Review of Toy Story (99)

After starting the marathon with a movie that was over three hours long, we got to take it easy with the next one, Toy Story, which clocked in at a little over 80 minutes. Basically, we could have watched this movie three times in the amount of time it took us to watch Ben-Hur.

Plot
Experience a hilarious fantasy about the lives toys lead when they're left alone. Woody, an old-fashioned cowboy doll, is Andy's favorite. But when Andy gets Buzz Lightyear for his birthday, the flashy new space hero takes Andy's room by storm! Their rivalry leaves them lost with a toy's worst nightmare -- Sid, the toy-torturing boy next door. Woody and Buzz must work together to escape, realizing along the way that they've got a friend ... in each other!

Jason's Thoughts
The thought of this movie already being 12 years old amazes me as I can still remember when this movie was released. This is one of the more recent films that made the list, and an entry that surprised me when I saw it on there. At first, I couldn’t help but think that the only reason this movie was included was due to the fact that is was the first full length computer animated motion picture released in America. Then I sat down and watched it again and my mind has since changed.

Sure, the technological advances with the computer animation made the movie fun to watch, but it was the characters and the story that made the movie great. It’s a simple story really, but it is one that everyone - child or adult - can relate to on different levels. I’m sure everyone in their lifetime has had at least one experience where they felt unwanted and jealous over someone or something else that came along.

As far as the characters are concerned, they are all brought to life by some stellar voice acting, lead by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, along with Jim Varney, Don Rickles, and John Ratzenberger. It even featured R. Lee Ermey as an Army sergeant. To my knowledge, this was the first animated movie to feature a cast of Hollywood stars providing the voices – a trend that continues today with movies like Shrek, Shark Tale, Monsters, Inc. and Over the Hedge, among others.

As I had not seen this movie in years, I had forgotten how good it was. This movie defiantly deserves to be on this list and if you haven’t seen it yet, go do yourself a favor and watch it someday.

Crystal’s Thoughts
Like my hubby, I can't believe Toy Story is already 12 years old! While we have really progressed in those years, I found the movie to somewhat be way beyond its years. The imaging within it is amazing. While you know you're watching a Disney/children's movie, I think you are easily able to forget that as this movie draws you in as a child or an adult.

I did find the "bad child" story line odd as I consider this movie is for kids of all ages. I am not sure that I agree with its presence as it seemed to be against him because he was maybe a little out of place in society. I don't think children should have any type of negative stereotype thrown at them, even if it may seem that they do not pick up on it. Subconsciously, they do. I guess that would be my only gripe about Toy Story. Otherwise, it was a pleasurable (short) 80 minutes.

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