Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie

by Mike McGranaghan

I really didn’t plan on reviewing Gabby’s Dollhouse. After all, the target audience of children eight and under isn’t likely to read a middle-aged critic’s thoughts. At best, a few parents might check it out to see if they could tolerate having to sit through the relentlessly chipper movie. My son, aged 7, is a fan of the TV show on which it’s based, so I took him to our local AMC for an afternoon showing. And that’s when I knew that I was going to write a review. To my great surprise, the film charmed me and might just charm other moms and dads, too.

Young Gabby (Laila Lockhart Kraner) goes to visit her Grandma Gigi (Gloria Estefan). Not long after arriving, her prized dollhouse comes loose from the trailer and rolls away. It’s intercepted by Vera (Kristen Wiig), the wealthy, cat-obsessed CEO of a kitty litter company. She takes it home, then scatters the toys inside all around her property, not realizing they can come alive. One goes in the backyard, another in the fishtank, etc. Gabby must put on the magical ears that allow her to shrink in size so that she can rescue her toy friends and reclaim the dollhouse.

For kids, Gabby’s Dollhouse has a lot to offer. The animation is bright, colorful, and glittery. Each toy Gabby tries to save allows for a new environment. Because of that, something fresh happens every few minutes. Music is practically wall-to-wall in the movie, with our heroine encouraging the audience to sing and dance. (She’s prone to breaking the fourth wall, Dora-style.) All these factors combine to make it easy for kiddos to pay attention.

Believe it or not, there’s also stuff for adults to enjoy. Kristen Wiig is a riot as Vera. She brings her unique comic energy to the proceedings, creating an uproariously kooky villain in the process. A running gag about her being confused by Gabby speaking to the audience hits the bullseye, thanks to Wiig’s impeccable timing. Director Ryan Crego similarly leans into weirdness, allowing for little moments of insanity you can’t help but crack up at. For example, when one of Gabby’s toys, a little cupcake appropriately named Cakey, gets upset, she cries sprinkles rather than tears. Bits of that sort are nicely scattered throughout.

The plot does borrow heavily from the part of Toy Story 2 detailing Jessie the cowgirl’s past. A message about adults forgetting how to play is awfully familiar, as well. And yet, I really didn’t mind. My son and I both had fun at Gabby’s Dollhouse. This is a very sweet movie parents and children can experience together.

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