Toy Story was the first feature-length film animated entirely by computer. If this
seems to be a sterile, mechanical means of moviemaking, be assured that the film
is as chock-full of heart and warmth as any Disney cartoon feature. The star
of the proceedings is Woody, a pull-string cowboy toy belonging to a wide-eyed
youngster named Andy. Whenever Andy's out of the room, Woody revels in his status
as the boy's Number One toy. His supremacy is challenged by a high-tech, space-ranger
action figure named Buzz Lightyear, who, unlike Woody and his pals,
believes that he is real and not merely a plaything. The rivalry between Woody
and Buzz hilariously intensifies during the first half of the film, but when the
well-being of Andy's toys is threatened by a nasty next-door neighbor kid named
Sid -- whose idea of fun is feeding stuffed dolls to his snarling dog and reconstructing
his own toys into hideous mutants -- Woody and Buzz join forces to
save the day. Superb though the computer animation may be, what really heightens
Toy Story are the voiceover performances by such celebrities as Tom Hanks (as
Woody), Tim Allen (as Buzz), and Don Rickles (as an appropriately acerbic Mr.
Potato Head). Director John Lasseter earned a special achievement Academy Award,
while Randy Newman landed an Oscar nomination for his evocative musical score. |