No. 99 - Toy Story

The next movie that I was instructed to watch was Toy Story. For my money this is one of the best animation films that has graced the silver screen. There are so many different reasons that this movie stands above all other animation movies, many of which I will cover below.

Disney Pixar has long had a history of terrific story lines to anchor their movies. Even before the two companies merged, they each had success in fantastic story telling. As far as I am concerned the cream of the crop is Toy Story. The story of a roomful of toys coming to life had always been a dream of virtually every kid. With Pixar, however, this dream came true. The sheer originality of the movie did not satisfy, as the scripting of the story is really quite top notch. The characters were well developed and the story lines intertwined with one another without getting in the way of each other. Part of the story line is character development, at which Pixar has never ceased to amaze. It is not just the main characters of Woody and Buzz Lightyear that are developed thoroughly, but the supporting cast as well. Characters that add so much to the film are given their time in the limelight as well. Characters such as Hamm, Rex, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, and Sarge. Of course it isn't just character development and story line that make a movie great.

If the story line and characters do not draw you in, the animation will. This was the first feature-length movie that Pixar released. It was received to rave reviews of the realism and depth of detail. Nothing was missed from the texture of a plastic toy, to the decals of a sticker eventually peeling off. Having seen the movie in the theaters, and multiple times at home on DVD, it was a pleasure to watch it again in Blu Ray. This showed even more detail than I remembered, particularly in the texture of Mr. Potato Head. I saw the texture clear as day on Blu Ray, and it took me back to my child hood playing with one in my Grandma's basement. The animation goes so far beyond the obvious of the look of toys that we all remember as kids. The shadowing across faces, the movement of the characters, and the detail to each stitch of a toy really showed how much time the makers put into this movie.

The real diamond in the rough for Toy Story was the voice acting. I believe that they are unsurpassed in the quality of voice acting for this film. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen provide the meat of the entertainment, and deliver on nearly every line. It is the lesser known actors, however, that provide us with the enjoyment to repeatedly watch the film without tiring. One such actor is John Ratzenberger as the character Hamm. Ratzenberger never misses an opportunity to shed humor on a situation when given a line. He did such a fine job that you will find him on nearly every other Pixar film that follows Toy Story.

Toy Story is one of those movies that only come along every so often. Not only do children get to enjoy it, but the adults do as well. With so many different levels of enjoyment it is no wonder that Woody, Buzz, and the gang made it onto the Top 100. Erin enjoyed the movie as much as I did, and maybe even more, having stayed awake the entire time. As for myself? This is a movie that I would easily give a 5 out of 5.