, but a memorable one because he looked like a young John Goodman without his traditional beard. It actually made me wonder if he was paid more or less to lose it for this movie. It's a bit long but the performances keep you into it.

The end is not real just made up for fiction

[mihaisorinp · 7/10 · 25 October 2023]

The movie was nice but same as life the end was not real just made up so ladies feel good. The guy was a genius at manipulated peoples and the three ladies were used to work for him in the company. Unfortunately the ladies didn't know how the business is working and they were raising the company to billions but they were paid peanuts.

They were frustrated and wanted revenge but it didn't work out even at the end they wanted to show otherwise, but this is life the owner did whatever he wanted and he is still a billionaire using other people to build his business. This is how capitalism is working.

A thematic mess

[JurijFedorov · 6/10 · 14 August 2023]

Historical accuracy: 6?

Acting: 7 Camera work: 7 Editing: 5 Budget: 7 Story: 6 Theme: 3 Pure entertainment factor: 6 Video quality: 8 Special effects: 7 Pacing: 6 Suspension of disbelief: 5 Non-cringe factor: 5 Lack of flashbacks: 2

I will explain why the movie seemingly didn't do as well as one may have expected. The trailer is fun. The movie has some great actors and actresses and it looks colorful and fun. It has a lot of going for it. Unfortunately it has one huge glaring issue: the thematic story is forced. This is an interesting story as such. The Beanie Babies craze was one of the thousands of burst bubbles we have experienced. But this one is used as an example of a bubble because well-off adults would take part in collecting fluffy teddy bears and fight over them like small children. The photos of it makes it iconic. Because you see how silly it is. It's basically like the monkey NFTs crashing, but with children's toys you can actually touch. And the story overall is quite curious. The founder Ty starts his business and hires a woman he starts dating. Later he starts dating another woman from outside the company and a third woman he hires for menial work is put in charge of the internet marketing. Meanwhile they want more while he doesn't want to give them top leadership positions as he has other plans in mind. All 3 women start hating him and leave him and become successful. The story here is subdued and realistic. Yet the movie made it into a The Social Network type of story with a mean business creator is trampling on all women in his life. That's a forced theme and storyline. The actual stuff they show doesn't have an evil man behind the scenes here. The actual story is deeper, smarter, and more interesting. Instead they let all women have a voice while Ty is this stupid manchild and while we understand the deeper subdued plot we are hit in the face with very direct feminist pro-women moral messages to a degree where it becomes cringe. If you really support women in the workplace and women empowerment you would want to show a realistic scenario of this not make it into a one-sided gag no one will ever take seriously. At the end I do not blame Ty for their problems even though they do. I don't even see any problems.

For example, we see him give all 3 women a chance and all 3 women are waaaaaay better off with him and get ultra rich from it. They worked for him or dated him and got happier and more successful afterwards. But in this movie they constantly whine about him and attack him. And there are scenes making it clear that women/minorities are overlooked and treated unfairly by men like him. This is not what the story shows. Sure he's an egotistical joke at times, but he's never mean or fully broken. He seems like an average faulty dude who made a successful business. And he's at times wrong about relationships and business yet he's doing his best and did become one of the richest men alive. This little hurt caused by getting this rich? I think most viewers would gladly take it. We know how other billionaires often act. Ty is an angel compared to them. And he did indeed spread success. But in the movie he has no narration voice. We just see this clown figure make mistakes while the women get to explain why they created the business and why they are the actual geniuses. Ty is seen as a guy who lucked into it while the women are helping him out for basically nothing and making it all happen for him.

I can't help but notice how these 2 women he hired and made ultra successful are claiming they did much of the work growing the company. A company like this with thousands of people surely had other women AND men doing some work. Yet the movie makers sought these women out and they could tell their own story. Doing the same thing they claim Ty did to them, overlooking other people who did much of the lifting. They are here seen as individual powerhouses who always have amazing ideas and never fail except when they trust him too much and he doesn't promote them. Keep in mind they are adults. Whining about not getting or keeping a top position later on without a contract seems childish. They know how business works. It's not about fair or unfair. It's about signing contracts and making clear deals. One woman whines about not becoming his right-hand woman. While making $12 an hour! She's utterly deluded. She's way underqualified and she has not written agreement. Yet when a guy from the outside gets this job she breaks down and quits. If she was actually smart she would slowly rise in the company. Slowly getting more responsibility and a higher wage and then try to become the second in command by learning everything over 10-15 years. Not suddenly out of nowhere demand a 10 time wage increase and then quit when she didn't get it. Similarly his first girlfriend is seemingly dumped by her boyfriend before she starts dating him. I'm sure she told this to the movie creators. But Ty on the other hand is constantly seen cheating and sleeping around and being desperate for love and attention. Why are all women here so perfect? I get what they tried to show and they even say it directly 10 times over: Ty is a sleazebag and they deserve more. Yet what we see on screen is clearly fake characters. If these women had no faults they would also be smart enough to demand contracts. If Ty was such a giant clown he would not be able to outtrick them at any point yet here he is outsmarting them time and time again. The movie is taking a great story and then forcing a theme into it so hard that the characters stop making logical sense. Why would a serious business woman proclaim herself as the equal founder of the company with the same rights as Ty when clearly she has no document anywhere showing this to be the case? Either she is ultra stupid or the movie is mistelling a few things.

It's a fun movie to some degree. I never really hated any scene. But the flashback storytelling is irritating. And at the end I do feel like it's a giant failure in storytelling even though the fresh style is appreciated.

Beanie Bubble: Galifianakis Shines

[temur_tariq · 6/10 · 13 August 2023]

"The Beanie Bubble" offers a captivating journey into the fascinating phenomenon of Beanie Babies, a defining aspect of the '90s and early 2000s. The movie keeps you engaged throughout, and Zach Galifianakis delivers a standout performance. While the accuracy of his portrayal of Ty Warner might be up for debate, his captivating acting is undeniable. The film's focus on Ty Warner's character and his interactions with those who contributed to the success of Ty Inc adds depth to the story. Although the primary theme is the rise and fall of Beanie Babies, it intriguingly delves into Ty Warner's persona. Taking the narrative with a pinch of skepticism, it's a worthwhile watch that delves into both the era and the man behind the iconic beanbag toys.

Beanies make meanies

[solojere · 5/10 · 4 August 2023]

For those living in the 90s, Beanie Babies were all the craze. As a little kid, I remember everyone wanting them and seeing them all over. So, it is no surprise that nostalgia for the 90s would make people want to relive this crazy. However, this story was already told fairly effectively in the documentary Beanie Mania with the people who actually lived it. Now that doesn't mean that there can't be an effective film about this story too. It is also worth noting that this movie is from the perspective of the people behind the Beanie Babies and not the collectors. However, this movie just felt like it was missing something. For one, the filmmakers changed some details to fit the story they wanted to tell. Director Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash explained why they needed to make some key changes to real-life events. "It went through many drafts," said Kristin. "And then we developed this idea of wanting to tell more of a fable and a universal story." Also, the cast is a mixed bag. Zach Galifianakis seems like a strange choice to play TY, as the real-life TY was somewhat of a recluse, unlike Galifianakis. Also, it feels like Galifianakis was using this movie to make a comeback which seemed strange. Similarly, Geraldine Viswanathan is a good actor but felt out of place here, and she was more of a way to move the plot along than an actual character most of the time (and mostly fictional). Lastly, Elizbeth Banks can be hit or miss in her movies. She is super cute in this movie but has a couple of cringe moments. And it seems most of her character was fictional. They even had to change her name because Ty's real sister was so different from Bank's character in the movie. That being said it wasn't a bad movie. As I said, it just felt like it was missing something. My recommendation is to watch Beanie Mania first, and if you still need some Beanie Baby nostalgia, that's not exactly true, then give watch this.

I love this

[UniqueParticle · 8/10 · 4 August 2023]

I don't understand the ones that hated The Beanie Bubble it's better than All the Old Knives that I just watched on Amazon that was a bit slow paced. I absolutely love the cast, beautiful colors, costume design is great, makeup is great, and the story is quite enjoyable! I guess some of it is jumbled but that's not a reason to obliterate the movie. I've loved Zach the last couple decades he's wonderful and I bet he's a joy to work with. I love Beanie's they are great I had a bunch when I was little along with other great toys I still enjoy some squeeze ones for comfort that's mainly cause I have autism. Great fun I highly recommend this movie!

Why did they make this?

[RebelPanda · 4/10 · 29 July 2023]

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.

Obvious contract fulfillment; poor effort

[jeffdstockton · 5/10 · 1 December 2023]

Another production clearly seeking to capitalize on nostalgia for a particular time, appealing to a large & wealthy demographic. None of this is inherently a problem or complaint.

The execution belies a tight production schedule to just get this movie out there. Acting, writing and directing are all just slightly better than 'going through the motions' or checking the box. The young sales person/ assistant/ college intern is the most egregious: like a cartoon, no sense of pacing, no sense that characters listen to each other. The acting is painfully obvious as ACTING - saying the lines, showing the assigned emotion, etc.

It's likely that some - not all - of the cast could be better, but no one asked them to be, here.

Maybe the story could be interesting enough.... It's hard to say, from watching this. Unfortunately, it seems that all the competition among streaming providers is lowering the bar for quality, and driving production more for for quantity. So, viewer costs go up because production costs for content are the same for poor quality as it is for better quality.

Retro, Fun, Empowering

[jstillman-77128 · 9/10 · 29 July 2023]

So much fun! This movie is not gonna win any awards but it is always fun to watch a whiny little man-boss get taken down by the people he's mistreated. Full of retro 90's touches, The Beanie Bubble actually reminds me of a great movie from the 80's - 9 to 5 (Jane and Lily and Dolly, long may they reign!) Elizabeth and. Geraldine and Sarah and Tracey play women who learn not to trust the selfish disfunctional misogynist in their midst and they help each other find some victory in a rigged system. All four do a great job with their roles. For me, Geraldine stood out - she has some serious star quality. And Sarah's subtlety made her character, Sheila, an island of realism and an emotional touchstone in the midst of the overall fun, fizzy, over-the-top vibe. The Beanie Bubble is like a beanie baby - too bright, fake, and very silly, but loveable. It put a huge smile on my face.

Poorly directed, internet worthy

[qfyytfk · 3/10 · 16 August 2023]

What a structural train-wreck. I'm sure many will like it. It's so poorly directed, only an online studio could possibly produce such garbage. Star performers got paid, Apple thinks they released a movie, maybe the director can go back to film school. Don't wait for the end - it gets unbelievably bad. The director actually starts flashing images of "crypto" and "meme stock" on the screen in a strobe, as if this has anything to do with the story and as if that's any way to end a motion picture. Truly shockingly bad and Apple only proves itself a joke by releasing this in such a miserable state. Whoever the director and editor are, you're fired.

Hard to follow and without a beard

[Movie_Reviews · 4/10 · 30 July 2023]

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.