Keanu Reeves’ Christmas Movie No One Talks About

Keanu Reeves is one of the greatest actors in Hollywood and has an extensive portfolio that has some of his peers burning with jealousy. Yet, even in his glory as an acclaimed performer, the A-lister has some films which are pretty memorable, but not for all the good reasons.

The actor first came to the limelight after starring in River's Edge, a drama about teens who face a moral dilemma after helping a friend in a m**der coverup. The flick, released in 1986, was quite disturbing, but that wasn't the only disconcerting production that had Keanu in it that year.

Keanu in Babes in Toyland

Any fan of the actor would most likely remember the young star's performance in the psychologically disturbing movie Babes in Toyland, a made-for-television film. So what makes it stand out, you ask? Well, it's the only film where the actor puts his singing talent into practice.

Before making his mark in the film business, Keanu had his eyes set on playing hockey for a living. Yet, when acting came calling, the Canadian-raised star answered. He was already on the radar of studio executives and the audience by 1984 when he starred on CBC, interviewing attendees for the Canadian International Teddy Bear Exposition. Across the border in the United States, the actor featured on small screen projects like Act of Vengeance and Under the Influence, which were massively successful.

The Origin of the Film’s Plot

Soon after, Keanu was cast in Babes in Toyland alongside fellow star Drew Barrymore, known for her role in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and it was quite an unexpected pairing. The movie follows Drew, who goes to a  magical fantasy forest to help toymaker Pat Morita (known for his performance in The Karate Kid) fight against evil toy store owner and villain Barnaby Barnacle (Richard Mulligan).

The film's plot is loosely based on a comic opera of the same name, released in 1903 and commissioned by Fred Hamlin and Julian Mitchell. When the pair did a stage production of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1902 that became a massive hit, they decided to put out their version of Babes, which had their characters explore a fantasy land with the help of more popular storybook characters like Little Miss Muffet and Humpty Dumpty.

Since then, the movie has been revived periodically, with a 1934 production featuring Laurel and Hardy and a Disney feature released in 1960 all receiving mixed reviews. When NBC opted to do their version, only two songs remained from the original production, and this time, the story focussed on Lisa, an 11-year-old who suffers a knock on the head and wakes up in Toyland.

When she was cast to play Lisa, Drew was only 11 years, while Keanu, who plays Jack Be Nimble, Lisa's friend, was 22. Interestingly, Barrymore's character knows him as Jack in the storybook, but in the real world, he's a toy store clerk called Alex, who is also dating her sister Margaret (played by Jill Shoelen).

The Reviews Were More Critical Than Pleasant

Babes in Toyland hit the screens on December 19, 1986, and it aired alongside an NFL game and was the network's idea of offering family-friendly entertainment during the holidays. Clocking in at three hours, the movie received mixed reviews, with the production elements done in Germany not living up to the billing. Several critics had scathing comments, with Mike Hughes calling it a "crummy piece of filmmaking."

Interestingly, Keanu’s performance didn't feature in any of the reviews except for one by The New York Times, which singled him out, commenting that the star looked lost when he was required to join in on one of the songs. For the most part, Keanu rarely speaks about his Babes in Toyland era, which, if NBC thought the film would be a cult classic, the notion failed miserably. The movie is among the forgotten files from that year, as they wouldn't set aside three hours every Christmas to air a production that not many people like anyway. Still, while he doesn't talk much about it, the movie played a role in landing Keanu more lucrative roles, and after that, he starred in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, released in 1989, and the 1991's blockbuster Point Break.