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In 1995, movie buffs of all ages, shapes, and sizes rushed to theaters to see the Next Big Thing in moviemaking: Pixar’s ground-breaking, fully computer-animated Toy Story. I still remember the awe I felt the first time I saw it—because it was like nothing else I’d ever seen before. It was done entirely on a computer—and it looked so real. And, although none of us knew it at the time, its lovable story was also rather prophetic.
Once upon a time, Woody (Tom Hanks) was the king of Andy’s (John Morris) bedroom. He was Andy’s favorite toy. But then came Andy’s birthday party—when he got a brand new Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) action figure, with wings and a voice track and karate-chop action.
Now, Woody’s been demoted—and Buzz is Andy’s new favorite. It’s no surprise that Woody’s just the teensiest bit jealous—and his jealousy comes to a head when he not-so-accidentally knocks Buzz out of Andy’s bedroom window. When both Buzz and Woody end up separated from Andy and the other toys, it’s up to Woody to save the day and get them both back home again before Andy and his mom (Laurie Metcalf) move to their new house. And when Buzz suddenly discovers that he’s a toy—and not the real Buzz Lightyear—he slips into a deep depression that makes Woody’s job even harder.
In a way, Toy Story is also the story of animation in general. Once upon a time, hand-drawn animation was king. It was special. But then came Toy Story—and, along with it, the Next Big Thing: computer animation. It was flashy and lifelike (except for the people—but that would improve with time), and it was exciting.
Even now, 15 years later, the computer animation of Toy Story is still exciting. Watching it on Blu-ray is a breathtaking experience, and I still find myself fascinated by the stunning detail that those creative geniuses at Pixar worked into their animation. Though digital animation has definitely come a long way since Toy Story’s release—and it continues to improve with each new Oscar-winning Pixar release—this first digitally-animated feature is still a sight to behold.
But Toy Story is more than just a spectacle. It’s also a charming family adventure, filled with adorable characters—from neurotic dinosaur Rex (Wallace Shawn) to sarcastic Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles)—who are brought to life by a talented (and hilarious) voice cast.
Like Pixar’s later films, the story has parent company Disney’s sweet innocence—but it also has the Pixar geeks’ clever sense of humor. It doesn’t talk down to kids—and it lets parents in on the fun, too. It’s funny, but it’s smart, too. If you haven’t seen it in a while, see it again—because you probably missed a few things on your last viewing that are sure to catch you by surprise when you sit down to watch it now.
In 1995, this ground-breaking feature changed the way that moviegoers thought of animation. For a while there, it even seemed as though hand-drawn animation would be relegated to a place in the dark, dingy toy chest forever—until (with some help from Toy Story director John Lasseter, strangely enough) Disney’s The Princess and the Frog reminded movie lovers that it’s okay to love both the lovable old standby and the flashy new favorite. And both deserve a place in your Blu-ray collection.
Blu-ray 3D Review:
I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical about seeing Pixar’s ground-breaking first feature converted to 3D. After all, the animation has its own old-school charm—and I just didn’t expect it to look right in 3D. Before the end of the opening titles, though, I was completely sold. The 3D animation is so playful—and so natural—that is seems as if the film were actually created with 3D graphics in mind.
The film’s all-inclusive four-disc 3D combo pack doesn’t come with any new features—just the extra 3D disc. But is also includes all of the extras included on the film’s 2010 Blu-ray / DVD release (see below for an overview).
Blu-ray Review:
The two-disc special edition Blu-ray release of this ground-breaking Pixar classic is appropriately loaded with extras—both old and new. In the special features menu, you can spend hours exploring the world of Pixar. You’ll meet the animators and hear about their jobs, their inspiration, and their experience at Pixar. They tell stories about John Lasseter’s rusted-out old car, Halloween festivities around the office, and the Pixar scooter races. There are deleted scenes, galleries, making-of features, and an audio commentary. There are features about space travel, Buzz at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the day that Toy Story almost died (including the reel that almost killed it). And, of course, there’s a sneak preview of the upcoming Toy Story 3.
So, after you finish reliving the magic of this first Pixar feature, be sure to take the time to browse the extras. My personal favorites are the three Studio Stories, which are short and sweet and highly entertaining—but many of the others are well worth checking out, too.
