‘Toy Story’ Fun For Kids Of All Ages
I usually avoid cartoons. I felt so let down by “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King” that I decided I was too old for cartoons.
“Toy Story,” the heavily hyped computer animation release from Disney, has changed my mind.
“Toy Story” uses the talents of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen to give life to Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear, two rival toys in Andy’s room. Woody - a long, tall cowboy - is Andy’s favorite toy. Woody gently commands the other toys (including Mr. Potato Head, Slinky the Dogg, Bo Peep and Ham the Piggy Bank) in Andy’s room when Andy is away.
That all changes when Andy gets a new toy for his birthday, a selfimportant spaceman named Buzz Lightyear. Woody, afraid of being replaced, tries to show Buzz who’s boss, but Buzz inevitably becomes the preferred toy. Unfortunately for Buzz, he doesn’t realize he is a toy; Buzz thinks he’s a real superhero. He’s even convinced his laser actually works.
Woody and Buzz are forced to embark on a wild adventure together when Woody accidentally throws Buzz out the window of Andy’s room. Their escapades take them to a gas station, a pizza parlor and the house of Andy’s evil neighbor, a destructive little boy named Sid. Along the way, Buzz finds out he’s not a real spaceman and suffers a humorous yet touching depression.
Eventually, the toys have to cooperate with each other to get back to Andy’s house - an increasingly important goal because Andy’s family is about to move.
“Toy Story” is one of the few cartoons I’ve seen that is truly suitable for both children and adults. Kids will be fascinated by the animated characters, and adults will get many of the jokes kids wouldn’t understand. The movie also contains some amusing details only noticeable if you’re watching closely, like a Binford tool box (from Allen’s “Home Improvement”) that falls on Woody.
The emotions involved in this movie are quite universal. Woody’s jealousy and Buzz’s disillusionment are familiar feelings from everybody’s childhood. The writers of “Toy Story” managed to tell a sweet story and make it clever enough to entertain all ages.
To its credit, “Toy Story” never wallows in sentiment like most Disney cartoons. Even when Woody is angry and Buzz is depressed, the movie doesn’t dwell on those moments. Instead, it moves the action right along.
The computer animation in “Toy Story” fits its content. The bright colors of a child’s world seem appropriate to the medium where other backdrops may not. Only during scenes that revolve around facial expressions does the unique method of animation seem obvious or out of place. The technology has room to improve when it comes to feature-length films.
Nevertheless, “Toy Story” is definitely a success. Excelling writing and acting make it a quality film and one worth seeing. I recommend it to all ages.
Grade: A-