John Lassetter’s ground-breaking all-CGI animation affair was the first to usher in the dominance of Pixar Animation Studios at the box-office and led to three sequels.
‘What if toys were alive?’ was the high concept idea behind TOY STORY, which is the tale of toy cowboy ranger Woody (Tom Hanks voicing) who is the favourite toy of Andy, but when a birthday party brings Andy his latest addition, space hero Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen voicing), more than a hint of jealousy on Woody’s part results in his kicking Buzz out of Andy’s bedroom, but following a mutiny by the other toys in his collection, Woody has to go and rescue Buzz from the clutches of a sadistic toy-phobic kid next door.
Slapstick comedy and near-misses throughout this to infinity and beyond help raise TOY STORY to an even greater high – and one which hit even higher with the even better sequel TOY STORY 2 (1999). Thanks to the wonderful vocal chemistry of Hanks and Allen, who encapsulate the heart and soul of Woody and Buzz, TOY STORY is a representative of true bromance, even if these characters are mere toys.