Toy Story (1995)

Review:

Still captivating after all these years, "Toy Story" continues to capture my imagination and impress my eyes. Even in the wake of such Pixar masterpieces as "Wall-E" and "Up," it must be said that "Toy Story" holds its own. The concept that your toys are alive is a thought that has passed through every child's mind, and thus through every adult's mind as well. Its an idea that resonates with our passion to uncover secret worlds, to believe there is more out there than meets the eye. There's something enchanting about the idea - and terrifying. "Toy Story" focuses mainly on the enchanting aspect, but like other good Pixar films, it also chooses to explore the darker side of the fantasy.

But what ingratiates "Toy Story" into our minds foremost is the distinct set of characters the film introduces us to. These are not simply computer generated images, they are fully formed personalities that we can like and understand. There's Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), the toy cowboy with a pull string that makes him talk. He has been Andy's favorite toy for who knows how long. He is the undisputed leader of all the toys. Andy's other toys include a wise cracking Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), a cowardly Dinosaur (Wallace Shawn) and an oddly suggestive Little Bo Peep (Annie Potte).

All is harmonious in the world of Andy's toys. That is, until Andy gets the new hot toy, the action figure Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). Suddenly Woody's place as Andy's favorite toy is severely threatened. Buzz Lightyear is a toy deluded into believing he really is the Buzz Lightyear. But in spite of his delusions, he is everything that Woody is not. He has buttons that let him speak, he's made from sleek, shimmering plastic, and he has the confidence to believe he can fly. Lo and behold, a power struggle begins between Woody and Buzz. This struggle inevitably leads them outside the safe parameters of Andy's room and the two of them become lost toys searching for home.

The odyssey Buzz and Woody go on is fabulous. Its weird and fun. Even Odysseus probably couldn't have spun such a yarn. Woody and Buzz find themselves in a vending machine populated by hilarious three eyed aliens, then they are taken in by the cruel toy torturer Sid and so on.

It is in Sid's house that a darker exploration of living toys comes into the film. We find Sid has created an army of terrifying toy mutations that both Woody and Buzz fear. The mutations are quite eerie and very imaginative creations. Toys can be creepy just as easily as they can be jovial. The Twilight Zone and countless other mannequin stories know this, and thankfully so does Pixar.

It is in Sid's house that Buzz has his existential crisis. Realizing that he is, in fact, a toy Buzz has that all too-human-moment when you realize you are less than you thought.

"Toy Story" is the first film to ever be entirely computer animated. Even by today's standards, it looks good. The characters move smoothly and realistically, carrying real weight in their step just as their faces carry real emotion in their expressions. This film is a miraculous achievement and will likely go down in history with other landmarks in animation like "Snow White" (1937), "Fantasia" (1940) and "Beauty and the Beast" (1992).

Rating:

On a scale of one to Casablanca, this film is a "Jurassic Park" (1993).

Rationalization:

The film is wonderful, magical, and inspiring, a real labor of love, but what is perhaps most important about "Toy Story" is the collective importance of the films it gave rise to. Pixar has consistently produced some of the most mind bogglingly great films of the past two decades. Pixar is synonymous with Disney's current credibility. Without Pixar, Disney's output of films over the past decade would be a sad display indeed (admittedly, I have not seen "The Princess and the Frog" (2009)). I am glad "Toy Story" is still in my life though, not quite eclipsed by the later Pixar films. We must remember: "Toy Story" set the high standard of quality for Pixar films, so we must be forever grateful to it.