Toy Story: Review

Toy Story holds the title of the very first feature-length computer-animated film, as well as the very first theatrical film produced by the now legendary Pixar Animation Studios. When it first came out, people lauded it, praised it, cheered for it, a one-of-kind film that quickly took a special place in cinema's history for groundbreaking visuals and a surprisingly thoughtful story. But... is Toy Story really that significant or good as many critics and filmgoers claim? Let's find out.

The very first positive thing anyone will notice about Toy Story is its animation; Toy Story is around twenty years of age, but its animation is still very fluid, colorful and lifelike, especially when you remember that it was the first computer-animated movie. Character movement is astonishingly lively and natural-feeling: no crushes, hiccups, or sudden stops or jarring and cringing moves. The attention to detail is quiet breathtaking even by 2010's standards, with everything from Woody and Buzz' character models, to their owner's room, and even areas outside the house - Pixar worked very hard to make Toy Story as alive and organic as possible, and the final result is amazing.

Alongside its groundbreaking animation, Toy Story also excels in its audio section; composed by the award-winning Randy Newman, who would go on to score the soundtracks of Toy Story's sequels, the score of Toy Story is uplifting and charming for the most part with tunes such as "Andy's Birthday" and "Presents", but quickly goes to a more kinetic and tensed tunes when the situation requires it, such as "Sid" and "Soldier's Mission." Most notable parts of the sooundtrack include the songs "You've Got a Friend in Me" - the theme song of the Toy Story franchise, "Small Things," and "I Will Go Sailing no More," all quiet memorable and well-performed.


 * The good: Beautiful and lifelike animation, thoughtful and well-directed story and themes, strong character development for its leads, memorable supporting cast, strong and fitting soundtrack.
 * The bad: A few jokes and moments fall flat or feel jarring; well, it did age a little...
 * And the ugly: Holy shit, that movie is 20 years old...