Second Opinion - Toy Story

Note: This review contains spoilers for Toy Story.

Back in 1995, years before the studio tied the knot with Disney, Pixar made history with Toy Story, the first ever completely CGI animated film. Its impact on the animation industry, for better or worse, cannot be understated, as it revolutionized the medium and opened up more of its potential. The most impressive thing about the film, however, isn’t that it spawned an ongoing multimedia franchise or made a lasting mark on pop culture through iconic characters and moments, but that even over 30 years later, despite the animation showing its age, it still holds up as one of the studio’s best films and among the best that the medium has to offer.

In a world where sentient toys move about when no one is looking, Sherrif Woody (Tom Hanks), a pull-string cowboy toy, leads a group of other toys in preparing for a move with their owner, Andy Davis (John Morris). During his sixth birthday, celebrated a week before the move, Andy is gifted a Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) action figure with advanced electronics. As Buzz replaces Woody as Andy’s new favorite toy, to the point that Buzz Lightyear merch overtakes the room, Woody can’t help feeling jealous and desperate for his owner’s attention. When a mishap leads to both of them getting separated from Andy, however, they realize that the only way they’ll get back is by forming an alliance.

Woody's (Tom Hanks, left) life changes forever when Andy receives
Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen, right) as a birthday present.

Toy Story’s biggest strength is its well-written story that’s light enough for kids yet never feels exclusively made for that audience. Woody and Buzz both experience great character development as they navigate their purpose and meaning, both in and out of Andy’s life. As Woody confronts his own jealousy over Buzz taking Andy’s attention away from him, he comes to terms with the idea that there’s room for both of them in their owner’s life. Meanwhile, Buzz goes through an existential crisis over the idea that he’s really a toy and not an intergalactic space ranger, which leads to him realizing that being there for his owner is also important. As the two of them come to understand each other better, their reconciliation deepens their bond and creates a satisfying conclusion that sticks with the viewer long after the credits roll.

Of course, Woody and Buzz aren’t the only memorable parts of the cast. There are plenty of secondary characters that help the world feel more alive through their implied history and distinct personalities, with plenty of great dialogue on their own. The few of Andy’s toys that receive comparatively extensive focus, Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Slinky Dog(Jim Varney), Hamm (John Ratzanberger), Rex (Wallace Shawn) and Bo Peep (Annie Potts) help a lot in the first Act with expressing their own feelings on the shift in the dynamic in Andy’s room both during and after the birthday party. By the time Woody and Buzz get into an accident, their differing reactions are understandable and feel consistent with how we know them. Even more minor toys, including both Andy’s toys and the Alien toys (Jeff Pidgeon) native to Pizza Planet, stick out and feel more distinct thanks to their clever implementation.

Since the original Toy Story was obviously made without the prospect of sequels in mind, it feels well-crafted with a perfect mix of drama and humor, sometimes seamlessly featuring both in the same scene. For example, one of the most memorable scenes, the unsuccessful “You are a toy!” confrontation between Woody and Buzz, draws some laughs from Buzz’s reacting as though Woody was delusional about their reality and not himself while maintaining the dramatic stakes of Andy leaving them behind. The second Act introduces more dramatic elements alongside a greater focus on the main antagonist, Sid Phillips (Erik von Detten), a child who tortures and takes apart his toys for fun. Sid’s house is when a majority of Buzz and Woody’s character development takes place, including Woody realizing that Sid’s mashed up toys aren’t as bad as he had imagined. Seeing Sid’s cruel treatment of his toys, as well as his sister’s, from the toys’ perspective makes his comeuppance in the third act feel cathartic, though some viewers may argue that the punishment itself is a bit much. Regardless, Toy Story 3 would show him older and well-adjusted, so at least things worked out for him in the end.

The "You are a toy!" scene is very memorable.

If I had one nitpick, however, it would be how odd the timeline feels in relation to specific events. Specifically, although there is a mere week before he moves, even moving his birthday party top compensate, Andy still replaces all of his cowboy-themed memorabilia and Woody drawings with those related to Buzz. He would still have to turn around and pack all of these items away anyway. Also, the day before the move, it seems that Andy still has a lot to pack, though we do see the toys fully put away that night. Of course, none of this takes away from the enjoyment of the movie and the montage of Buzz replacing Woody in Andy’s life is still very effective at illustrating Woody’s growing fear of neglect.

Just as good as the writing is the voice acting, filled with top talent whose performances have stood the test of time. This, of course, includes the unbeatable duo of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, whose voices are forever associated with Woody and Buzz respectively. Although the voice cast is primarily live-action actors, their ability to adapt to voice work also showcases the power of great voice direction. Then there’s the music by Randy Newman, who also scored the film’s many memorable tracks. Of the three original songs, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” is easily the most iconic, but "Strange Things" and "I Will Go Sailing No More" are just as worthy of attention for how they effectively sell the impact of two of the heavier moments in the story.

Perhaps the one thing that hasn’t aged as well is the animation. Compared to the countless CG films that have followed in its footsteps, the lightning and effects are more primitive and eagle-eyed viewers can spot some animation errors. It certainly doesn’t help that Pixar made this film at a time when they hadn’t quite cracked the code on humans, who here are among the ugliest that Pixar has made (The Incredibles would turn things around with the power of stylization). That said, while I would still cut it some slack (it was the first of its kind, after all), the older animation now has some charm to it and the attention to detail still impresses. Doors and other surfaces show signs of wear and use, objects that would have text are actually typed out even if you can’t see it all and, most importantly, the toys all sound and move like their real-life counterparts would. One particularly impressive toy detail is Buzz’s glow-in-the-dark plastic, which illuminates differently under different gradations of shadow. Since the film is mostly viewed from a toy’s perspective, the few otherwise mundane environments that we see feel more massive in scale, which goes a long way with selling the slightly fantastical setting. As an adult, the design of Pizza Planet also brings a sense of nostalgia and I still wish that I could visit one.

I want to go to there.

In the decades since its release, Toy Story has spawned a multimedia franchise of its own, including four numbered sequels, the spinoff movie Lightyear, a handful of shorts and specials, numerous video games and a spin-off cartoon series, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (a title still inexplicably absent from Disney+ as of this writing). Although the films themselves have had some diminishing returns, the franchise’s longevity is nonetheless impressive. On a sadder note, Toy Story’s success unintentionally led to dwindling production of traditional 2D animated features, at least in the US, in favor of a proliferation of CG animated films. Fortunately, foreign films have largely picked up the slack and 2D animated features, including those with CG assistance, have been making a comeback at the box office in recent years, proving that there’s still room in this world for both styles.

Even after all the advancements made within the animation industry, however, Toy Story remains a timeless classic worth watching and rewatching.