PIXAR @25: TOY STORY (1995) A peek at the "real playtime" for toys

We've no idea what comes alive when we're away or asleep.

There are two reasons why I somehow believe my stuffed toys talk and pounce around when I close the bedroom door: I was around 8--a stage where I believe everything in what everyone says--when I watched Toy Story; and I am a Filipino and as studies claim we are the most gullible people in the world.

Toy Story (1995, directed by John Lasseter) became Pixar's debut movie with its first ever computer-animated motion picture. It was a big hit for all ages as it finally reawaken the wonder and childish belief about talking toys and their own world.

The door closes with a bang, the bedroom is clear and out comes Andy's toys led by sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks). We were eight-year-old kids chewing gum and we ecstatically took our first peek at the world where toys of different boxes, origins and manufacturers "play" on their own and take on adventures we wished we could've witnessed on our own toys.

Did they also argue and punch each other like what Woody did when rookie toy Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) invaded his territory and his Andy? Did they also lead an unexpected adventure down the streets, and almost got tortured by the big bully kid next door? At one point in my life, just after I watched Toy Story, I seriously began to contemplate on these questions. But whatever escapades they could've gone through, I was still comforted by the fact that whenever I got home, they were still on my bed, neatly arranged.

Woody and Buzz, along with the rest of Andy's toys, portrayed a mix of the human behavior involving coping up with differences, aggression over entitlement issues, jealousy and the discovery of who they truly are.

Maybe we'll never really know what comes alive in our own backyards.

TOY STORY Facts:

1. Toy Story was the first full-length animated feature film to be completely created by artists using the 20th century technology.

2. It became the highest grossing animated feature film in 1995, with a whopping $358 million in worldwide box office receipts.

3. Tinny, the mute wind-up musician was originally the inspiration of Toy Story making. In fact, he was originally cast as Andy's new toy but was then replaced by the futuristic Buzz Lightyear.

"I love it when a plan comes together"

We better hit our stupid books--they don't hit back. But does it also mean we better give up our old toys (when puberty says hello), because they won't give up on us?

Mr. Potatohead and Jessie definitely won't agree--at first. After all, toys are for playtime, and all they "live" for is to be played with forever. We cannot blame them when Andy won't play with them anymore.


Obviously, from a "humanities" point of view, Toy Story 3 talks about loyalty. In real life it is somewhat parallel to the concept of true friendship among people. Even Albert Einstein said something about being a true friend, when he's rarely there but definitely on the worst days of his friend's life.

I also personally admire how Woody's (and even Buzz's) plan came together in Toy Story 3. I would always remember Mr. Potatohead dropping off his parts and sticking them into a plato wrap dough, then I would reminisce on how a lot of things I planned either turned out worse or didn't happen at all.


But then I've also learned plans will always go wrong at one point, and that's when we need to IMPROVISE (like how Woody, the space aliens, and Bullseye made another route to avoid the patrol trucks, and how they hid in a bucket when Big Baby almost caught them).

My sister Ate Nadine claimed it was laudable for Pixar not to make a Toy Story 4, after leaving Woody with Bonnie and not taking him to college with Andy. They were not greedy enough to franchise another movie, as Toy Story 3's ending definitely left a teary, dramatic goodbye all of us children who once had toys will remember forever.

"You guarantee it, huh?"

The makers consequently donated Woody's lessons on never giving up, and equally when to give up.

"Did you fix Buzz?"

And I just love Jessie and Buzz's Spanish dance!

Toy Story in MY HOUSE

"TO INFINITY, AND BEYOND!!!"
Who would not remember this line? Being an avid follower of the movie series Toy Story, I also got wild after I heard news Lee Unkrich generously extended every toy's exposure in the big screen (maybe even in the 3D one!) the third time. Which led me to feature my OWN Toy Story, my personal collection of my own toys (particularly my stuffed toys) I have since I was about 6 years old.

 I also had a collection of barbie dolls once, and there are two certain reasons why I haven't taken them a shot her: 1. I have lost most of them; 2. some of them already have distorted faces and incomplete dresses.

But proudly enough, I still believe my toys (the stuffed ones) talk or walk around our room everytime I'm away or asleep. Haha.

 As we all know, Toy Story 3 would paint a contemporary picture of a college-evolved Andy, where naturally, he would acquire nostalgic episodes towards his old (really old) toys, leading him to dump them in a day-care center. But just like sociable people, Woody and his company first loved their new surroundings with a whole new bunch of toys. In the course of time, they also experienced nostalgia and as a final resolution, they would want to find their way home with Andy, as the matured boy also realized he would always carry them in his heart.

For latest news, it was recently reported (about 5 hours ago) that Jeremy Mansfield, a well-known radio personality of the 94.7 Highveld Stereo in Johannesburg, South Africa, would contribute his voice in one of the new characters of Toy Story 3. Also being a fan of the Toy Story movies, he would voice Lifer, a Chatter telephone who has spent his life in a toy box at a children's nursery school.

 Toy Story 3 would shoot in the theaters coming June 18, 2010, and again, I would not want to miss the movie that always make me feel younger again.