It's nearly a shot-by-shot remake of the French masterpiece (Le Jouet - 1976). So much for saying I think!
The comparison isn't for the sake of the American movie, since that movie didn't change anything. They kind of translated the French movie to American the way they translated "Le Jouet" into "The Toy" ("The Toy" is what "Le Jouet" means in English!). The only added thing was a storyline about racism which suited (Richard Pryor)'s character, and harmonized with the motif; as if slavery still exists, making the poor as the rich people's toy.
But overall nothing could reach to the original's special pace, or exceptional personality. For example, in (Le Jouet), the rich man's villa was dark, and the silence worked powerfully more than the talking. Here, forget any of that. Instead, they leaned to weak and cheap tricks like repeating the domino's fall, showing off the stepmother's body, and aiming at the adult joking (there was a purposed kick out of hearing the boy says dirty words!).
(Pryor) filled it with his own buffoonery, and some funny lines, however couldn't capture the serious sense of the story, dealing with the movie as a toy itself. He was a golden star at the moment, so maybe they left him do whatever he wants. Or maybe that's the taste of his comedy anyway. (Patrick Williams)'s music was very cute, but not up to (Vladimir Cosma)'s tender memorable score of the original. And nothing can imitate (Le Jouet)'s end, which's one of the most touching and expressing cinematic endings I've ever seen.
Director (Richard Donner), with the 2 scriptwriter, lacked the French director (Francis Veber)'s smart touches while he was transforming his own short story into feature film. Yes, (Donner) made it fairly, but it's still one of his most spiritless movies that lacks the personal touch. He was executing more than creating at this break between the end of the 1970s' (Superman)'s movies, and his movies at the mid-1980s: (Ladyhawke), (The Goonies), and (Lethal Weapon).
Have watched the original or not, this one is good, fresh and solid as an afternoon movie. In fact, its good condition is a proof of the original's beauty. Though, it's obvious that (The Toy) couldn't be as unique as (Le Jouet). I believe this is the habit of Hollywood that loves to "toy" with older movies, or TV shows, making them mostly easier and slighter!
