‘The Brave Little Toaster’ (NR)

"The Brave Little Toaster" is a charming animated feature that looks as if it stepped out of the '40s, except that it's based on Thomas M. Disch's equally charming 1986 novella in which five household electric appliances, abandoned in a rustic family cabin, set out to find the Master, a 13-year-old boy who gave their secret lives meaning.

This is a classic quest film that recalls "The Incredible Journey," "The Point" and even "The Wizard of Oz," except that it involves a unique cast of characters: said intrepid Toaster, or Slots to his pals, the adventurous leader; sweet Blankey, the electric insecurity blanket, who desperately needs his kid; grumpy Kirby, the vacuum cleaner; Lampy, the desk lamp; and Radio, the wise-guy chatterbox with a penchant for audio memorabilia. When folks aren't looking, they take on human characteristics and, as the film progresses, very distinct personalities.

After waiting "2,000 days" for the Master to return, during which time they have been doing busywork (the cabin is spotless), they apply themselves to a new task: traveling from the isolated cabin to the big city. They do this by attaching a wheeled desk chair to a car battery and connecting it to Kirby, who moves, and mows, through grassy fields as if they were plush carpet. Along the way they meet all sorts of obstacles and distractions: spooky forests, an electrical storm, a waterfall, quicksand, an opportunistic handyman who guts abandoned appliances, and finally, a junkyard in which a giant magnet represents ultimate doom (or as one of them says, "I really thought I'd have to turn in my warranty that time").

Such adventures subtly underscore messages about cooperation, determination, perseverance, resourcefulness and sacrifice, but in the genial context of classic Disney films. "Brave Little Toaster" lacks the budget or the resources of its obvious models, but it's lovingly old-fashioned in its spirit and pace. Producers Thomas Wilhite and Donald Kushner and director Jerry Rees are all Disney alumni, and it shows. Though the film was made in Taiwan, it has none of the assembly-line vacuity of so much overseas animation.

Each appliance has a well-defined presence that is underscored by the actors who provide the voices. The most notable is "Saturday Night Live's" John Lovitz as Radio, for which he reprises his fast-talking fabricator persona. Two good voice-over cameos are turned in by SNL's Phil Hartman, who transforms an air conditioner into Jack Nicholson (hey, he's cool) and an overhead lamp into Peter Lorre.

When the appliances get to the Master's apartment in the city, they find he's grown up and has acquired a whole new set of high-tech accessories (computer, blender, stereo system, etc). Next to these fancy items the old appliances are country bumpkins, and they're packed off to the junkyard before the Master knows of their journey. Luckily, he's getting ready to go off to college, and suddenly gets nostalgic for his cabin helpers, at which point ...

Well, there needs to be some mystery, even in animated films. "Brave Little Toaster" is a kids' film made without condescension, a celebration of gizmos and gutsiness. It features a supple score by David Newman and a few songs from Van Dyke Parks. After 90 minutes in the Biograph, you're likely to leave with a warm, toasty feeling.