Date: Fri 21-Jun-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Location: A-11

Quick Words:

Playing-Toy-Story-Hanks-Disney

Full Text:

(rev "Toy Story" for Now Playing, 6/21/96)

Now Playing-

Wonderful Moments In Brilliant `Story'

By Trey Paul Alexander III

Last year, Hollywood (and most of America, for that matter) fell in love with

Babe , an engaging film about a swine who would be king sheepherder. It

garnered several Academy Award nominations, including a bid for Best Picture,

but that nod could have just as easily gone to Toy Story , which this reviewer

preferred of the two stellar family films. But the choice few who have not yet

seen these flicks will get the opportunity to judge for themselves when Toy

Story arrives at the Edmond Town Hall theatre in Newtown for a two-week run

beginning June 21. ( Babe is currently available on video.)

When Toy Story first hit the nation's big screens back in November, most of

the film's hype centered around its being Disney's first venture into

full-length, completely computer-generated animation. How would this fly?

Would the audience accept it? Notwithstanding the production's technical

merits (and they are impressive: the animation's fluidity and illusion of

three-dimensionality make for astounding eye candy), it is a witty,

Oscar-nominated screenplay brought to vivid life by some energetic voice

characterizations that make the film's 77 minutes fun and enjoyable.

Woody the cowboy (Tom Hanks) has the rule of the roost among the toys in his

six-year old owner's expansive collection. Although all the toys, which come

to life whenever humans are not looking, are preparing for an impending change

of scenery (Andy - the six-year old - and his family will soon be moving to a

new home), all is relatively harmonious in the world of plastic playthings.

That is, until Andy's birthday party, which casts an ominous cloud of worry

and imminent doom over the proceedings as a mountain of wrapped gifts

signifies a potential shift in Andy's order of preference.

Toy Story strikes the right notes early by introducing a coterie of characters

- including an ornery, quick-witted Mr Potato Head (Don Rickles), a meek

plastic dinosaur (Wallace Shawn), a laid-back Slinky Dog (Jim Varney) and a

coy Bo Peep (Annie Potts) - that is as distinctive a motley crew as any

assemblage of characters from a well cast ensemble film. When the charming,

likable Woody feigns indifference to the prospect of losing his No. 1 status,

we just know his ego is due for a bruising.

That bruising comes in the guise of Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a slick,

space-suited hero with flashy gadgets and the kind of mega-merchandising push

that makes kids erupt in choruses of "I've gotta have that!" Andy brusquely

turns Woody aside, and his adoration for the new action figure makes it

evidently clear there is a new favorite in town.

The writers' next brilliant maneuver was to cast the noble Buzz as an

endearing innocent who truly believes himself to be the Buzz Lightyear. He

politely dismisses all claims that he is just one of the toys. Not only does

Buzz draw Woody's ire for replacing his standing, but he grates on the

cowboy's nerves with his refusal to accept his current situation, as he

rambles on about resuming his vital mission for Star Command. What then

emerges is a battle between Buzz and Woody for peak position in Andy's heart,

and a journey that will shed some light on the purpose of being (the toys

exist for the pleasure of their young owner; some have seen this as a very

Christian allegory).

Toy Story , rated G, has many wonderful moments that will probably have

moviegoers reminiscing about their own favorite toys. The film is loaded with

sly references and winning gags - one sequence takes place in the home of a

menacing kid whose room houses cruelly demolished toys that look like

something out of a Tim Burton flick - and some of the more clever humor may

escape younger children but is sure to be appreciated by the older folks in

the crowd.