“Toy Story” Movies have been a big hit for many years. Billions of dollars have been spent by people just to watch these fascinating moving pictures. “Toy Story”, which came out in 1995, is an excellent example of one of these movies that appeared in theaters. It is an animated representation of what toys do when no one is in the room watching them. Woody, the cowboy, is Andy’s favorite toy and the leader of all the other toys. On Andy’s sixth birthday his parents got him a Buzz Lightyear doll.
The addition of a new toy both thrilled and scared the toys, but with Buzz stuck in factory mode trying to return to his home planet problems started to present themselves to the toys. As the family packs to move the evil neighbor boy Sid gets ahold of both Buzz and Woody after they fell out the open window, it is up to them to escape and return home to Andy before they get left behind. Most critics agree that this was an exceptional film, and gave it great reviews. The plot is one of the many aspects that criticises found to be positive.
Delingpole states that “When I say that this is one of the finest Disney films ever made, I’m only adding to the accolades Toy Story has already received” (par 10). Disney and Pixar fans had expected “Toy Story” to have the sing and dance numbers that Disney is so famous for. “…. a parent-tickling delight, is a work of incredible cleverness in the best two-tired Disney tradition” (Maslin par 1). Both critics agree that the break from the songs is nice and so is the subliminal adult content, making it enjoyable for both children and their parents. “… is a magically witty and humane entertainment.
It has the purity, the elastic freedom of imagination, that’s the hallmark of the greatest children’s films” (Gleiberman par). Not only has it received great reviews and ratings, but also the approval of both parents and their children. Another aspect of “Toy Story” that reviewers found to be great is the graphics. Delingpole said “Disney’s wondrous, computeranimated adventure.. ” (par 1). Delingpole enjoyed the quality of work and the effort put into the making of “Toy Story”. He goes on to say, “That said, Toy Story’s virtual world is breathtakingly realised.
The shadows fall in the right places. The humans move like real people” (Delingpole par 5). Disney’s team really wanted to make the movie look realistic while still being animated and eye catching. The centerpiece of this movie is the graphics, but they are not to much that it takes away from the storyline and adventure. “The computer-generated effects are a marvel. Rich in unexpected detail… ” (Berardinelli par 2). Berardinelli goes on to list specific details of the film, things such as: reflections, fingerprints, chipped paint, the grain on the wood floor, and so on.
All of these details in the animation help add to the dept that pulls in the viewer, making it appealing to the eyes. The cast or voice actors is another aspect of “Toy Story” that was highly liked by critics. Gleiberman says “Hanks, believe it or not, gives a more arresting dramatic performance here than he did in Apollo 13” (par 4). Tom Hanks voices the character of Woody, making him likeable and emotional. Seeing as Woody is one of the main characters Hanks had high expectations to live up to. “With a voice supplied wonderfully by Tom Hanks… Woody is instantly sympathetic” (Maslin par 3).
Critics agree that Hanks was perfect for the job of voicing Woody. Hanks was not the only voice actor that did his job wonderfully, in fact the whole cast played their part very well. “Some of the jokes – cracked by a splendid voiceover team led by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen” (Delingpole par 9). “Toy Story” had a very strong cast, that helped bring life into this wonderful family Disney movie. Another aspect of the film that has helped it become highly liked by the critics are the characters and the development they go through. Maslin states “It’s a lovely joke that the film’s toy characters are charmingly plain” (par 2).
After saying that Maslin goes on to list some of the characters the viewers will find in “Toy Story”. There are many characters and most were played with by children all over the world making the movie even more enjoyable and relatable, toys such as: monkeys in a barrel, etcha-sketch, toy soldiers, and so on. “Buzz, with his Lionel Barrymore smirk and fatuous chin… is a hilarious and touching character” (Gleiberman par 4). Each characters have their own unique personalities, giving them depth and causing viewers to love them. Who does not like a good civilized competition between characters? As for the rivalry between Woody and Buzz, it too keeps the film sparkling in believable ways” (Maslin par 6).
Their competition to be Andy’s favorite never goes too far as to tear apart the toys or to hurt anyone. The rivalry of course results in them being the best of friends, but not before putting them through a multitude of challenges not only causing them to be friends but dragging the viewer in and and holding their attention until the very end. In conclusion, “Toy Story” was a big hit among viewers of all ages. Disney had avoided its too tired tradition of song and dance but still kept the attention of children.
The adult content flys over the heads of younger children but is understood by the adults making the movie enjoyable for all ages. The eye catching computer animations and perfectly picked background music helped add to the adventure and thrill of the story. They had magnificent voice actors that matched every character to a tee. The movie just would not have been the same if they used different voice actors. The plot of the movie was very easy to follow and was also very humerous for people of all ages. Viewers would suggest this movie to anyone because it was amazing. Critics all agree that “Toy Story” was wonderful in the making.
