Animation's "Citizen Kane"

Rating: 10/10 (20 November 2000)

A technological breakthrough (the first entirely digital animated feature), John Lasseter's comedy would be astonishing if only for the realism of the film's design. But Lasseter and his writers (there are six others who get credit) have fashioned a screenplay simple in story line but complex in structure and emotion; it's also rollickingly funny with a spate of memorable lines that have real depth to them. As two beloved toys vying for their owner's affection, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are splendid--they join forces with Lasseter's formidable crew to make their characters come completely alive. You feel as if you know them thoroughly by the conclusion and are moved by the life lessons they've learned, lessons you would want any child to learn. In addition to the main performers, the voice cast is perfectly suited to the toys they're called upon to represent: there's Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, the late Jim Varney as Slinky Dog, Wallace Shawn as Rex, the timid dinosaur, Annie Potts as Bo Peep and John Ratzenberger as Hamm, the talking pig. Laurie Metcalf is the voice of the child's mother. A supreme accomplishment, you can watch it over and over again and still find something new every time--it's animation's "Citizen Kane".