27/12/2015

Toy Story

     
A milestone in the history of cinema, 'Toy Story' was the first totally 3D computer animated feature length movie. I love Pixar for this, and to be honest I still hold something of a grudge against Disney for being so short sighted. The animation is simple, though of course revolutionary. What really stands out are the characters and the voice acting, which is a level above the more traditional animated movies of the time.
I haven't seen this movie in years, and it looks worse to my now somewhat trained eye. It's still great though, with a neat story and some very funny scenes. We can see the beginnings of what will become the sly and age-diverse comedy that Pixar became known for. There are even a few easter eggs for animation nerds, such as the bouncing star ball. The first thing I ever animated was a ball too, though I think I mapped it with an eye ball texture.
     
     
I really like all the characters too, and found myself able to quote entire verses from the script as I watched it. A pretty major growing up (Major Growingup) movie then - more than I realised. The ending is happy, but how we get there is somewhat unexpected, and the characters are all painted in pleasing shades of grey, rather than the black and white of Disney princess stories. Tom Hanks and Time Allen do very well, and the rest of the cast bring this now aged animation to life. The lighting is mostly bright, as are the colours, and this cheerful cinematography reflects the light-hearted nature of the film, and the naivete of the characters.
It's a fun one, and is even watchable for adults. Definitely a classic.
    
Toy Story: 71.0