Though a household name in animation today, Pixar had a very interesting history tied with Lucasfilm and Apple. Originally founded as the Graphics Group, George Lucas sold off the studio to Steve Jobs after Howard the Duck flopped. Around the same time, John Lasseter was working for Disney and became interested in computer animation after seeing Tron. After unsuccessfully campaigning for The Brave Little Toaster to be digitally animated, Lasseter was fired and helped found Pixar. Lasseter made the short film Tin Toy, which won the 1988 Oscar for Best Animated Short, which caught Disney’s attention. After a lengthy series of negotiations, Pixar agreed to work with Disney on a new fully computer animated feature. Along the way, there were rewrites, conflicts with the executives, and the entire production getting shut down at one point. In the end, the result of their hard work and perseverance became 1995’s Toy Story.
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Andy Davis (John Morris) is just a typical young kid with a vivid imagination and deep affection for his toys. Unbeknownst to him, his toys come alive when no one is around and even have their own makeshift community. Woody (Tom Hanks) is Andy’s favorite and leader of the other toys, but things change on Andy’s birthday. While the other toys are afraid of being replaced, Woody is confident than none of them, especially him, will be. That changes when they’re introduced to Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a toy that has sounds, lights up, and even wings. Woody’s greatest fear starts happening when Buzz becomes Andy’s new favorite, and he starts getting more attention from the toys. He tries to get rid of Buzz by knocking him out the window, but ends up also getting separated. It’s a race to return home before Andy moves away and forgets about them.
Toy Story really helped define my childhood and was a major part of my life when I was growing up. I fell in love with the movie, and I enjoyed Pixar’s other movies, including the Toy Story sequels. As an adult, I still really enjoy the film, but there are a few issues I’ve noticed looking back. Before I get into that, let me discuss the positives, starting with the talented voice cast and their iconic characters. Hanks and Allen, both big stars at the time, do an incredible job that helps make their characters feel real. Other highlights include Don Rickles, John Ratzenberger, Jim Varney, Annie Potts, and Wallace Shawn, all giving their characters real personality. The story is also good, essentially being a road movie that moves at a brisk pace that never drags. The humor is on point, perfect for both kids and adults.
Honestly, it’s a perfect movie all around, though my only real issue is with the animation, which is slightly mixed. Don’t get me wrong, for 1995, this is some impressive 3D animation that still holds up even 20+ years later. However, there are a few spots where the animation hasn’t aged well, particularly with the human characters and Sid’s dog. Also, some of the movements are a little jerky and don’t feel very natural, but much of that is excusable. Given the restraints they were under and the fact that this had never been done before, it still looks incredible. Also, while it’s easy to ridicule Randy Newman, the songs are incredible memorable, especially “You’ve Got A Friend In Me.” With great performances, memorable songs, and a fun story, Toy Story more than deserves its status as a classic. After this, Pixar went, pun intended, to infinity and beyond!
