Pixar chief and the director of Toy Story John Lasseter once said, "The way the film looks will never entertain an audience alone. It has to be in the service of a good story with great characters." Sure, Toy Story changed the game forever with its use of computer animation, but the main reason it is still beloved by millions around the world today is because of its characters. Seventeen films into its run and the hallmark for Pixar has always been its characters, and Toy Story introduces us to perhaps their greatest creations. Buzz and Woody are simply legendary. They may actually be the best characters in the history of animation. Their unique personalities and dynamic interactions with the entire character ensemble are outstanding. It helps that Pixar assembled two of the most talented voice actors ever to bring Buzz and Woody to life. The performances of Tim Allen and Tom Hanks are career-bests for the two actors as they bring so much life and exuberance to these characters. Whenever Woody and Buzz are on screen together (and luckily for us, that happens often), Pixar magic is at an all-time high. You know how much I love a great character arc, and in Toy Story, we have two great character arcs with Buzz and Woody, allowing for genuine character evolution throughout the film as we fully invest into the lives of Andy's toys.
Buzz and Woody are the center of attention for most of the film (and rightfully so), but that doesn't mean that Pixar hasn't also created some iconic supporting characters to steal the show. Legends such as Mr. Potato Head, Hamm, Rex, and Slinky provide excellent comedy throughout the film. Once again, the voice actors turn in superb performances, especially Don Rickles (Mr. Potato Head) and Wallace Swann (Rex). While the voice actors deserve a ton of credit, I would be remiss if I failed to praise the fantastic script from Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Coen, and Alec Sokolow. Toy Story became the first animated film to ever be nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar, and it may be the most deserved nomination in the history of the Academy Awards. Endlessly quotable and dynamically hilarious, this script gives each character a chance to shine, and with this massive ensemble, that is a feat in and of itself. Then, you throw in the fact that each character has a chance to be funny and dramatic, and suddenly you have one of the best scripts ever written for an animated film. Also, if the Academy ever gave out a Best Idea for a Story Oscar, Toy Story would win hands down. This concept is so cleverly ingenious, and its creativity amazes me every time I watch it,
It really goes without saying that the animation on display here is spectacular. I hope you don't diminish the work of these animators working on computers simply because of the lack of hand drawing. These animators are artists simply using a different method of creating their art. Lasseter and company set the standard for this medium with Toy Story. Every scene is flawlessly executed and impeccably detailed with beautiful sequence after beautiful sequence. Speaking of those sequences, in my book, there are four signature scenes in Toy Story. The first one is, obviously, the "You've Got a Friend in Me" sequence. That scene is a childhood-definer for me personally. Watching that scene immediately transports me back to a simpler time, and that is such a joy. The second scene would have to be Woody's first encounter with Buzz. I have watched Toy Story countless times, and I am still catching new jokes nowadays just in that one scene. It offers some great character development while also being downright hilarious. The next signature scene would be the famous scene with the Claw inside Pizza Planet. Those green aliens don't get much screentime, but that is one of my favorite scenes of all-time! The final scene I will mention here is Buzz's flight with Woody towards the end of the film. The friendship of these two characters finally comes together beautifully in a sincere and touching way as Buzz falls into Andy's van with style.
I am legitimately running out of ways to praise Toy Story. It is literally a perfect film. I could be a tad biased due to my memory of the obsession I had with this film in my childhood, but I truly don't care. I love this film and its characters just as much as one could love an animated film and its characters. It will always hold a special place in my heart and it will forever be a part of my life. The Disney/Pixar obsessed man you see today got his start with Toy Story.
Rating: 10/10
Historical Significance: It is hard to imagine anyone other than Tim Allen voicing Buzz Lightyear, but Allen was not Pixar's first choice. Billy Crystal was originally offered the role, which he obviously declined. Allen was then brought on, and upon seeing the final product, Crystal said that passing on that film was the biggest mistake of his career. John Lasseter heard Crystal's remarks, so he called him one day while Pixar was working on Monsters Inc. to offer him the role of Mike Wazowski. Crystal's wife answered the phone, turned to Billy and said, "John Lasseter is on the phone for you." Crystal took the phone from his wife, and before anything else was uttered, he simply said, "Yes." The rest, as they say, is history. Crystal would voice Mike Wazowski in Monsters Inc. (2001) and its prequel, Monsters University (2013). Allen would provide the voice for Buzz in all three installments of the Toy Story franchise and will do it again soon in Toy Story 4, expected in theaters in 2018.
Behind the Scenes: During the staff meeting in the beginning of the film, Woody asks the toys sitting on a high shelf if they could hear him. You'll notice that one toy in particular is a pink teddy bear that looks suspiciously like Lotso from Toy Story 3. This is because Lotso was originally suppose to appear with an expanded role in Toy Story, but the animators could not quite master making the bear's hair believable, so they scrapped those plans and kept the bear in that one shot only. Furthermore, appearing in the background of where Woody is standing during the staff meeting are four books entitled Tin Toy, Knick Knack, Luxo Jr., and Red's Dream. Those are the names of the four short films created by Pixar prior to the release of Toy Story. While Toy Story is cited as the beginning of Pixar, the film may have never got funded without the success of those four shorts, so I encourage you to do yourself a favor and check those shorts out!
Favorite Character: I have wavered back and forth trying to decide if I wanted to go with Buzz or Woody for this section, and my conclusion is that I am going to cheat and pick both as my favorite characters. It is basically impossible to choose one over the other because both of them are legendary Pixar creations. They carry this film on their shoulders from start to finish and prove that they are more than capable of working their way into our hearts like no other character before them. They set the foundation for Pixar's winning character formula that they still institute today. Every line recorded by Hanks and Allen is quotable, deftly blending comedy and drama. From the show-stopping scenes (the Claw sequence) to the tender moments (that finale, though!), Buzz and Woody are two of my favorite characters of all-time.
Favorite Scene: I have to go with Buzz and Woody's first encounter with one another as my favorite scene from Toy Story. This scene is a masterclass in how to introduce your characters to each other in a creatively unique way. Once again, Hanks and Allen shine as they fire off one quotable line after the next ("We've got double A's"). The script shows its superiority in this scene above all due to its fast paced banter. If I could watch one scene on repeat for the rest of my life, I would probably choose this scene above the rest.Favorite Song: "You've Got a Friend in Me," duh. Randy Newman rocks. No further comments necessary.
Updated Ranking: In addition to my rankings of the official Disney animated canon films, I will also be ranking Pixar's films on a separate list. Therefore, today, we start with Toy Story as the lone entry thus far.
- Toy Story
Pixar changed the game in a way nobody truly anticipated, and they continue to do so even today. Next up, we're back to the Disney canon with one of my favorite films in the studio's history: The Hunchback of Notre Dame!
-Cody Fleenor
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