Toy Story ***** (1995, voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles) – Classic Movie Review 1205

Director John Lasseter’s inspired 1995 Pixar/Disney release is one of the happiest, most magical animated movies of all time as well as the first feature-length computer-animated film. Tom Hanks provides the voice of old-time cowboy Woody, whose status as favourite of a boy’s toys is usurped a by shiny new item, spaceman Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen) – and war breaks out.

The jealous Woody’s plans to vanquish the new toy on the shelf go wrong and the duo have to form a truce to get back home when Woody gets into a fight with Buzz who falls out of the window and Woody has to go out to find him.

The images are enchanting and the script sparkles in this ground-breaking first-ever cartoon feature entirely designed on computers. The voices and the visuals are so smashing that they really appear to bring the toys alive.

The story is by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter and Joe Ranft; the screenplay is by Stanton, Joss Whedon, Joel Coen and Alec Sokolow. Randy Newman provides the lovely score.

Toy Story was nominated for three Oscars: Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Joe Ranft, Joss Whedon, Joel Coen and Alec Sokolow); Best Music, Original Song (You’ve Got a Friend in Me’ by Randy Newman); and Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score (Randy Newman). John Lasseter won a Special Achievement Award ‘for the development and inspired application of techniques that have made possible the first feature-length computer-animated film’.

Also in the vocal cast are Don Rickles as the voice of Mr Potato Head, Jim Varney (Slinky Dog), Wallace Shawn (Rex), John Ratzenberger (Hamm), Annie Potts (Bo Peep), John Morris (Andy), Erik von Detten (Sid), Laurie Metcalf (Mrs Davis), R Lee Ermey (Sergeant) and Sarah Freeman (Hannah).

Toy Story 2 followed in 1999 and, belatedly, Toy Story 3 in 2010. Toy Story 4 is in the works for 2019.

Don Rickles, comedy legend and the voice of Mr Potato Head in Toy Story, passed way at 90 on 6 April 2017.

Bud Luckey (1934–2018).

Bud Luckey, creator and designer of Toy Story’s Woody, died on 24 February 24 2018 aged 83. He also provided the voices of Rick Dicker, the head of the Superhero Relocation Program in The Incredibles  (2004); of the broken-hearted Chuckles the Clown in Toy Story 3  (2010); and of Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh (2011).

Lasseter said: ‘Bud Luckey is one of the true unsung heroes of animation. Bud helped design most of the films we’ve made from Toy Story onward. He was the fifth animator hired here at Pixar.’

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 1177

Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more film reviews: http://derekwinnert.com/