You've got a friend in me

Rating: 9/10 (11 September 2016)

"Reach for the sky"! The opening statement of Woody (Hanks) a toy cowboy during a boys playtime. A statement that proves to be ironic when he later looks up at a toy from space, Buzz Lightyear (Allen). Woody's owner is growing older and Woody struggles to accept the change as Buzz becomes Andy's new favourite toy. Leading from the once strong leader into a bout of jealousy and even malice as he tries to take Buzz out of the picture. Woody is then separated from Andy via a fight with Buzz and has to find a way home. Further change occurs as Woody is forced to align with Buzz to escape the toy antagonist Sid. It takes 3/4 of the movie for Woody to finally change his ways, and work with Buzz for the final great escape.
Woody's journey from leader to outcast to redemption is intriguing to watch unfold. His final monologue with Sid was beautifully written as the toy out wits the boy. The whole irony of his story is that a child's mind is fleeting and 10 minutes of playing with Buzz and Woody would have been in the game again.
For me it is Buzz that follows the greater path of change. Noble and confident throughout mostly due to being under the illusion he is an actual space ranger. Kudos to the writer who decided to take a toy from this world and make him believe he is real! Simple but incredibly compelling. Buzz's final realisation that he is a toy is arm breaking for him but heartbreaking for us. For a family movie Buzz's breakdown is surprising and well delivered and the journey back to being he hero has Buzz literally "Reaching for the sky". With us the viewers figuratively as we are up there with them cheering the final events.
Woody and Buzz's journey home is supported by a cast of toys, each with a filled out personality. Loyal Slinky being one of my favourites, always reluctant to turn on his buddy Woody like the others.
It's the direction of John Lasseter that puts us into this world. When Woody shouts "You are a toy". It's John speaking to us. From the beginning the camera is at ground level. We are not supposed to be a child watching his toys come to life but an actual toy, low level shots panning up throughout give a feel to the vastness of a toys world. We are right there through each playtime, adventure, triumph and failure and by the end Buzz may be flying but we are falling for these toys, in style.
The story and characters are a success but the triumph is the medium in which the story is told. Through 3d animation, never before seen feature length. The Pixar animators made a bedroom and a pizza planet truly realistic. They brought toys to life in movement and texture. But most astonishing of all, they made us care for a bunch of 3d shapes put together through countless hours of rendering in a computer. The result is a metaphor for change, not just in the story itself and it's characters but in the medium it is told. The great change from 2d to 3d animation which is now common place for feature animation.
This movie is a game changer for cinema and animation alike. Walt Disney and co did it in 1938. 54 years later John Lasseter and co did it again. The possibilities for 3d animation in film are Infinite, and Beyond...?