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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 reawaken the kid in us. Filmmaker John Lasseter thinks of himself as a storyteller first and an animator second, much like another film innovator, Walt Disney. The 10th anniversary edition of the landmark film repackages most of the extras found in the original Ultimate Toy Box set plus a few more. Two keen retrospectives are new, one with an assortment of talents including Roy Disney and Peter Jackson chiming in on the film's impact. The other is a roundtable with Lasseter and three of the creators simply talking about the experiences without--thankfully--any cutaways to noisy film clips. There's a load of other extras since the Ultimate Toy Box was one of the first and best DVD sets. Missing (besides the second film, which will be released separately) is the effects- and music-only tracks. Added is a whopping DTS soundtrack along with a remixed Dolby 5.1 track. The DVD has a higher transfer bit rate for a better picture, but only high-end enthusiasts will notice it. Since the film is a digital-to-digital transfer, both versions are eye-popping. A must-have set unless you have the Ultimate Toy Box. 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. 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. --Doug Thomas The Pixar Feature Films - Toy Story, 1995
- A Bug's Life, 1998
- Toy Story 2, 1999
| - Monsters, Inc., 2001
- Finding Nemo, 2003
- The Incredibles, 2004
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 Customer Reviews 
ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES---EVEN BETTER THAN THE SECOND ONE
Rating: 5
I think Toy Story is very awesome and it is even better than the 2nd film even though it was great too. This film originally came out in November 1995, Pixar's first studio film and I could remember it in the theater. In this film, Rex is the BEST. The best chapter of this film is the moving truck chase near the end of the film. Not one moment of this movie is boring. This movie is very exciting and I watch this a lot, get the second film too.
Best Child Animation Film Yet
Rating: 5
A wonderful film for my 2-1/2 year old grandson who has watched this at least 30 times. This is his favorite dvd. He also has the Buzz and Woody dolls, and constantly play acts with them. Even deepening his voice to do so. Very, very cute. I too love this. So do his parents. His parents, I think have seen it more than my grandson. They practically know the dvd verbatim. Don't miss this. This will probably be your favorite children's dvd also.
Perfect film for everyone (including 40+...)
Rating: 5
Yes this is basically a kids film, but as a 40+ person with no kids who has purchased the DVD, I'll happily own up to being an adult who loves this film.
This film set the benchmark for computer animated films when it was released in 1995 and it still looks good today. The story is simple and the characters are marvellous. Whoever thought of the idea that Buzz Lightyear could be a toy who believes he really is a Space Ranger deserved an Oscar. Its a brilliantly conceived idea, which has a funny and at times touching script.
Its also worth mentioning the that the songs are by Randy Newman, a vastly underrated musician and songwriter, whose Uncles wrote the music for some the great Hollywood movies of the 40's and 50's.
The extras on the two disc edition are pretty good, but its the main film you're buying it for. In my opinion Toy Story 2 is even better than this one - 6 stars for that one perhaps?
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