Superbly animated, brilliantly witty, instantly likeable and endlessly entertaining.

Rating: 10/10 (18 April 2003)

The first ever fully computer generated movie, `Toy Story' really is a milestone in cinematic history. Enjoyed by young and old alike, this is funny even for the most bitter minded. After all, what's not to like? It isn't a three hour epic like `Gone With The Wind' but it is thoroughly entertaining for its eighty minute running time and hastily avoids wearing out its welcome.
Not only is the animation brilliant but the characters are even better. Tom Hanks was perfectly chosen as the neurotic, jealous but easily likeable Woody. He proves that he can do comedy, even if he doesn't physically appear in the movie. Always reliable for his comedy, Tim Allen certainly delivers jokes at a rapid rate. And he perfectly fits into the role as Buzz Lightyear. The chemistry between the two main characters is priceless. Sure, they aren't `Bogart and Bacall' but they make a great duo. The supporting cast of characters include Rex, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head and Little Bo Peep. They are brilliantly animated and while most of the limelight goes to Woody and Buzz, they still make good use of the scenes they're in.

The film was soon followed by a sequel `Toy Story 2' in '99. While the animation was more impressive and it was a bigger film, I still preferred the first one. Mainly because `Toy Story' had more chemistry between Woody and Buzz. But also because the sequel didn't have as many good laughs and aimed for boring sentimentality a bit too often.
So overall, `Toy Story' is an outstanding breakthrough in the world of animation. The comedy, visuals and level of enjoyment are all picture perfect. There are no flaws and the film barely ever makes a wrong move. 8.5/10.