Toy Story - The Ultimate Toy Box

Toy Story
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There is greatness in film that can be discussed, dissected, and talked about late into the night. Then there is genius that is right in front of our faces--we smile at the spell it puts us into and are refreshed, and nary a word needs to be spoken. This kind of entertainment is what they used to call "movie magic," and there is loads of it in this irresistible computer animation feature. Just a picture of these bright toys on the cover of
i Toy Story
i0 looks intriguing, reawakening the kid in us. Filmmaker John Lasseter's shorts (namely
i Knickknack
i0 and
i Tin Toy
i0 , which can be found on the Pixar video
i Tiny Toy Stories
i0 ) illustrate not only a technical brilliance but also a great sense of humor--one in which the pun is always intended. Lasseter thinks of himself as a storyteller first and an animator second, much like another film innovator, Walt Disney.
Lasseter's story is universal and magical: what do toys do when they're not played with? Cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), Andy's favorite bedroom toy, tries to calm the other toys (some original, some classic) during a wrenching time of year--the birthday party, when newer toys may replace them. Sure enough, Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) is the new toy that takes over the throne. Buzz has a crucial flaw, though--he believes he's the real Buzz Lightyear, not a toy. Bright and cheerful,
i Toy Story
i0 is much more than a 90-minute commercial for the inevitable bonanza of Woody and Buzz toys. Lasseter further scores with perfect voice casting, including Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head and Wallace Shawn as a meek dinosaur. The director-animator won a special Oscar for "the development and inspired application of techniques that have made possible the first feature-length computer-animated film." In other words, the movie is great.
i --Doug Thomas
i0
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ib cf0 Toy Story 2
i0b0 uc0u8232 John Lasseter and his gang of high-tech creators at Pixar create another entertainment for the ages. Like the few great movie sequels,
i Toy Story 2
i0 comments on why the first one was so wonderful while finding a fresh angle worthy of a new film. The craze of toy collecting becomes the focus here, as we find out Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is not only a beloved toy to Andy but also a rare doll from a popular '60s children's show. When a greedy collector takes Woody, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) launches a rescue mission with Andy's other toys. To say more would be a crime because this is one of the most creative and smile-inducing films since, well, the first
i Toy Story
i0 .
Although the toys look the same as in the 1994 feature, Pixar shows how much technology has advanced: the human characters look more human, backgrounds are superior, and two action sequences that book-end the film are dazzling. And it's a hoot for kids and adults. The film is packed with spoofs, easily accessible in-jokes, and inspired voice casting (with newcomer Joan Cusack especially a delight as Cowgirl Jessie). But as the Pixar canon of films illustrates, the filmmakers are storytellers first. Woody's heart-tugging predicament can easily be translated into the eternal debate of living a good life versus living forever.
i Toy Story 2
i0 also achieved something in the U.S. two other outstanding 1999 animated features (
i The Iron Giant
i0 ,
i Princess Mononoke
i0 ) could not: it became a huge box-office hit.
i --Doug Thomas
i0

uuid: F2C424A5-7E6A-438E-A596-94849321F4C7
upc: 0717951005816
title: Toy Story - The Ultimate Toy Box
theatricalDate: 22-11-1995
stars: John Lasseter
Tom Hanks
Tim Allen
purchase date: 19-06-2007
publisher: Disney/Pixar
published: 17-10-2000
price: $69.99
net Rating: 5
MPAA Rating: G
minutes: 546
number of media: 3
last lookup time: 204001792
genre: Animation
3-6 Years
7-9 Years
10-12 Years
Family Films
Feature Films
Animated Movies
7-11 Years
For the Whole Family
Kids & Family
Ultimate Editions
fullTitle: Toy Story - The Ultimate Toy Box (Collector's Edition)
features: Anamorphic
Animated
Box set
Color
DVD-Video
Widescreen
NTSC
1.77:1
edition: Collector's
currentValue: $28.88
created: 204001776
country: us
aspect: DVD
asin: B00004U9WR