Ten toys that would make great movies

By Frank Paiva
Special to MSN Movies

Movies based on toys were a relatively novel concept two years ago. While Saturday morning cartoons or direct-to-video features found inspiration from the neighborhood of Toys R Us, Hollywood blockbusters did not.

Early big-screen examples are strictly kids fare. "Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure" began a trend in 1977. "The Care Bears Movie" and "Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer" both hit screens in 1985. "My Little Pony: The Movie" galloped to theaters in 1986. "Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw" marked the end of the trend in 1988. During this decade-long fad, the only toy-based film released for adults was 1985's live action version of "Clue."

So what's responsible for the change of heart?

The blame, as is often the case in life, lies with Michael Bay, whose two "Transformers" films have grossed $1.4 billion and counting worldwide. Suddenly that cheesy action figure left over from your childhood wasn't just something for the dog to chew on, it was a bona fide Tinseltown film franchise.

Last year, Universal signed a deal with Hasbro to turn Monopoly, Candy Land, Battleship, Magic: The Gathering, and the Ouija board into films. Dreamworks is making a View-Master movie. Paramount is doing a Max Steel action flick.

This week marks the release of "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," starring Channing Tatum, Dennis Quaid and Sienna Miller. While the trailers look exciting, it's too soon to tell whether the film has the goods to become a full-blown series. Regardless, the real winners are toy companies, who've always thrived on selling to impressionable audiences. Their targets have just changed from children to panicked movie studio executives with green-light power.

In the spirit of, "If you can't beat them, join them," here are 10 toys that would make both ridiculous and ridiculously entertaining movies. They may sound preposterous, but don't be surprised if one of them shows up at a multiplex near you a couple of years from now.

('G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra'/Paramount Pictures)