The Bottom Line
Toy Story is the film that put Pixar on the map and with good reason. Armed with iconic characters, hilarious chunks of dialogue, and hair-raising action scenes, Toy Story set the bar almost impossibly high for all of the computer-animated films arriving in its wake (including those produced by Pixar themselves). The movie makes its debut on high definition accompanied by a wealth of bonus features, although it’s the flawless 1080p transfer that cements the disc’s place as a required addition to any home-video library.
Pros
- One of Pixar’s best
- Entertaining for kids and adults alike
- Bright, vibrant animation that has aged surprisingly well
- Wealth of bonus features covering every aspect of the production
Cons
- None worth noting
Description
- Featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, and John Ratzenberger
- Directed by John Lasseter
- Rated G for all audiences
- Blu-ray Release Date: March 23, 2010
Guide Review – 'Toy Story' Blu-ray Review
The Story
Woody is a toy cowboy who has long ruled over the other toys in Andy’s room, with the arrival of a shiny new action figure called Buzz Lightyear inevitably sending Woody into a tailspin. Buzz’s heroic demeanor instantly endears him to the other toys in the room, which leads Woody to concoct a plan that would see the newcomer mysteriously disappear. But after Woody’s scheme backfires, the rivals find themselves forced to put aside their differences to battle a much larger threat.
The Bonus Features
Kicking off Toy Story’s impressive roster of supplemental materials is a commentary track with several of the filmmakers, including director John Lasseter and co-screenwriter Andrew Stanton. The easy-going track includes a number of fascinating behind-the-scenes tidbits and nuggets, including the revelation that Slinky Dog was remodeled based on actor Jim Varney’s voice. And it’s worth noting that Lasseter offers up what is essentially the definitive Pixar statement by remarking that the cast and crew set out to “make this for kids, but also make it so that the adults would enjoy it as well.”
Although Toy Story has already been released in several different versions on DVD, this Blu-ray comes equipped with many tantalizing new bonus features – including a fascinating look at the movie’s early development process (with the highlight undoubtedly a quick clip of a disastrous test scene in which Woody comes off as an overbearing bully). The disc also contains many of the extras contained on previous releases, with making-of featurettes, deleted scenes, and various art galleries rounding out this impressive package.
This set also includes a second disc that contains the movie on standard DVD.