Toy Story (1995) Review

Toy Story (1995) is the first of four films in the Toy Story series all directed and written by John Lasseter. Toy Story follows the tale of Andy’s toys as they come to life whenever humans are not around. Andy’s favorite toy, a cowboy doll named Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), is a well-respected leader amongst the rest of the toys. Relationships begin to change as Andy welcomes home a new toy, a Space Ranger named Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), that seizes the role of Andy’s favorite toy. Woody feels that he has been replaced and decides that he wants to get rid of Buzz by knocking him behind a desk in hopes that Andy will never find him again. This plan backfires and proceeds to knock both Buzz out of the 2nd story window. Andy realizes that he cannot find Buzz, so he takes Woody on his trip to Pizza Planet, but Buzz decides to tag along. The two toys eventually get lost and must make it back to Andy and the rest of the toys before they move to another house. Woody and Buzz are then required to overcome numerous obstacles in order to reunite with the gang.

The success of this movie can be attributed to the chemistry shared between Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. They do such an incredible job feeding off each other as the relationship evolves between Woody and Buzz on screen. As a rivalry turns to friendship, dialogue exchanged between the two toys are regularly memorable, if not quotable.

In fact, what little dialogue the side characters of Bo Peep (voiced by Annie Potts), Mr. Potato Head (voiced by Don Rickles), Rex (voiced by Wallace Shawn), Slinky Dog (voiced by Jim Varney), and Hamm (voiced by John Ratzenberger) have is charismatic. The audience is asked to buy in to numerous characters and every toy has distinct, alluring personalities.

Balance between the toys’ optimistic/pessimistic/schizophrenic/realistic traits give the impression of a close-knit friend group that hits close to home. Every character is distinguishable via their actions or sense of humor.

What separates a good kid’s movie from a great kid’s movie is the ability to entertain the parents who are watching with their children. I found myself laughing more so now than I did when I was a little kid. The humor in Toy Story has dated extraordinarily well as jokes are rooted out of puns and gags rather than something only 90s kids would understand.

In a world where toys are the focal point, kids are the ones in control. There are kids like Andy who are kind-hearted and imaginative and then there are kids like Sid who are equally imaginative in a sadistic way. It is evident that a movie is engrossing when a grade school bully can feel as destructive and intimidating as Godzilla does. His motives are clear, his actions are unpredictable, his dialogue is unsettling; yet he would be deemed powerless in any other cinematic universe. There is an upward escalation in power that the antagonists possess throughout the Toy Story series, which makes a young boy like Sid perfect for the first installment.

The attention to detail in its writing foreshadows characters that are featured in Toy Story 2 (from Jessie’s red hat, Al’s Toy Barn, and the teasing of Emperor Zurg) exemplify the broader vision the writers had for this film series. Characters were meticulously created to showcase purpose down the road.

While the animation appears to be quite dated, the underlying messages sent by John Lasseter touching on themes of jealousy and friendship can resonate with everyone regardless of age. Those moments of conflict and peril between thoroughly developed characters that end only with the strengthening of bonds are pleasant to view in its entirety. Toy Story is an exquisite introduction to a beloved franchise that stands the test of time and symbolizes the importance of friendship through its captivating characters.

Final Score: 8.5/10