"Toy Story" - The Toys are in town and something more

Rating: 10/10 (6 September 2005)

I'm 19, going on 20 in six days. I don't need to tell you that "Toy Story" is a movie tailor-made for the kiddies, but there's a special reservation for adults too. I should know, as should anyone who views it with an open mind. We've all had our favorite toys. For guys, like me, there's a 90% chance you played with either Transformers or G.I. Joe or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or all three when you were six, seven, eight, or nine years-old. For me, it was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Godzilla action figures. I'd always imagine living out wild fantasy adventures in my room or basement; ah, the joy of being a kid again. But that's part of "Toy Story's" fun appeal. It gives you a chance to relive your childhood again. Today I saw for the first time in about eight years and it's still just as fresh and inventive as Pixar, probably the best film studio in computer animation, conceived it back in 1995. In the room of young Andy, the toys are alive - when he's not present of course, and cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is the boy's favorite item. But all that changes on Andy's birthday and a new toy given to him on that day captures the boy's heart - Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen). Of course, any replacement of this sort inspires jealousy, and pretty soon Buzz is the new "it" item of the bedroom. Andy's given into everything Buzz Lightyear, even new bedsheets - bedsheets! - leaving poor Woody on the short end of the stick. But the thing is, Buzz has trouble believing he's just a simple toy and nothing more, as he thinks he's actually BUZZ LIGHTYEAR! It also seems this couldn't have come at a worse time for the toys, as Andy and his mother are moving away, which is causing all sorts of chaos as Woody tries to get everything organized so nobody is left behind, and that's exactly what happens with rivals Woody and Buzz, who are misplaced and must find their beloved Andy before they move. Not only that, they must also battle Sid, the serial killer in-training kid that lives next door and tortures toys. As directed by John Lasseter and his army of screenwriters including himself, Andrew Stanton (who would co-direct Pixar's future hit "Finding Nemo" in 2003) and Joel Cohen, "Toy Story" is true imaginative fantasy realized in superb animation. It more than brings the kid in you to the surface, it makes you want to be a kid again, as many toys have cameos including Army Men (including the Sergeant who's voiced by R. Lee Ermey) and Mr. Potato Head (voiced by Don Rickles). I love "Toy Story," and I think anyone who views it thoughtfully will love it too.
10/10