Toy Story 1 and 2: The New Era

In 1995, Pixar Animation Studios released the first feature-length computer-generated movie. Special effects had been made by computers for a while by then (Terminator 2!), and there had been short films (Luxo, Jr. is the origin of their lamp logo), Toy Story was the beginning of a new era. Every single frame was completely computer-generated, and aside from a few awkward-looking human characters, the film looked beautiful. Oh, and the story was amazing as well. With a script written by Pixar powerhouses John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton, as well as Joss Whedon (!!!), the story a cowboy doll used to being the favorite toy and the new spaceman who could overtake his throne was proof that something viewed as a children's medium could compete with more adult fare.

Four years later, Toy Story 2 was released, and the sequel was not only great, but it was an improvement on the original. By then, it was clear that computer animated films were here to stay. Toy Story 2 was actually Pixar's third movie; their second, A Bug's Life, was critically acclaimed, but was probably the lowest-grossing of the eight movies released as of today (the ninth, Wall-E, comes out in three days).

In both movies, the characters are the most important aspect; characterization is never sacrificed for the sake of plot, and everyone/thing is fleshed out. Woody and Buzz Lightyear are more real than many live-action characters. They each make decisions based on their beliefs and convictions; Woody, a good-natured cowboy goes to extreme lengths out of fear, while Buzz's misguided idea of being the "real" Buzz initially drives him, while his developing sense of friendship begins to command his personality. And while most of the toys' identities are tied into their models (Hamm the piggy bank is a little greedy and the Army Men have military knowledge), but they all have free will to make their own decisions. And the stories in each movie are wonderful. Toy Story is one of the best buddy films ever; it takes the tried-and-true story of two different people coming together to overcome their differences and adds heart (wow, that sound cliched). And Toy Story 2 is even better, with a story of dealing with loss.

These two films, along with A Bug's Life, helped launch one of the greatest film studios in recent history (if not the entire history of films).

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