You've Got a Friend In Me

Rating: Null/10 (23 February 2016)

Toy Story Review: You've Got a Friend in Me
Toy Story was released in 1995 with help from production companies Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures. The box office collected nearly $364,402,211 worldwide off of this movie alone. While Toy Story was released over ten years ago, Americans of all ages today are still viewing the movie for leisure entertainment. Aspects such as plot development, thematic lessons, cinematography and animation, and originality are all qualities that make the movie stand above its counterparts. The plot development and basis of the movie are relatable to multiple audiences. The film takes place in a suburban, upscale neighborhood in which Andy Davis and his family live in a colonial, two story, stereotypical, 1990's home. While the family goes about living normal day- to day life, behind the scenes is where the action intensifies and this is where the story inevitably begins. What appeals to most children while watching the movie, are the "talking toys" that create their own story midst the chaotic Davis household. As the toys come to life, there are several characters that prominently take the spotlight. Beginning with Sheriff Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks. This is Andy's favorite toy, and inevitably takes on an established leadership role throughout the movie. Continuing on, the audience is introduced to heroic Buzz Lightyear voiced by Tim Allen. Buzz creates much skepticism amongst the other toys and consequently creates the first sub climax of the movie, as a struggle for power emerges between Buzz and Woody. As the movie progresses, there are many thematic lessons to be taken by audience members, regardless of age. Of course Disney never fails to incorporate enlightening take home messages into the production. This is the benefit to this movie in comparison to other animated films. Positivity in realm of life's negative events that are often out of our control is one way in which Disney and Pixar films continue to boast their movie popularity. Director John Lasseter thoroughly thought through every detail in the making of the movie, and this was never so apparent than in the close attention to detail portrayed in animation and cinematography. The colors used were bright and cheerful, as well as the authenticity of the costuming of the character's clothes were accurate in terms of realistic concepts. Furthermore, the voice lines conveyed by Allen and Hanks were portrayed with great enthusiasm to fit the characters' bubbly personalities. Lasseter also nailed this aspect in that the dialogue was simplistic enough to be understood by younger audiences, however witty, personal, and quirky enough to enthuse more mature audiences as well. Originality is a quality that every movie must have, but only the best of movies convey properly. The fact that this movie was released in 1995, and is still viewed today by many different generations is a quality that in itself deserves to be recognized. Looking back at the simplicity of talking toys, it is monumental and worth noting that many details to enhance viewer attraction were presented to perfection to thoroughly create a movie that satisfies a wide variety of audiences. The production was backed by such popular demand in fact, that producing companies and director Lasseter released a sequel four years later. Taking over the charts, both movies scored over an 8.42 on the IMDb rating survey collection, and deservingly so.