Toy Story

Story

Pull-string cowboy, Woody, is Andy’s favourite toy. That is until astronaut action figure, Buzz Lightyear, comes onto the scene. Jealous of his new competitor, Woody struggles to regain his place in Andy’s heart. But when the rivals are separated from their owner, they must work together to find their way home.

Why we chose it

Toy Story is funny, exciting and wise, and as popular with adults as children. Hailed as ‘a work of genius’ and one of the best animations of all time, it combines an engaging plot with memorable vocal performances (by Tom Hanks and others) and catchy music by Randy Newman. It was the first entirely computer-animated feature film and ushered in a more dynamic style of storytelling - ‘To Infinity and Beyond’!

Where it came from

After Pixar’s successful 1988 short film, Tin Toy, Disney asked the company to create a feature film told from a toy’s perspective. Buzz was originally based on Tinny, the one-man-band toy from the animated short, but director John Lasseter soon decided that he was too old fashioned and upgraded him to an astronaut action figure. Lasseter based Woody on his childhood pull-string Casper the Friendly Ghost doll.

Where it went next

Toy Story won numerous awards, including a Special Achievement Academy Award, and was the first animated film to be nominated in the writing category. Adaptations include an ice show, a musical, video games and theme park attractions.

Associated stories

There are three full-length sequels which have proved as popular as the first film, as well as a spin-off television series, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, and various animated shorts. Toy Story’s success secured Pixar’s position at the forefront of computer animation, and the studio has released over 20 films including Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, WALL-E and Inside Out.