Toy Story (1995)

What more can be said about the film that rewrote the template for all future animated films? Filled with wit, heart, and humor, Toy Story is an excellent film that is as timeless today as it was the day it was released. It was the first feature length computer animated film from Pixar Studios, but it never shows signs of being an amateur or rookie affair. It’s fully developed and professional in every way, combining a heartfelt story with first-rate voice acting and excellent visuals. The story revolves around Woody, the cowboy toy with the pull string whose catchphrases consist of such gems as “Reach for the sky!” and “There’s a snake in my boots!”. Woody is the de facto leader of the rest of the toys, which include members such as Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex (the dinosaur), Hamm (the piggy bank), Bo Peep and others. All the toys belong to Andy, their owner and playmate who loves his toys and creating new adventures with them. One day, on Andy’s birthday, a newcomer arrives on the scene: Buzz Lightyear, the space ranger and popular new toy. Jealousy abounds (primarily from Woody), but the other toys are in awe of the new toy and all its gadgets. Also, Buzz thinks he’s on an actual space mission and can actually fly, which hilariously adds to Woody’s resentment.

Pixar and director John Lasseter achieve something quite magical with Toy Story: they actually create real feelings for these toys and fill them with empathetic traits and emotions—joy, fear, jealousy, sadness, loyalty, friendship. Each character has been given delicate care to give them a unique personality for the story, and we end up caring deeply about most of the toys and their plight. What seems to elevate Pixar’s films is that there is actually genuine care put into their characters and story, and the humor comes in service of the characters as opposed to the other way around. It also helps that the writing is top-notch here, filled with wit and heart. Consider a heartbreaking scene where Buzz, on a mission to get back to his home base via spaceship, witnesses a commercial where he not only sees himself, but hundreds of Buzz Lightyear toys lining the shelves. It’s difficult not to feel for him in this moment of defeat and realization that he is only a toy. The story is filled with moments like these where we forget that we are watching (computer animated) plastic toys and instead feel like we are watching very human stories instead. It also helps that the voice acting here is outstanding across the board. Tom Hanks brings his usual charm and biting wit to Woody, while Tim Allen is hilarious as the earnest and determined Buzz Lightyear. The supporting actors here are also just as good, including Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Jim Varney as the Slinky Dog.

Of course, not enough can be said about the visuals, which look as awe inspiring today as they did fifteen years ago. The use of space and depth is something to behold, and the use of lighting is excellent, creating convincing three dimensional characters and spaces in every scene. One thing that I have always respected about Pixar’s films is their attention to detail, filling the frame with subtle inside jokes and cross-references that require repeat viewings. They also amazingly respect the physics of all the toys, so Woody hilariously runs with limbs loose and flailing; Slinky Dog can strech to the point where his coils are not long enough; even the toy soldiers have to shift back and forth to walk because of the plastic mantle bounding their legs. The only complaint I can think of about the renderings is that the human characters look a little more on the cartoonish side, but it’s an almost irrelevant gripe since the film is not only about the adventures of the toys, but it also never pronounces itself as a paragon for realism--we’re watching a movie about talking toys here.

Toy Story is the type of film that can truly be enjoyed by people of any age, primarily because it taps into a childlike wonder, and it’s near impossible not to get lost in the film’s boundless imagination. I can’t say enough good things about this film, as it successfully shows how to combine a great story, memorable characters and excellent visuals into a unified whole that should be a template for not only animated features (as it has pretty much stayed the template for the past fifteen years, and also reinforced by the fact that Toy Story 3 was just recently released) but also for all films. These toys may be “child’s playthings”, but this film is certainly one for everyone to cherish.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)