Toy Story Parent Guide

Parent Movie Review
by Donna Gustafson

Do you know what the toys in your house are doing right now? If you’ve been blaming the kids for leaving those plastic soldiers lying around, you may see things differently after watching Toy Story.

Of all the playthings belonging to Andy (voice of John Morris), Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) is the favorite. This special designation gives the confident, pull-string cowboy reign over the rest of the toys—until the boy’s birthday. On that fateful day Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen) enters the ranks. The shiny, new, super spaceman rockets past Woody in popularity, sparking a feud between them. The feelings of jealousy eventually propel both action figures into Sid’s (voice of Erik von Detten) world, where the nasty, little next-door neighbor delights in torturing toys. Now Woody and Buzz must work together to get themselves back to their rightful, benevolent owner.

Historically, Disney’s Toy Story is best known for its accomplishments as a pioneer of computer animation. (It was the first feature-length film made using this art form.) Working with Pixar (a company that has since become a household name), the creative team presented an entire world that physically existed only in memory chips. But the reason why the movie is so fondly remembered has more to do with its quality of story than with its technological achievement.

Witty, charming, and ever so believable, the film portrays characters the audience can easily identify with. It is also full of out-of-the-toy-box humor, like the sight gag where Mr. Potatohead pulls off his eyes and holds them above his head so he can see over the crowd.

Only a couple of scenes, both involving Sid, may be frightening for young children. The rest of the audience will be entranced as they watch the toys learn to solve confrontations through talking and understanding.

One of many enjoyable features to come from the Disney/Pixar collaboration, this G rated movie entertains adults and children alike, while sharing messages about cooperation and accepting others.

Starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don RIckles, Wallace Shawn.. Running time: 81 minutes. Theatrical release November 21, 1995. Updated July 17, 2017

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.

Toy Story Parents' Guide

Woody is usually a kind and thoughtful character. Why do you think he succumbs to his petty feelings of jealousy? What lessons do you learn as you watch his little moment of weakness escalate into a much larger situation?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Toy Story movie is March 23, 2010. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Toy Story 3: 3D

Release Date: 1 November 2011

Toy Story releases in 3D on November 1, 2011. The package includes 3D Blu-ray, 2D Blu-ray, and Standard DVD Versions of the Feature Film

Home Video Notes: Toy Story Trilogy

Release Date: 1 November 2011

All three Toy Story movies are releasing together on November 1, 2011. The Toy Story Trilogy (in either Blu-ray, or 3D Blu-ray) comes with the following:

- Toy Story (Blu-ray + Standard DVD + Disneyfile Digital Copy)

- Toy Story 2 (Blu-ray + Standard DVD + Disneyfile Digital Copy)

- Toy Story 3 (2-Disc Blu-ray + Standard DVD + Disneyfile Digital Copy)

The Toy Story 3D Trilogy also includes 3D Blu-ray copies of each of the feature films.

Click here for more details about "The Toy Story Trilogy" release.

Toy Story (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Release Date: 23 March 2010

Toy Story releases in a Combo Pack, which offers copies of the movie in DVD and Blu-ray. Extra features include:

- Toy Story 3 Sneak Peek: "The Story"

- Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: Blast Off

- Paths to Pixar: Artists

- Studio Stories:

- John’s Car

- Baby AJ

- Studio Stories: Scooter Races

- Buzz Takes Manhattan

- Black Friday: The ‘Toy Story’ You Never Saw

Toy Story 10th Anniversary Edition.

DVD Release Date: 6 September 2005

Pulling this classic treasure out of the toy box for it’s 10th anniversary, Disney/Pixar presents the beloved classic as a 2 disc set. The original film has been spit and polished, with a high bit-rate transfer and a newly re-mastered Dolby 5.1 EX audio track mix (done by seven-time Academy Award winner Gary Rydstrom).

The DVDs are also decked out with an assortment of bonus features. The Legacy of Toy Story interviews actors (Tim Allen and Tom Hanks), industry professionals (like George Lucas and Peter Jackson), film historians and other celebrities about the impact of this first feature-length, computer animated film. (My favorite was astronaut Buzz Aldrin with his Buzz Lightyear doll.) The Making of Toy Story gives the movie’s creators a chance to discuss their roles, while Filmmakers Reflect presents an introspective interview with Pixar’s creative geniuses. (This is particularly poignant in view of the death of Joe Ranft on Aug. 16, 2005).

Amongst the wealth of other tidbits are deleted scenes (most in the storyboarding stage), short clips starring the Toy Story cast, a game called The Claw, and a sneak peek at Cars, the studio’s next highly anticipated animation. Parents should note some of the interviews contain mild profanities, and parts of the scrapped footage are a bit scarier than the sequences that made it into the finished product.

Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions, Toy Story: 10th Anniversary Edition also offers English French and Spanish language tracks.