Toy Story
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Toy Story is a computer-generated imagery (CGI) animation film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released to theatres on November 21, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. Followed by Toy Story 2 in 1999, the video Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins in 2000 and the TV series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command also in 2000. The latter two featured traditionally animated renditions of Buzz Lightyear and Little Green Men characters from the first movie.
Toy Story was Disney's first feature-length completely computer-animated movie. It was also Pixar's first feature to be released in theaters. It grossed US $356,800,000 worldwide, making it the 65th highest-grossing movie in history (not adjusted for inflation). The primary characters are toys in the room of the six-year-old boy Andy, and is mostly told from their point of view. Andy, his baby sister Molly and mother have smaller roles as do the neighbor Sid, his dog Scud and sister Hannah.
The film was not only a smash hit, but also inspired other film studios to use the Pixar computer.
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Characters
The main toy characters are:
- Sheriff Woody - (voice Tom Hanks) an old-fashioned sheriff from the old west. By using his pull string he says things like "There's a snake in my boot!" and "Someone's poisoned the water hole!" He is Andy's favorite toy, with a special spot on the bed, and as such is the leader of the toys.
- Potato - (voice Don Rickles) a Mr. Potato Head doll by Hasbro, Inc.
- Rex - (voice Wallace Shawn) a Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur with a lot of anxiety from an inferiority complex (afraid he is not scary.)
- Slinky Dog - (voice Jim Varney) a wiener dog with a Slinky abdomen. Very loyal to Woody.
- Hamm - (voice John Ratzenberger) a wise-cracking Piggy Bank.
- Buzz Lightyear - (voice Tim Allen) a Space Ranger from Star Command. A new plastic toy with electronic voice, spring loaded wings, laser (a blinking LED) and a rocket ship box. Buzz was a gift at Andy's birthday party. Buzz doesn't know he is a toy.
Other toy characters include:
- Little Bo Peep - (voice Annie Potts) a shepherdess doll, Woody's romantic interest.
- Sarge - (voice R. Lee Ermey) a gung-ho commander of an army of plastic toy soldiers. Sarge and his troops frequently help out their fellow toys.
Plot
The movie starts with a meeting among the toys to discuss the family's upcoming move. At the end of the meeting it is announced that today is Andy's birthday party. This results in pandemonium from the other toys. Everyone is afraid they will be replaced. Woody of course is calm since he is Andy's favorite and would never be replaced.
Finally, to calm everyone down Woody sends a reconnaissance group of little green toy soldiers using a baby monitor to scout the party. There are no new toys at the party, until mom pulls out another box, but the soldiers are cut off and we don't hear what it is, only that the kids are coming upstairs. All the toys rush to their places before Andy returns.
When Andy arrives, Woody is brushed out of his place - the middle of the bed - and onto the floor to make space for the new toy. Once the kids leave to eat cake, Woody climbs back on the bed to see who this is that could have displaced him.
A conflict between Woody and Buzz develops with Woody's jealousy that Buzz displaces him, and his irritation with the fact Buzz does not know he is a toy. This conflict results in Woody and Buzz ending up in a situation where the only way out is for them to work together.
Awards
Producer John Lasseter received an Academy Special Achievement Award in 1996 for this film.
Toy Story in pop culture
Debian (a Linux distribution) releases are named after characters from this movie. (e.g. Buzz, Potato, Woody, Sarge)
See also
External links
- Pixar's official homepage for Toy Story (http://www.pixar.com/featurefilms/ts/)
- UpcomingPixar (http://upcomingpixar.blogspot.com)
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