Toy Story (1995)

Toy Story was the first animated feature film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. Premiered on November 19, 1995, at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Pixar Animation Studios held its own premiere on November 20, 1995, at the Regency Center in San Francisco, California. Generally released in theaters on November 22, 1995. Produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. The first animated feature film from Pixar Animation Studios, as well as the first animated feature film to be entirely completed on computers. 

Woody, a devoted cowboy doll who has long been Andy’s favorite toy, until a flashy new space ranger, Buzz Lightyear, who arrives and unintentionally threatens his place. When rivalry turns into an accident that leaves both toys lost, Woody and Buzz must work together to find their way back to Andy. Along the journey, they confront danger, self-doubt, and the realization that being a toy is about loyalty, friendship, and purpose. Their adventure ultimately transforms them from rivals into true friends.

The soundtrack for Toy Story was released on November 22, 1995. It was composed, conducted, orchestrated, arranged, and performed by Randy Newman. The soundtrack contains the film’s score plus three original songs written and performed by Newman, including “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” “Strange Things,” and “I Will Go Sailing No More.”

At the 68th Academy Awards on March 25, 1996,  nominated for Best Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score) - Randy Newman, Best Music (Original Song) - “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman, Best Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Screenplay by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow; Story by John Lasseter, Peter Doctor, Andrew Stanton, Joe Ranft. In addition, John Lasseter was awarded a Special Achievement Award for “the development and application of techniques that made possible the first feature-length computer-animated film.”

Re-released in theaters in Disney Digital 3-D on October 2, 2009; in select CINEMARK theaters from July 21 to August 3, 2023, as part of Disney’s 100th anniversary; and on September 12, 2025, to coincide with the film’s 30th anniversary

Released on home video for the first time on VHS and LaserDisc on October 29, 1996. Re-released on VHS on December 17, 1996, as a Deluxe Video Edition. Re-released on LaserDisc on December 18, 1996, as a LaserDisc Deluxe CAV LaserDisc Edition. Re-released on LaserDisc on October 15, 1997, as a LaserDisc Widescreen LaserDisc DT Digital Surround version. Re-released on VHS on January 11, 2000, as part of the Walt Disney Gold Collection Special Edition. Re-released on VHS on January 11, 2000, as a 2-Movie Collection with Toy Story 2. Released for the first time on DVD on October 17, 2000, as an Ultimate Toy Box Collector’s Edition. Re-released on DVD on March 20, 2001. Re-released on DVD on September 6, 2005, as a 2-Disc 10th Anniversary Edition. Released for the first time on Blu-ray + DVD Special Edition on March 23, 2010. The Special Edition came in Blu-ray and DVD packaging. Re-released on DVD on May 11, 2010. Released for the first time in Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy on November 1, 2011, along with a Blu-ray 3D 3-Movie Collection with Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. Re-released on Blu-ray + Digital HD on November 29, 2015. Re-released on Blu-ray + Blu-ray 3D + DVD + Digital HD on February 9, 2016. Re-released on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code Multi-Screen Edition on May 26, 2019. Released for the first time on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Code on June 14, 2019, as an Ultimate Collector’s Edition along with a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Code Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. Re-released on DVD on March 2, 2021, as a 4-Movie Collection with Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, and Toy Story 4, along with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code 4-Movie Collection with Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, and Toy Story 4. Re-released on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code on January 3, 2023, as a Disney100 Edition. Re-released on Blu-ray on November 14, 2023, in the Disney Legacy Animated Collection. Toy Story is available on Disney+.

The American Film Institute (AFI), an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, released the “AFI 100 Years …” series between 1998 and 2008 and recognized Toy Story in a couple of categories. The film was selected for AFI’s 100 Greatest American Films - 10th Anniversary Edition (2007): Toy Story ( #99 ) and AFI’s 10 Top 10 (2008) - The Top 10 Films in 10 Genres: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (#6 Animation). 

In 2005, the United States Library of Congress deemed Toy Story “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry. 

Cast & Crew

Director: John Lasseter. Writers(s): John Lasseter (Original Story), Pete Doctor (Original Story), Andrew Stanton (Original Story / Screenplay), Joe Ranft (Original Story), Joss Whedon (Screenplay), Joel Cohen (Screenplay), Alec Sokolow (Screenplay). Producer(s): Bonnie Arnold, Ed Catmull (Executive Producer as Edwin Catmull), Ralph Guggenheim, Steve Jobs (Executive Producer). Voice Cast: Tom Hanks (voice of Woody), Tim Allen (voice of Buzz), Don Rickles (voice of Mr. Potato Head), Jim Varney (voice of Slinky Dog), Wallace Shawn (voice of Rex), John Ratzenberger (voice of Hamm), Annie Potts (voice of Bo-Peep), John Morris (voice of Andy), Erik von Detten (voice of Sid), Laurie Metcalf (voice of Mrs. Davis), R. Lee Ermey (voice of Sergeant), Sarah Rayne (voice of Hannah), Penn Jillette (voice of TV Announcer). Composer: Randy Newman. Editor(s): Robert Gordon, Lee Unkrich. Art Director: Ralph Eggleston. Supervising Animator(s): Pete Doctor. Directing Animator: Ash Brannon. Layout Supervisor: Craig Good. Supervising Technical Director: William Reeves. Casting: Mike Fenton (uncredited), Janet Hirshenson (uncredited), Jane Jenkins (uncredited), Ruth Lambert (uncredited). 

Technical Specifications

MPAA Rating: G

Runtime: 81 minutes

Sound: Dolby Digital

Color: Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Genre: Action and Adventure, Buddy, Comedy, Animation

Box Office

Budget: $30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend (U.S. & Canada): $29,140,617

Gross (U.S. & Canada): $229,947,062

Gross (Worldwide): $401,157,969

My Thoughts

Toy Story was revolutionary, being the first fully computer-animated feature film and changing the future of the animation medium. The knock today for someone seeing it for the first time could be the obviously dated look of the animation, but it’s truly unfair to the film to compare what computers can do today to what they could do in the mid-'90s. The film balances comedy, heart, and adventure with themes of friendship, jealousy, and loyalty, appealing to all ages. The characters are memorable and iconic, each with very distinct characteristics. The voice actors are outstanding and deliver unforgettable performances. The ideas of belonging, change, and learning to accept others are as relevant today as it was thirty years ago and will be thirty years from now, making this film relevant for many years to come. My overall rating for Toy Story is 100 (out of 100). 

Ratings

My Rating: 100 (out of 100)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (Tomatometer) 92%(Popcornmeter)

Metacritic: 96 (Metascore) | 8.9 (User Score)

IMDb: 8.3 (out of 10)

The Movie DB: 80% (User Score)

Combined Rating: 91.43

Have you seen Toy Story? Share your thoughts and comments below. 

Great care has been taken to be as accurate as possible in the details of each entry I post. As with anything, mistakes can happen, dates can be wrong, information may not be readily available, etc. If you see any incorrect, inaccurate, or missing information, contact me at disneymovieandfilmencyclopedia@gmail.com.