You didn't grow up in the 90's without seeing this movie. It was everywhere - if you didn't own it, you knew someone who did, or went somewhere that had access to it. I'm not sure but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there was a breakfast cereal based on it.
Screening Date: 7/19/2009, 12:01 AM
Run Time: 81 minutes
Director: John Lasseter
Release Date: 1995
Attendance: Weird Dave, Patrick Griffin, Aaron Ostman, Matthew Anderson, Kat (?), Kat's Friend (?)
This is a good movie. It's fun, engaging, and entertaining for the whole family, even a pack of 20-year olds sitting around a Garage Theater. The story, at least partially written by Joss Whedon, zips along at a quick pace but never feels rushed.
In case you didn't grow up in the 90's (or forgot), Toy Story gives a depiction of what happens with toys when people aren't around. Why, they come to life of course! Our protagonist is a cowboy doll named Woody, voiced perfectly by Tom Hanks (who I'm sure had a stupid haircut a la The Da Vinci Code while doing the voice). Woody is the favored toy of the child Andy, and serves as the de facto leader of Andy's toys. This was Pixar's first big release, and we see several voice actors who would go on to appear in all of their animated films, notably John Ratzenberger. Oddly enough his voice seems perfect for the part of Hamm, the piggy bank. Go figure.
Life is swell for the toys in Andy's room until Andy's birthday party, where he receives a new toy - a Buzz Lightyear action figure. The voice acting in this movie is superb all around, but special props go to Tim Allen for his depiction of the clueless space ranger Buzz. He's just so perfect for a toy who doesn't think he's a toy. He truly believes everything on his packaging, which provides no end of frustration to Woody.
As the movie progresses Woody is left more and more along the wayside in favor of the shiny new Buzz. A series of accidents, however, winds both of the toys up in the house of Sid, the neighborhood kid who has a penchant for blowing up toys or feeding them to his dog, Scud. In Sid's room Buzz and Woody meet the gang of GROTESQUELY misfit toys, victims of Sid and Scud who have learned to patch themselves together. They don't speak, and are initially pegged as canibals, but it turns out they just want to help.
Buzz and Woody come up with a plan to escape before Andy and his family move away the next day. The plan is executed perfectly, and the poor Sid is probably scarred for life after witnessing the traumatizing sights of his past misdeeds returned to haunt him. The two toys manage to catch up to the moving truck and are reunited with Andy and the rest of the gang.
The dialogue is top notch and everyone deserves accolades for their work as voice actors, but I have to say the animation is a bit dated. Almost 15 years old at this point, the movie looked like it could have been an aspiring graphic designer's demo reel in terms of visuals. Not bad by any stretch of the word, just a bit outdated.
And Randy Newman needs to die.
2 comments:
Ok, correct me on this one. Toy Story was released in 1995, and Da Vinci Code in 2006, you referenced the two regarding his haircut during the time of filming Toy Story. Did it really take almost 10 years to film The Da Vinci Code? According to IMDB, Tom had just finished Forrest Gump the year prior.
Does it matter? Tom Hanks always sounds like he should be sporting a moronic haircut. He just has that kind of attitude.
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