Toy Story

I am a big fan of the animated movies coming from the Pixar Studios. They are always looking for the newest technological possibilities to use in their movies, creating movies that are more than just worth a watch, even when they were made a decade ago.

The movie is about toys that come to life when their owner is asleep or not in the same room. When the young boy's birthday is coming up, all the toys are nervous. They don't want to be ignored when the new one arrives. Woody the cowboy is their "leader" because he's the most popular one of them all. He's the only one that hasn't got to be afraid, but than a new favorite arrives ... Buzz Lightyear. He hates him and tries everything possible to get rid of him, but as the time passes by they learn to appreciate each other...

When you see Toy Story, you may think that the different human like characters (Woody the cowboy for instance) aren't always as perfect as we are used to see in todays animated movies. Perhaps that's true, but if you keep in mind that all this was done in 1995, when computers weren't yet as strong and the technology for creating such movies was almost unknown, than you can only have a lot of respect for what the creators did. I loved the story and liked the animations a lot. I give it an 8.5/10.

This is as close to perfection as any animated film has come, entertained parents on a equal plane with their children, and set the bar to the top of the animation film industry. No film has yet come close to Toy Story in legitimizing animation as a film art on the level of movies with live actors. Great comedies are hard to come by - Toy Story strikes gold on that basis alone, but is so much more. One of the Top 100 Greatest Films of All Time, and currently resides on my "Top 10 Greatest Comedy Films (1960-Present)" list.

Andy's toys live a reasonable life of fun and peace, their only worries are birthdays and Christmases, when new toys could easily replace those already there. One such birthday Andy's top toy, Woody the cowboy, finds himself in direct competition with Andy's new Buzz Lightyear doll. When rivalries boil over Woody tries to hide Buzz down the side of the bed but accidentally pushes him out the window, the other tops expel Woody, and he leaves with no choice but to find Buzz and return him to the house. But with only two days before Andy moves house, time is of the essence.

Given how often the same mix of animation, wit, jokes and kids humour has been used since Toy Story (Ice Age, Monsters Inc, Bugs Life) it is easy to forget how refreshing it was when it first came out. I have just watched it again and it is dating a little in comparison to more recent twists on the formula. It seems each one has to be sharper and have more references etc in the background. However it is still very funny and deserves praise for being the first of a successful formula.

The plot is simple but effective and actually has genuine drama and excitement to it. The main story is fun but the degree of character development is what really shores it up. The conflict between Buzz and Woody is taken deeper than this and, when confronted by the truth of his status as a toy, Buzz's turmoil is very real as opposed to him being a cartoon character and nothing more. Despite the two strong leads there is a real depth in the support cast. They may not actually have that many lines, but they have all the funniest lines. Most of the `adult' wit comes from the Potato Head, dinosaur, the pig and slinky dog. They are funny and are very well used. In fact the majority of this humour and plot will go right over kids heads.

Looking back on it, I do feel a cynical edge on it in so much as this film must really have helped sales of the toy companies in the film. It's hard not to see the marketing department standing behind this film rubbing their hands. However the actual product is so wonderfully fun that I forgot this quickly. The voice work is excellent and the characters match the actors. Hanks is good as Woody and Allen has a good B-movie type voice for Buzz. Varney, Ratzenberger, Ermey (doing his usual), Rickles and others are all really good in the support roles and, probably, come out as the favourite characters for adults.

Overall this is a classic film that will appeal to adults as much as to kids (if not more). A good plot and a really sharp script make the already short running time fly by. The only downside is that your kids will want you to go out and buy the damn things!

Toy Story is a sheer delight to view on the screen. The characters are well done, the plot is exceptional, and the best thing of all, the film is entirely produced on the computer. The animation is extraordinary in it's ability to bring such great entertainment to the screen. The film also teaches some good lessons for the kids like friendship (mainly between Woody and Buzz Light-year). Spectacular entertainment all around and one of the best films Disney has come with.

This is a very clever animated story that was a big hit, and justifiably so. It had a terrific sequel and if a third film came out, that would probably be a hit, too.

When this came out, computer technology just was beginning to strut its stuff. Man, this looked awesome. Now, it's routine because animation, which took a giant leap with this movie, has made a lot more giant strides.

The humor in here, however, is what made this so popular. There are tons of funny lines, issued by characters voiced by Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Jim Varney, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn and John Ratzenberger, among others. As good as Hanks is as "Woody" and Allen as "Buzz Armstrong," I think the supporting characters just about stole the show: Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, Rex the dinosaur, etc.

Multiple viewings don't diminish the entertainment, either. There are so many things to catch, audibly and visually, that you always seem to discover something new. The colors in here are beautiful, too. This is a guaranteed "winner" as is the sequel.