Toy Story (1995)

Directed by: John Lasseter | 81 minutes | animation, comedy, adventure, family, fantasy | Original voice cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, John Morris, Erik von Detten, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey, Sarah Freeman, Penn Jillette, Jack Angel, Spencer Aste

‘Toy Story’ deserves our respect. It is a milestone in the history of cinema, as it is the first film to roll completely off the computer. Before “Toy Story” there were computer-animated sections here and there in otherwise traditionally-made cartoons, as in the case of the ballroom scene in “Beauty and the Beast” (1991), but an entirely computer-created movie was unique.

The world was amazed at the fantastic creations and movements in this film from Pixar, a studio that was then completely Disney-owned, but at the same time had a clear vision of its own.

The revolutionary animation techniques at the time and the subtle and distinct style of humor were (probably) the film’s biggest draw. The story itself is quite simple. The film is basically a buddy movie, with the two main characters initially being rivals but eventually becoming best friends. In these kinds of stories it is important that the interaction between the two main characters is good. That’s generally okay in this movie. Funny situations and dialogue may stem from one joke, which is that Buzz is tricked by Woody into thinking he’s a real space traveler rather than a toy, but the animation and voice acting largely ensure that. this premise remains amusing. Especially Buzz’s conviction about his identity, helped immensely by the voice of Tim Allen, arouses our sympathy. Woody is a somewhat boring cowboy in comparison, but here he also acts more as a reporter for Buzz.

The other toys include a “Mr. Potato”, a dinosaur, a spiral dog, a radio-controlled cart, and a piggy bank. Especially nice is the potato, which is the subject (or direct object) of a running gag in the film. He is constantly losing his body parts. For example, his body falls backwards and his arms get caught on a barbell when lifting weights, and he falls completely apart because he is knocked over by other toys. He also uses his parts in funny ways. He raises his eyes to look out the window, and “reorganizes” his face with the remark “Look, I’m Picasso!”. Visual jokes like this give the film that little bit more style and appeal. Well-cast voice actors can also give a lot to their characters and their entertainment value. It’s mainly John Ratzenberger here as the piggy bank who stands out with his dry voice and humor (which more people have probably noticed, including the gentlemen of Pixar, as he’s been in every Pixar film to date). The rest of the voices, while adequate, are less catchy. The dinosaur’s voice is the only discordant in the whole. He annoys more than he amuses.

The story is not very compelling. Buzz & Woody may be kidnapped by the evil boy next door Sid (who like a doctor Frankenstein takes toys apart and reassembles them in strange combinations), but the film is relatively static and unadventurous across the board. There are exceptions, such as the scene at the beginning of the film where soldiers patrol the house. They’re astonishingly well reproduced, and their jumping movements are beautifully captured (to work out what these movements should look like, the Pixar staff spent some time hopping around the studio with a piece of wood attached to their shoes). Another scene that adds a little more excitement is a wild car chase down a stretch of highway, where all the toys are involved.

The film makes use of some musical interludes and thus comes a bit closer to traditional Disney animated films. It may be idiosyncratic music, performed by Randy Newman, but there is sometimes a slight break in style. The first time that the film itself is broken into by means of a song, this is still acceptable, because it is a handy way to tell a lot in a short time. In the second case, however, it is an overemotional song for Buzz, when the latter discovers that he is not a real space explorer. This hadn’t been necessary. Buzz is an interesting and endearing character, and this is an important moment, but it’s strong enough on its own. Fortunately, the song is short.

The film is successful and visually impressive, but still feels a bit dull compared to later Pixar productions. After the first ‘Toy Story’, Pixar has shown films with more impressive animations, better humor and more interesting stories. However, you can’t ignore the amazing performance that went into this movie.