Toy Story (DVD, 2005, 2-Disc Set)

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.

Toy Story 1

Woody, a traditional pull-string talking cowboy, has long enjoyed a place of honor as the favorite among six-year-old Andy's menagerie of toys. Quick to calm their anxieties about being replaced by newer arrivals, Woody finds his own confidence shaken, and his status as top toy in jeopardy, upon the arrival of Buzz Lightyear, simply the coolest space action figure ever made. Woody plots to get rid of Buzz, but things backfire and he finds himself lost in the outside world with Buzz as his only companion. Joining forces to find their way home, the two rivals set out on an adventure that lands them in the clutches of Sid, a sadistic neighborhood kid who is notorious for dismembering and reassembling "mutant" toys in his bedroom. As "guests" of Sid and his dog, Scud, the two fugitive toys forge a genuine friendship and learn that only through mutual trust and respect do they have any chance of survival.

Toy Story 2

When Woody is stolen by a toy collector, Buzz and his friends vow to rescue him, but Woody finds the idea of immortality in a museum tempting.

This movie is a classic to me. It's one of the first if not the first of it's kind in animation Pixar created and it was done beautifully. You get lost in the world of the toys talking, bickering, and accompany them on this long journey to get back home. There's a good amount of realism here with Woody since he knows he's a toy and Buzz has no clue but that's he an inter-galactic warrior; hilarious watching these two but heads to be the leader. I love the toy soldiers, Little Bo Peep, and Rex! This movie flows very nicely and the ending is pretty conclusive. My daughter loves this film and has forced me to purchase Toy Story toys which she holds to death while watching. . . I just hope they don't start talking..

if you already own Toy Story, you may be asking yourself if you want his new deluxe version. Well, there is good and bad in this version.
First the Good:
It looks and sounds great! If you have a good tv and sound system, it will be a nice bump from the first version.
A nice second disk of extras.
Now the bad:
They have made unadvertised changes in the movie. they have "cleaned it up" And example is in the original Woody purposefuly gets Buzz's name wrong. at one point he calls him "Buzz Light Beer." In the cleaned up version he now says "Buzz Light Snack." Ok, not a big change, but it does ruin the joke. It's not exactly the movie you remember.

Toy Story was the beginning of a series of computer animated films that would change movie history. The two loveable heroes, Woody and Buzz jumped onto the screen and captured our hearts with humor, color, and imagination. In this film, Pixar has managed to illustrate a world we all dream of with increadible accuracy and creativity. This movie pioneered Pixar's now unstoppable legacy.