I caught a bit of Barry Levinson's "Toys" on HBO the other night. I hadn't seen that movie since it came out, so it was a little bit different than I remembered it. I'd say that some of the themes and messages that the movie was trying to get across seem a bit dated, but the movie has held up pretty well. I've finally concluded that Robin Williams' schtick is only funny on the first few run throughs. After you've seen something he's done, it's not funny with repeat viewings anymore. He always gives off that "I'm trying to hard vibe."

"Toys" is definitely one of those movies that I would classify as a "flawed masterpiece." Flawed masterpieces are movies that well made, but have a series of flaws that keep it from being a bona fide classic. It's almost hard to describe a "flawed masterpiece" because it's totally subjective and entirely in the eye of the beholder.

But some examples would be "He Got Game," "The Matrix Reloaded," "Gangs of New York," and "The Godfather 3" to name a few.

They're all movies that were pretty interesting to watch, yet almost entirely forgettable after viewings. The errors that they do committ can either be large (The Matrix Reloaded, The Passion of the Christ) or they can be relatively minor (He Got Game, The Godfather 3).

They're movies that more or less succeed as a movie, yet there's just one thing holding it back from true greatness.

"He Got Game" was way too heavy handed at times.
"The Matrix Reloaded" essentially ditched the story set forth in the first movie.
"The Passion of the Christ" ignored the importance of the subject matter and instead relied on gross out factors. That, and it was a movie made for the already converted.
"Gangs of New York" was just...weird. Way too over the top throughout.
"Toys" couldn't seem to find its footing. Are we more Willy Wonka, or more War Games?

There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of these types of movies out there.