'Toy Story': A revolutionary movie but also a 'wonderful' film
Full episode: Why everyone was wowed by 'Toy Story'
When 'Toy Story' was released for the 1995 holiday movie season, critics and moviegoers alike immediately recognized it was not only a revolutionary accomplishment, but it was also a really good film. Here's what the producers and even the actors themselves thought at the time.
LOS ANGELES - "Toy Story" turned animation on its head as the first-ever computer-animated feature film, and when it premiered in 1995, it became an instant success.
Holiday season audiences fell in love with Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), as well as all of the toys in Andy’s cloud-wallpapered bedroom.
The movie inspired rides at Disney amusement parks, the hottest toys and merchandise and a new generation of animated movies and shows.
Lauded film of many firsts
File: Actor/Comedian Tim Allen and actor Tom Hanks attend the "Toy Story" Hollywood Premiere on November 19, 1995 at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
"Toy Story" is still one of the most highly acclaimed films to this day. After it premiered in 1995, the movie was nominated for three Oscars including Best Original Screenplay, Best Score and Best Song, according to the Oscars website.
Not only was it the first CGI animated film, it was the first time an animated film was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, mainly because at the time, there was no category for Best Animated Feature.
File: A lorry full of long-awaited Buzz Lightyear dolls arrives at the Disney Store in London. (Photo by David Cheskin - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
"If you go back and look at the film today, it still looks incredible. It's so detailed and it's so thoughtful in the way that it's put together. I think what makes it special is not just the technology, which is obviously hugely important, but how they used it, because rather than doing all of the things they could possibly do and making sure that they did the most with the computers, they did the smartest things," said Allison Shoemaker, film critic with FOX TV Stations. "They used camera positions like a real movie would. They thought about the lighting, they thought about texture. You can see scuffs on the floor and marks on the walls and there's wear and tear on the toys. And I think that that is part of what makes it such a wonderful and lasting movie and why it's such a classic today."
File: (left to right: Tyrannosaurus Rex; Woody; Hamm, the pig; Buzz Lightyear; and Mr. Potato Head) Toys from the movie 'Toy Story,' are photographed November 15, 1995 in New York City. (Photo by Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images)
"Toy Story" eventually won an Oscar for Special Achievement in 1996.
Sequels, spinoffs and a new generation of films
"Toy Story" would go on to inspire sequels, short films and spinoffs and cemented Pixar as a powerhouse of animation. The animation studio was later acquired by Disney in 2006 and since then, Pixar has created 27 feature films.
Since its first feature film decades ago, Pixar has created some of the highest-grossing animated movies ever made, according to IMDB, including "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles" and "Cars."
File: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and cast during Toy Story 2 Themed Nascar Racing Cars Unveiled at El Captain Theatre in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage)
"I think what Pixar has done has opened up a lot of doors in animation because people are continuing to evolve and find new ways to use computers and to use technology to make really great art," Shoemaker said. "I mean, this movie got nominated for best screenplay at the Oscars. It was the first animated movie to do so. So by showing what the technology could do without sacrificing the story, it sort of ushered in a new era of animation I think that we're continuing to see evolve and make great movies today."