The year was 1995, at this point the state of Disney animation was still at it’s peak in popularity and quality. The Lion King was released the previous year enjoying massive acclaim and with Pocahontas coming out in the summer, Disney had a lot to smite about it’s animation department. Once looked upon as a morbid entity, the Mouse experienced a renaissance with The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and at it’s peak with Beauty and the Beast being nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards. Old style animation was back and showing no signs of being challenged for the pinnacle of family entertainment in the motion picture industry . However, a company called Pixar was planning a film that would shatter old animation’s monopoly of animated features and ultimately the extinction of that style of animation. That picture was Toy Story.
At the time of its release, I immediately saw Toy Story as a threat to what I believed animation should be. It was computer generated, a huge break from the old style and the hand drawn sprites made famous by Walt Disney and his team. Sure computers were gradually being used, but it was done to assist the animation not used as the main tool for a non human CPU to animate. I saw this as nothing short of being heretical. As a horrified 16 year old, I decided to take a stand. I refused to see this film at the theatre. Who cares if Toy Story received rave reviews from critics and audiences, I would not see a film that I thought would destroy the animation industry. The self-righteousness lasted until the film came out at the dollar show at the old Hampton Movie theatre at Rochester. When I saw it I was convinced that the hype was overblown and that the film would be fail miserably in its attempt to capture the magic and power of a Disney film. At least that’s what I thought until I saw the film. Little did I know that this would be start of a relationship that would last for 25 years . . .
Toy Story starts out with a brilliant premise, what if toys really come alive? Sure they’re objects made of metal, rubber, and only run on batteries, but maybe, just maybe they have their own world. While the theory may be preposterous, you really can’t disprove it, since the toys only come to live when humans are not around. It also captures how we see toys at a young age. We were very attached to our action figures, stuffed animals, and dolls, seeing them not as toys, but as a part of who we were. Right away, Toy Story captures our emotions and brings us back to a time that the most important thing in the world was playing G.I.JOEs and coming up with a plan how they can stop world domination from Cobra at the tip our hands. This relationship is captured perfectly by relationship of Andy and his toys.
The film starts off as we are introduced to Woody the cowboy. All is going well, as Woody runs a well organized operation with him chairing meetings with his fellow toys and being the unquestioned leader. And why is he the leader? He is Andy’s favorite toy and like the old Disney animation, it’s a position at the top not likely to change or challenged. Everything is going smoothly until a new toy arrives. His name is Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger, a more advanced toy. He immediately supplants Woody’s place as Andy’s favorite toy and Woody becomes an afterthought. To make matters worse, Buzz is convinced that he’s not a toy, but an actual space ranger. Woody feels threatened, and ultimately begins to devise a scheme to rid of his rival and return to his proper place in Andy’s.heart. Woody’s plan works, but it results in Buzz falling from a window and out of room. The rest of the toys blame Woody and accuse of him of murder. Andy takes Woody as his toy to his birthday at Pizza Planet and is reunited with Buzz in the van. What follows is the film transforms into a buddy picture, a journey of self discovery, and a great action picture rolled into one.
To my dismay, I began to really enjoy the film. To make matters worse I really enjoyed the animation and I soon realized that it really enriched my viewing experience. The clear facial expressions and movements created a realism and humor that was missing from the old Disney pictures. It was a revolutionary animation for the next century, which introduced the world a style that would dominate cartoons into the foreseeable future. I would go as far as to see if Toy Story was done in the old method, it wouldn’t be as good.
As great the animation is, the real reason for the success of the film is its heart. In addition to recalling the nostalgia we as children felt towards our toys, the film also gives the characters distinct personalities, conflicts, and emotions that make Buzz, Woody, and the toys unique and relatable. We can relate to Woody’s insecurities, Buzz’s determination, and we cheer them on as they overcome those obstacles. Those characters are the heart and soul of this film and following three that followed/ A lot of credit goes to Tom Hanks and Tim Allen for providing the vocals of the two heroes and creating them legendary personas.
While Hanks and Allen are superb, the entire cast shouldn’t be overlooked. Don Rickles is perfect as the ornery Mr Potato, Jim Varney is terrific as the ever loyal slinky dog, and John Ratzenberger as Ham the inquisitive piggy bank. Also playing a key role in the film was the composer Randy Newman. His whimsical, carefree score fits the action brilliantly and his ultimate triumph “You Got A Friend of Me” remains a staple in ever Disney compilation soundtrack. It’s hard to believe that this was the same man who was a cynical singer songwriter in the 70’s.
Toy Story was a game changer, not only for Disney, but for the movie industry. It showed that computer animation could create more realism in a cartoon and opened the door for more imagination and creativity in animation. Thanks to its’s great success , Pixar became a viable studio and would create more classics in the future. It was so successful that is spawned three sequels, a couple of attractions at the Disney theme parks, and even an entire land at Disney Hollywood Studios. As for me, it was a terrific film full of heart, adventure, and memorable characters that won me over by the end of the film. A true treasure that still holds up to this day.
Brian Rating 8/10
– Flyin’ Brian
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