Toy Story was technologically groundbreaking, but also a heartwarming and original adventure

Rating: 8/10 (22 June 2019)

Honestly, I don't think I can fully appreciate Toy Story's boldness and uniqueness, as Pixar has since made great family computer generated animated movies ubiquitous, and I certainly have been able to take that for granted my whole life. Even so, watching Toy Story for the first time in over a decade, it exceeded my expectations in its characters and script, and the animation looks as good as ever. Woody's internal struggles and seeing a protagonist of a kid's movie be clearly flawed but still likable is so refreshing. I love the animosity between Woody and Buzz, and the way the toys each have their own quirks but are something of a hive mind. Even if the events that occur are a bit over the top, the structure and plot is actually really exciting and coherently presented. I loved the misjudgement of Sid's toys and their role in the success. I've seen movies twice as long fail to deliver on half as realistic and well fleshed out characters or emotional stakes as in Toy Story. Between the groundbreaking animation for the time, the consistent characters and plot, and sheer adolescent joy and adventure, Toy Story deserves its place as a classic.