The start of something big

Rating: 8/10 (8 September 2010)

Nowadays people assume that when it comes to what they see up on the big screen computers make absolutely anything possible. If you can dream it you can see it with the assistance of a little computer wizardry. But of course that was not always the case. The computer animation revolution had to start somewhere and that somewhere was Toy Story. The animators at Pixar made the impossible possible. You watch the movie today and it's easy to take it for granted. You forget that Pixar was attempting something entirely new and that there were more than a few doubts as to whether it would work. Oh, it worked alright. It worked spectacularly. Director John Lasseter and his animation team created a visually stunning masterpiece the likes of which had never been seen before. Movie animation would never be the same, Toy Story changed everything.
The movie looks great but in order to be deemed a success there had to be a story to match the visuals. All the technological wizardry in the world would not have been able to hide a lousy story. Thankfully that proved to be no concern as we get a compelling and endearing storyline, one which provides plenty of opportunities for some good laughs as well. For as revolutionary as the animation was it is the story and the characters which ultimately make the movie so beloved. To infinity and beyond! Just saying it brings a smile to your face. The toys which are the stars of this story are great, memorable characters. Each is infused with its own unique personality. You can dismiss no toy as "just a toy". Each toy has its own story, its own life. All the voice actors deserve great credit for the work they did in making each toy stand out in its own way. Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear are of course the big stars and they both fit their roles perfectly. But whether playing a dog, a pig or a potato head each voice actor was uniformly terrific. R. Lee Ermey as a little green army man and Wallace Shawn as a Tyrannosaurus with serious anxiety issues are two personal favorites. So many characters which are so easy to embrace and each of whom is good for some laughs too. And there's even room for a great villain in Sid, the evil toy-destroying kid next door. A great cast of characters brought brilliantly to life by the great work of the animators and the voice cast.
Toy Story triumphs in making you feel for its characters. Who can't empathize with Woody as he fears being pushed aside by Buzz? Who hasn't had insecurities like Rex? Who can't understand Mr. Potato Head's longing for a Mrs. Potato Head? When the toys hurt you hurt, when they triumph you feel as if you shared in it. It's a movie guaranteed to put a smile on your face. If there's any complaint it might be that the movie, at a trim 80 minutes, isn't long enough. We want to spend more time with these toys. Of course we would get the opportunity to do so in sequels to come. But the original movie certainly stands on its own merits. It's a movie you can happily watch again and again. And when you do take the time to really look at the world the animation team created for these toys to inhabit. The level of detail in the backgrounds is just as stunning as the beautifully rendered main characters. No corners were cut in creating a world which looks truly lived in. A whole world magically brought to life. Toy Story was, in its time, unlike anything anyone had ever seen. And all these years later the magic is still there. It's a movie which will be discovered, and loved, by generations to come.