Toy Story was a game changer. With the release of Lightyear, let’s catch up on the Toy Story films, and see if they hold up.
Catching Up With the Toy Story Films: Do They Still Have a Friend in Me?
I’m not entirely sure this needs saying but I’ll say it anyway – Toy Story was a game changer.
On a technical level, it’s hard to overstate just how much the film and its sequels changed cinema. When Pixar and Toy Story burst onto the scene back in 1995, the world had never seen anything like it, as the impossible became possible and feature-length computer animation suddenly became reality.
Genuine cinematic game changers are a rarity, yet Toy Story was absolutely one of them, forever altering the animation landscape by pushing the form further than it ever had before, however, it was the film’s heart that would really hit home for both myself and audiences worldwide.
So here we are almost three decades on, and the Toy Story brand is as strong as ever. With the Toy Story legend now set in stone and with the franchise’s first big screen spinoff – Lightyear – upon us, what better time than now to look back and find out if the quadrilogy still has a friend in me.
TOY STORY (1995)
This was it. This was the moment it all changed. This was the first Toy Story instalment, Pixar’s first movie, and the first ever computer-animated feature. A true film of firsts.
Sure, looking back, some of the animation (especially the humans) feels rough around the edges, but that takes nothing away from its monumental accomplishment. Coming from scrappy little Pixar, as they were at the time, Toy Story was a highly ambitious project, but the results speak for themselves.
Toy Story was my Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. It was a true pioneer and the start of a new animated era, yet, despite its trailblazing status, what’s most striking looking back now is just how soulful it is.
It should never be underestimated just how hard it is to inject heart and soul into any computer-generated movie, let alone the first of its kind, yet Toy Story does so and then some, combining an admirably simple concept with a tale stuffed full of charm and a relatability that I still feel all these years later
At its heart, the film is a sweet odd couple story of two toys learning to cooperate despite their differences. That’s it, and it’s precisely the wholesome simplicity of Woody and Buzz’s journey that makes Toy Story timeless.
TOY STORY 2 (1999)
Considering just how successful Toy Story 2 ended up being, it’s easy to forget it was originally imagined as a cheap, straight-to-video cash-in. Saved from bargain bin oblivion by Disney and John Lasseter, Toy Story 2 was eventually retooled into a feature-length, theatrically released sequel.
And thank god it was, because what resulted was that rarest of things – a sequel that improves on its predecessor. In the four-year gap between Toy Story and its follow up, it’s clear both the visuals and the storytelling have matured in tandem with its audience.
Splitting Woody and Buzz up and having each one lead the line in two separate adventures is a bold move, but it most certainly works, giving both character time and space to shine. It also allows for the introduction of new characters and for the emotions to hit just that little bit harder.
Being sixteen at the time of Toy Story 2’s release, my interest was rapidly shifting away from animation, however, the film’s strength was such that I always had time for Buzz, Woody, and pals, and despite their eleven-year absence after this, it never felt like they’d left me.
TOY STORY 3 (2010)
A gap of more than a decade between instalments would be enough to derail many a franchise, so the sheer effortlessness with which Toy Story 3 picks things up without any drop in quality is astonishing.
By 2010, I’m a fully-fledged adult (or at least I like to believe I was), however, despite this, it’s to Pixar’s credit that Toy Story 3 feels as relevant to me now as the first film did. Allowing the series to grow and mature with its audience really is what makes these movies so special, and this third effort absolutely nails it
As Andy leaves for college and says goodbye to his toys and childhood, the film’s emotional beats have never hit harder. Pixar have never been strangers to playing with our hearts, however, they’ve never done it quite as ruthlessly as with Toy Story 3’s final act, which includes the one-two knockout punch of the harrowing incinerator scene and the moment Andy passes his toys over to their new owner, Bonnie.
The idea of growing up, growing old, and leaving behind one’s childhood will never not be emotionally fraught, and Toy Story 3 handles this all superbly, while still offering a wildly entertaining ride crammed with thrills, joy, and humor.
TOY STORY 4 (2019)
Did it really need to be made? Probably not. Am I glad it was made? Absolutely.
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who groaned at the news that Pixar would be adding a fourth Toy Story instalment, but, in hindsight, I needn’t have worried. After 3 rounded Woody, Buzz, and Andy’s story off perfectly, there really didn’t feel like anywhere left to go, yet not only did 4 do justice to its predecessors, in many ways it enhanced them.
By far the darkest Toy Story movie to date, 4 follows in the previous films’ footsteps by growing with its audience, tackling heavy subjects like loss, loneliness, and anxiety in ways only a Pixar film can.
While the film is certainly very Woody-centric, that doesn’t mean Buzz and the gang don’t have a key part to play, and there’s even some time made to draft in some of the best side characters of the entire franchise (hi Ducky and Bunny).
It really is quite an eye-opener to realize you’ve been following a film series for over a quarter of a century, and there’s a certain world-weariness to Toy Story 4 that reflects this. It’s a decidedly melancholy final note to end the story on, but a fitting one that nicely sets the scene for more potential adventures to come.
While there’s a case to be made that the Toy Story tale has now run its course, considering the excellent job the fourth film does and considering the decent buzz Lightyear is getting, I wouldn’t be mad at this franchise going to infinity and beyond.
NEXT: All Pixar Movies Ranked From Worst To Best
About Lightyear
Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” is an all-new, original feature film that presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans)—the hero who inspired the toy—following the legendary Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure. But Buzz can’t do it alone—he shares space with a dutiful robot companion cat called Sox (voice of Peter Sohn).
A hidden grab bag of gizmos in a cute kitty package, Sox is Buzz’s go-to friend and sidekick. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), the sci-fi action-adventure releases on June 17, 2022.
Lightyear hits theaters June 17th!
