#99 Toy Story (1995)

Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) is Andy’s (voice of John Morris) favorite toy, but this year things may be different.  At Andy’s birthday party, he receives the new Buzz Lightyear action figure (voice of Tim Allen).  Woody immediately becomes jealous of Buzz and feels replaced by him.  One day, Woody accidentally knocks Buzz out of the window, causing a chain of events that lead the two toys into the backyard of Andy’s neighbor Sid (voice of Erik von Detten), a kid who gets pleasure from blowing up toys.  Now the two must work together to get away from Sid and back to Andy before him and his family move away forever.

I have seen this movie a number of times.  I always enjoy watching it because it is a great movie.  All the voices belong to famous actors, the script is clever and full of witty lines, and the plot is extremely creative.  Plus, this was the first Disney/Pixar film to be made entirely with Computer-generated imagery, indicating a break-through in animation at the time.  The problem is after seeing it so many times, my enthusiasm for it has dropped tremendously.  Beyond what I just wrote, I am not sure what else to say about it, but I will try.

Hanks and Allen are great as the voices of Woody and Buzz.  They bring the images to life and give them character.  It is the opposite of a silent film.  The actors can not present themselves through body movements or facial expressions, so they need to give the characters life solely through their vocal cords.  It impresses me to think of how talented they are and how a simple tone of voice or the way something is said can change how an audience views an animation.  The rest of the cast did an exquisite job as well.  Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Jim Varney (known mainly for playing Ernest) as Slinky the Dog, John Ratzenberger (Cliff on “Cheers”) as Hamm, and Annie Potts as Bo Peep.  I had to pause the movie and check out the cast because there were so many voices I recognized.

This film is intended for all ages.  The plot is aimed towards children, but the film is filled with witty lines and mature references that only adults would understand.  Though I have seen this many times, I still find myself laughing out loud quite often.  The banter between Woody and Buzz remains top on my humor list, but watch for Rex, the dinosaur toy.  Wallace Shawn is the voice behind him and something about his voice and the way he delivers Rex’s lines is extremely comical.  Toy Story paved the way for animation in making children’s movies suitable for adults.  Since 1995, Disney/Pixar has created a number of films, like Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc, that children enjoy and adults love.  Princesses and Princes are now a thing of the past; talking toys and carousing clownfish characterize the present.

With 3-D films and the process of performance capture seen in films like Polar Express and A Christmas Carol, computer-generated imagery seems like a thing of the past.  When Toy Story first came out, CGI was new and unheard of.  People flocked to the theater to see the animation and Toy Story became the highest-grossing film on opening weekend.  The impressive news, however, is that in 2010, Toy Story 3 was released using CGI and currently, it is the highest grossing film worldwide for 2010.  What that says to me is people may have flocked to the theaters in 1995 for computer-animation, but they stayed for the movie itself.

It is not the CGI that drew people in this year; it is the heartfelt story and emotional appeal Toy Story elicits in its viewers.  It is as if we have grown up with Andy.  Childhood is such a far-reaching topic.  We all experienced it and can relate when we see a film about childhood, which is why the theme is so popular.  Toy Story takes that theme and makes it suitable for both children and adults.  It adds the element of fun and brings back fond memories of childhood.  I don’t even think I loved my toys as much as I do the ones in this film.  I highly recommend this film to everyone, especially those who have not seen it in a long time or who have never seen it.  And the beauty is if you like it, you do not need to wait years for the sequels to be released.  As of today, they are all out on DVD.  So now you and Buzz Lightyear can go “to infinity and beyond!” all in one night.

 

#34 Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Snow White is a princess living with her evil stepmother known as the Queen.  After the Queen’s Magic Mirror tells her Snow White is the fairest of the land, the Queen orders her huntsman to kill the princess.  He is unable to do it and tells Snow White to run away.  With the help of forest creatures, she finds a cottage to stay at which belongs to seven dwarfs.  They are enamored with her beauty and grace and let her stay with them.  After the Magic Mirror reveals that Snow White is still alive, the Queen disguises herself as an ugly, old woman and tricks Snow White into eating a poisonous apple which puts her in a deep sleep.  The only thing that can wake her is love’s first kiss.  The dwarfs keep her in a glass coffin and after several seasons, a Prince who fell in love with Snow White prior to her deep sleep comes along and breaks the spell.

I grew up on Disney films.  My sister and I have over 20 in our collection and many of my childhood memories revolve around watching a Disney film or singing a song from a Disney film.  After I finished watching ‘Snow White,’ I had no idea why it made this list.  The graphics since 1937 have improved tremendously and the plots are richer and more entertaining.   I assumed it was either the first ever animated feature film or some sort of first for Disney.  So, I did a little Wiki research and found out it was the first full-length cel-animated feature in motion picture history, the first animated feature film produced in America, the first in full color, the first to be produced by Walt Disney, and the first in the Walt Disney Animated Classics canon.  Also, in 1989, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry as being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Dwarfs_(1937_film).

When I put the film into context with these facts, I better understood why it made AFI’s top 100.  For being the first of its kind, the graphics are phenomenal.   I noticed the film had several scenes where the animation is the main focus.  Whether it is a butterfly fluttering around a dwarf’s nose or the scene with Snow White and the forest creatures cleaning the dwarf’s house, Disney displayed its skills in the animation arena.  The movement of the characters and vibrant color must have awed audiences when the film was released.  It raised the bar for animated films and set a precedent that has since improved over the years.

Though ‘Snow White’ was adapted from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name, it gave Disney its classic plot.  Take one beautiful Princess, one evil stepmother or witch-type woman who wants to destroy her, and one charming Prince who will save the day.  Over the years, the evil character has evolved into different forms, such as a lion in ‘The Lion King’ or an evil sultan in ‘Aladdin,’ but death is always the final outcome for that character and happily ever after is always the outcome for the Prince and Princess.

When I think of all the Disney films I have seen, there are obvious improvements in animation since ‘Snow White,’ but without ‘Snow White’ I wonder if animation would have soared to such heights.  I definitely agree with the National Film Registry that this film is significantly important in regards to animation history in the United States.  Like I said, it set a precedent.  I fully understand now why it made the list and though animation skills have far surpassed those seen in ‘Snow White,’ there is no other Disney movie I would pick to put on this list.  For the time it was released, it is a masterpiece and I recommend watching it.  Pay attention to the details of the cels, the luminous backdrops, and the intricate movement of all the characters.  I guarantee you will be amazed in a way that is only possible now that you are watching it as an adult.