TOY STORY. Directed by John Lasseter; written by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow; produced by Ralph Guggenheim and Bonnie Arnold for Walt Disney Pictures. Animated. Starring (voices): Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Rated G.
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Toy Story is the first universal must-see movie for all ages that's come out in ... well, ages.
And not just because of its brand-new computer-animated look, either. But because of old-fashioned virtues like terrifically-acted characters and a wonderfully witty script.
It might seem strange to talk about terrific acting in an animated movie, but that's the only way to describe what Hanks does with the voice of the cowboy doll Woody. Allen is also outstanding as the spaceman toy Buzz Lightyear.
And the supporting cast is uniformly first-rate, with lots of recognizable voices obviously having a great time, from Don Rickles as Mr. Potato-Head, to Wallace Shawn as an insecure dinosaur, to John Ratzenberger (from TV's "Cheers") as an opinionated piggy-bank.
The computer animators do an amazing job with the facial features and movements for most of the toy characters. But it's those voices that really make them come to life. What a great ensemble cast!
Toy Story's story is as simple as its title, but what makes it interesting is the point of view. People are peripheral; toys are the main characters. When people are out of the room, or asleep, toy society "wakes up" and carries on the normal business of living, considered from their perspective—seminars on plastic maintenance, for example, or mounting a reconnaissance mission to see what new toys their owner, Andy, is getting for his birthday.
After all, there's always the danger that some new toy will take over the spot of a beloved older one. And since Andy's family is moving in a few days, that could mean being left behind.
Andy's favorite toy, Woody, sees this nightmare come true when Andy is given a new Buzz Lightyear toy, complete with pop-out wings, "laser" lights and a retractable helmet.
The story gets an additional twist when it becomes apparent that Buzz doesn't know he's a toy. He thinks he's the "real" Buzz Lightyear, a TV cartoon character who's responsible for keeping the universe safe for civilization.
Toy Story is just about a perfect first movie for little kids, except for a few scenes in Andy's neighbor's house, which have a creepy touch that older kids and adults will enjoy but that very young ones might not understand.
Overall, though, Toy Story is a delight for young and old. The animated effects are unusual and great fun to watch. But the movie's real value lies in its wonderful characters and its witty and surprisingly sophisticated script.
Parents, if your kids haven't started bugging you to see this yet, then you start bugging them!
December 6, 1995