Review: Toy Story (1995)
'This isn't flying. This is falling, with style!'
★★★★
Most movies I've reviewed I have childhood nostalgia for. But I don't let nostalgia blind me when I rewatch them as an adult. Nostalgia can be a good and a bad thing, as many like to say. In the case of "Toy Story" and the other two, I have childhood nostalgia for this series. I loved it a lot. I didn't have any of the toys, sadly, but I did own a copy of the junior picture book novelization of the book which I enjoyed reading from time to time. But the most fun I had was whenever this would air on TV and I would watch it.
Rewatching it as an adult, I realized how much I enjoyed it a lot more than I did as a kid. My viewing of the story or characters didn't change, but what enhanced it was the fully computer-generated film. Yes, this was the first ever movie to be created using computer animation. That was uncommon and expensive back in the '90s. But Pixar knew what they were doing and created a masterpiece. This was the first Pixar film, with the most recent one being Inside Out 2 released in 2024, at the time of writing this review. Pixar began in 1979, known as Graphics Group, owned by George Lucas, the creator and producer of "Star Wars." Then in 1982, it became Pixar Studios, owned by Disney, with John Lasseter, as chief creative officer. George Lucas sold Pixar to Steve Jobs in 1982 due to financial difficulties caused by his divorce from Marcia Lucas. The divorce settlement left Lucas with significant financial obligations, leading him to sell Pixar to Jobs for $5 million.
After becoming "Pixar" in 1982, the company decided to be an animation studio. Their first film was "Toy Story (1995)" respectively. It was the first film to be fully computer-animated. For the 90s, that was impressive. There is so much attention put into detail. Pixar didn't have to go that far, but they did. Reflections, shadows, and other small details. It's a remarkable achievement in filmmaking and made animated films work both on paper and on a computer. Especially since computers in the '90s had much slower clockwork speeds than we have today. So I can imagine the amount of time and effect that went into the animations.
"Toy Story (1995)" is a heartwarming animated film that follows the adventures of Woody (Tom Hanks), a cowboy doll, and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a space ranger action figure, who come to life when their owner, a young boy named Andy, isn't around. Woody, who has always been Andy's favorite toy, feels threatened by the arrival of Buzz, a flashy new toy who doesn't realize he's a toy. Their rivalry leads to a series of mishaps, ultimately stranding them outside the safety of Andy's room. Forced to work together, Woody and Buzz overcome their differences, forming a deep friendship as they race against time to return to Andy (Donald Reignoux) before he moves to a new house. Along the way, they encounter various challenges, including an encounter with the toy-torturing neighbor, Sid (Erik von Detten), who plays a key role in bringing Buzz to the realization that he is indeed a toy. The film explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and the acceptance of change.
Other than my praising of the computer animation, I love the voice cast of this film, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, John Ratzenberger, Jim Varney, Don Rickles, and Wallace Shawn, give it their all! Much like how The Godfather has the best cast, "Toy Story" has the best voice cast in any film. I'm aware other films have excellent voice casts, but I'm a firm believer that "Toy Story" has the best voice cast. Regardless, "Toy Story" forever remains one of the best-animated films for both kids and grownups alike. It was great for Pixar's debut film. People will remember it as a classic for many years to come.