Toy Story
January 2001 Reviewed by: Roger Kanno Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Toy Story sets new standards in the field of animation with its incredible CGI (computer generated image) animation provided by Pixar studios. By creating and rendering a virtual world inside a computer to create the animation, Pixar and Disney produce a very special film that transcends traditional animation. While the storyline might be derivative of previous Disney animated films, it sets itself apart from the rest by its incredibly lifelike computer animation, and by the wonderful and entertaining interplay between Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen).

In Toy Story, the toys come to life and lead secret lives when their owners are not present. The toys are owned by a boy named Andy, but when Andy receives the flashy new spaceman Buzz for his birthday, Woody is afraid that he will lose his status as Andy’s favorite toy. And it doesn’t help much that Buzz is a bit of an arrogant toy who believes that he is a real Space Ranger on a mission to save the galaxy from the evil Emperor Zurg. This is all just a little too much for Woody to handle so when Andy begins to play more and more with Buzz, it sends Woody on a desperate mission of his own -- to win back Andy’s affections. Mayhem ensues. The supporting cast is an amusing collection of toys consisting of Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Little Bo-Peep, a dinosaur, and a piggy bank among others.

This is another of Disney’s direct from digital source video transfers, the first being A Bug’s Life, and the picture quality is exceptional. Even when the anamorphic picture is down converted on a 4:3 display, the transfer is pristine. Brightly lit outdoor scenes appear remarkably realistic as if they were actually shot outdoors. The perspective exhibited in the rendering of objects and spaces heightens the realism as does the computer modeled lighting effects, such as the extremely complex shadows and reflections on objects.

The only thing that detracts from the delightful computer animation is the rather grotesque representation of the human characters such as Sid, the evil neighbor boy, and even Andy. The colors seem slightly less vibrant than they should be, but the laserdisc version also exhibited this same flaw. Nonetheless, the overall picture quality is outstanding. Surround ambience is sometimes lacking as it often is in animated films with sound designs that represent a totally artificial soundscape. However, the soundtrack is thoroughly enjoyable with some very aggressive surround effects, good spatial cues from all channels and a nicely recorded music score by Randy Newman.

The DVD reviewed here is from the two-disc set referred to as the "Toy Story 2 Pack" which consists of both Toy Story films, each on a single disc and packaged together as a set. There is also a more expensive three disc set called "The Ultimate Toy Box," which includes many of the excellent extras that were contained in the excellent laserdisc boxed set and more. The "Toy Story 2 Pack" contains very little in the way of extras, but is priced accordingly. The Academy-Award-winning short Tin Toy is included along with the original Tex. THX trailer and the THX optimode test signals, but otherwise this disc is devoid of extras.

If you are a fan of animation or simply enjoy good family entertainment that both children and adults can enjoy, then Toy Story is a must have DVD. The fact that it comes packaged with the sequel, Toy Story 2 at an attractive price is just an added bonus. If you want all the extras and the bells and whistles of "The Ultimate Toy Box" then by all means purchase that package, but if all you wish for are excellent audio and video transfers of these films then the "Toy Story 2 Pack" is quite a bargain.

• Go Back