Pixar's a giant in the film industry. Not only is the company releasing films that are both critically and financially successful, but even the artistic community is beginning to take notice of Pixar. This can be seen by the Cannes Film Festival's decision to play Up as its opening film for 2009. This is a big deal, for those unaware, as that event marked the first time that the festival had ever opened with an animated feature. it's because of the maturity and quality of Pixar films that they've been so popular with both children and adult audiences. However, like all "giants", Pixar wasn't always such a famed name. Before releasing films like Up, WALL.E, or The Incredibles, Pixar debuted in 1995 with a little film called Toy Story. Before this, the small company had only made short CGI-created shorts such as Red's Dream or Tin Toy. In other words, there was a lot on the line during the release of Toy Story - the company's entire career would either be made or broken by the success of the film. Thankfully, though, Pixar's creative team *knew* how to create a charming and interesting narrative. The rest is history. With the release of Toy Story 3 earlier this year, nearly fifteen years since the release of the original, I thought I'd stroll down memory lane and see if the original film still held up.
According to the film, toys come to life whenever humans aren't present. This particular film follows the toys of six-year-old Andy, mainly focusing on an old-fashioned cowboy pull-string toy, Woody, and a space ranger action figure, Buzz Lightyear. Woody, until now, has been the leader of the toys and the unspoken favorite of Andy's. Along with his fellow toys, Woody has managed to lead a steady life that focuses on caring for the "community"'s needs and pleasing Andy. Things change, however, when Andy gets a Buzz Lightyear action figure for his birthday. As Buzz slowly becomes Andy's new favorite, Woody starts to become jealous of Buzz and the rest of the film follows the hijinks that occur because of this rivalry.
In terms of screenwriting and characterization, the film's got it in the bag. The cast is well-rounded, well-written, and consists of some very memorable characters. Woody and Buzz, the two leads of the film, are obviously the most developed and interesting of the cast. Though they start out as rivals, the two toys soon become great friends and their friendship, humor, and charming personalities make for a film that's just as sweet as it is character-orientated. Nothing feels plot-based or gimmicky, as the all of the toys' emotions seem to really shine despite the fact that they're...well, toys. For instance, Rex - the big green dinosaur - is a warm-hearted and neurotic worry-wart at heart. It's these memorable character traits and quirks that make the characters of Toy Story so lovable. I may be influenced by the mists of nostalgia, but I'll defend this cast of characters to the end. They're charming, sweet, and simply unforgettable.
I'm not one to usually talk about humor that much, but this film is especially witty. I caught myself laughing at moments that I never really understood during my younger years. For instance, the "a few blocks away" comment from Bo Peep was something that I found to be very clever in its execution. It's no surprise, though, as the wit-master Joss Whedon actually worked on the script. Though he wasn't known for much in 1995, he's become quite the star in recent years thanks to his ever-popular works like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and - my personal favorite of his - Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. The sheer wit and developed sense of humor is really just charming and is one of the many reasons why this film is so adored by its fanbase. I could list plenty of other witty moments during the film, but watching these jokes play out is very different from simply quoting them. Even the simpler moments, like the squeaky shark's one line, still prove to be charming.
The visuals still look pretty nice. It was created in an age when CGI was still in its infancy and wasn't overused like it is today. Still, despite how good the film looks, it hasn't exactly aged well in an age where hi-defintion has become the "norm". Don't get me wrong - the film still looks nice and the cinematography works very well (like in the shot where Buzz realizes he's a toy). It's just that I found it difficult to get into the film, at first, because of the dated graphics. Call me a broken record, but 2D animation doesn't look aged for a reason. I digress, though...
Also, if I may point out one other problem with the film, Toy Story has a pretty weak introduction. The first ten minutes of the film don't give us much room to get to know (or get to know all over again) any of these people, as we're pretty much thrown in medias res. It's not earth-shattering or anything, but it leaves something to be desired.
Overall, though, Toy Story remains a fantastic film. It's filled with an interesting and charming cast, the script's quite witty, and it's one of the most creative films to come out of the 90's. It's not perfect but, with amazing work like this, it doesn't necessarily have to be.
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