What Makes "Toy Story" Great.

As the first animated film in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Toy Story was a big gamble for Pixar all the way up to its release even with Disney backing them up. However when it was released those fears soon turned into curiosity with the question that Pixar( and soon other studious) asked, what can we do next?

What's really amazing about Toy Story that sets in apart from another landmark film like Snow White is that while it's animation is obviously somewhat dated(Particularity with the design of the humans) the story it tells more then makes up for it. While the whole idea of what toys(or pets or anything else) do when no one is around had already been done, however, John Lasseter does it in a way that feels the most original that no other film has really matched before or since. Toy Story is also right up there with films like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Defiant Ones" as one of the best buddy films of all time. The chemistry between Buzz and Woody is the best thing about the film. The early drafts of the film actually had woody being quite an asshole but thankfully they changed that. While Woody does get jealous and is a bit of a control freak, he does this in ways that we can all identify with, He also does take his role as leader of the toys seriously and does care about his fellow toys and eventually gets over his jealousy and warms up to Buzz. Buzz Lightyear could have also easily been a character that could have been easy to hate with him being the new toy that steals the spotlight as the new favorite. But of course, Buzz thinks he is a real intergalactic space ranger and is oblivious to being a toy and to be the new favorite toy. This all makes for two likable leads who work of each other in ways that are humorous and heartwarming, thanks in large part to the great vocal performances by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. The side characters are also very memorable. The one that stands out though is the main antagonist Sid. When you get down to it, Sid is really just a kid playing with his toys with obviously no idea that they are alive. But the way he goes about doing it through experimentation and torture on the toys part as well as the passions and pleasure he takes from doing it make him a great villain. Lasseter and his team also don't shy away from more mature and emotional moments like many other future Pixar films. The scene where Buzz realizes he really is just a toy is heartbreaking and Woody's pep talk to Buzz about what it means to be a toy and coming to terms with the fact that Buzz really might be a cooler toy then himself is powerful.

The film also feels like a grand adventure. It really does put you in the perspective of a toy in an adventure that a human might not find massive but a toy would. It's locations and set pieces also help in this regard. Locations like Pizza Planet and Sid's room have such great detail. Pizza Planet in particular looks like Chuck e Cheese on steroids. It's the detailed environment with the video games and the science fiction theme that made it a place I wished existed when I was a kid, in fact, I still do wish it did. The climax at the end with Woody and Buzz trying to catch up to the moving van is so over the top in the best possible way. Its sequences are so creative from the dog chasing them, to slinky stretching to get them on board, and to the rocket, boost is all so well done that you forget the fact that humans would most likely notice all this happening.

Pixar's first feature-length film is still one of there best. It helped spark a new era in not only animation but the film industry as a whole. It was also the first installment of what is arguably the best film trilogy of all time.