Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995)

Toy Story

1995 // USA // John Lasseter

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TOY STORY is unequivocally a ground-breathtaking film that perpetually changed the landscape of animation. It also set a high watermark for Pixar as we expect no less than a masterpiece from their output. Frankly, I have to admit I’m spoiled by Pixar which is partially reflected from my 4/5 rating given to the first TOY STORY. Don’t get me wrong, I have a ton of fun from watching it, and the 80-minute running time simply flew by without notice. It has a very economical, simplistic, relevant plot moving swiftly from start to finish. I enjoy every minute of it, the dialogues are witty and compendious, the toy-characters, albeit generic, are humanly portrayed with a depth of character development particularly in Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), the 3D animation still holds up remarkably well today. Yet I can’t say it’s the best, nor my favorite Pixar film since Pixar continues to make masterpieces that beat out their preceding ones.

TOY STORY has a tight plot which wastes no time in driving the storyline forward. We have the theme of identification crisis observed in Buzz when he realizes he’s actually a toy rather than a space ranger, but the main focus is the demonstration of how Woody is affected by jealousy and anxiety of his position in their master’s (namely Andy the boy) heart. Woody emerges as a bastard at first, and his act of envy prompts a series of adventures involving him and Buzz which constitutes the majority of the film. Yet Woody’s bitterness is understandable, kind of like a child’s jealousy when one has a newborn younger sibling. The redemptive arc of Woody is rewarding too, which leads to a growing rapport between two friends which is started from antagonism and ended with a strong friendship.

The production history of TOY STORY is notoriously bumpy, but the quality of the film assuredly conceals, if any, the downside resulted from that. I definitely have some nitpicking here, the 3D animation is great but not nearly as perfect as Pixar’s subsequent works. I know I’m being unfair but the design of the human characters, aside from the sadistic and creatively destructive Sid, is quite unfavorable. The minor characters are understandably underused, considering it’s a male-centric toy-story. The existential crisis is quite relatable, and the fact that it evokes the nostalgia of your own childhood with your own toys is admirable. However, it didn’t leave an impression as strong as the sequels, and regrettably, it’s also the least emotional one for me among the franchise. The historical, and financial, significance of TOY STORY to the industry is indisputable, yet like Andy in TOY STORY 3, I cherish the moment I spent with the toys, still I have to move on to the next stage in life, hopefully the fourth one won’t be the first disappointment in the franchise.