If it wasn't for Toy Story coming together so well, computer animation would have taken a step backwards.

Rating: 9/10 (5 July 2010)

9.4
For years, Disney reigned as the superior animation studio. Although there were others creating animated feature length films, Disney has always been a household name, known for their experience and ability to create an emotional and entertaining experience out of hand-drawn images, and original, composed music. In 1995, Pixar Animation Studios released Toy Story. While it wasn't the first time that we've seen CGI, or Computer Generated Imagery, it was the first fully CGI film.
What a disaster this film could have been. And thank God that it wasn't. If it was, then it would have done more damage to CGI animation than otherwise. The film was distributed by Disney, but created by Pixar. It had no musicals. No frames were hand drawn, everything was done by computer. It had a lot to live up to. Sticking the Disney name on the film meant that audiences expected not a single drop of mediocrity out of it. Thankfully, as we all know, Toy Story was a success.
The animation in the film isn't the augmented reality kind. CGI effects aren't added to real life shots, everything is animated. This gives the film some room to breathe. The lighting, surfaces and other effects all look good, in their own context. It would have been a huge step backwards for computer animation if Toy Story didn't come together so well, and successfully put up that fourth wall.
But besides the animation, what brings to film to life is the voice- acting, story, and presentation. It's a story about toys who are conscious and self-aware. However, they all follow a strict code, where they do not allow humans to know of their life and intelligence. It's not an epic tale. Two toys are lost and have to get back home. But what carries the film are the characters. Every toy has a distinct personality, and the voice actors are great in their roles. This is one of the strong points in Toy Story.
The film's presentation is great, too. It went totally contradictory of what Disney means to people. There are no musicals, but the music, although used sparingly, has a great effect nonetheless. The direction is of the more typical Hollywood style, and different from the typical Disney movie. It is entertaining to exist in the toys' world, and when they venture off a couple of blocks, you feel like you have traveled a long distance.
Toy Story could have been such a disaster. If it wasn't for everything coming together so well, especially the animation, characters and voice acting, computer animation would have taken a step backwards. Its greatest strength are the toys. They are amongst the better characters in film. Toy Story not only proved that animated films can be done in a different formula than the already great Disney one, but that computer animation was here to stay. It was a pleasure to the eyes, and a pleasure to the Andy inside all of us.