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Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack Features
- Combo Pack Release Date: March 23, 2010
- Original Theatrical Release: November 22, 1995
- 1.78:1 1080p, Widescreen
- 5.1 DTS-HD ES, English 2.0 DTS-HD, English DVS 2.0 Dolby
- French and Spanish Language Tracks
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
- Suggested Retail Price: $39.99
The Movie
When it comes to new technology, I have to admit that I am a resistor. I think it’s because of my line of work. Machines surround me all day and the last thing I want to see in front of me at home is technology of any sort. I rarely use a cell phone. I do use an iPod quite frequently, but it’s an older generation and I still buy CD’s and DVD’s. I still listen to my collection of vinyl LP’s for that matter. That said, it was no surprise that I was hesitant to jump on the Blu-ray bandwagon. Another new piece of technology? Am I going to have to replace all of my DVD’s now? We just remodeled our living room and along with that came our first big screen TV and with it a Blu-ray player. Let me start this review by saying this; Toy Story on Blu-ray is justification alone for owning a player.
It’s the first Disney animated film Blu-ray that I have watched outside of a store and it is truly an amazing sight to behold. To be fair, I bought the Monster’s Inc Blu-ray and still haven’t opened it. (I’m a resistor remember?) Mike and Sulley are next on my viewing list, but Toy Story has truly shown me the light.
As we eagerly await the premiere of Toy Story 3 this spring, we can look back on this little piece of animated history and really appreciate how it blew the doors open for Pixar in 1995. I saw it originally in a wonderful theater in New York’s Rockefeller Plaza. I’ve owned the VHS and 2 different DVD versions since then, and quite honestly, I feel like I’ve never seen the film until now. Sure, I love the story and the characters and Randy Newman’s music and always have, but viewing it in this format is a whole new experience.
We all are familiar with the plot and storyline of Toy Story. Classic toy cowboy Woody and his “staff” of toys in Andy’s room welcome a newcomer, Buzz Lightyear, a flashy new action figure who proceeds to shake things up a bit. Toy Story is really a wonderful tale about finding out who you are and of two individuals at odds who grow to depend on one another and indeed become best friends. To me, it never grows old and it continues to be one of the most popular animated films of all time. Woody and Buzz were instant classics and resonate with kids and adults on a level, dare I say, with Mickey, Donald and Goofy.
The Goodies
The previous special releases of Toy Story were chock full of extras and most of those that you are familiar with are included here. For this review, I'll focus on the new bonus features.
The Story: An Exclusive Sneak Peek at Toy Story 3
A few minutes with Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich whetting your appetite for the June 18th release of the third installment in the Toy Story series.
Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: Episode One – Blast Off
Buzz narrates footage of his recent trip into outer space aboard the International Space Station. A fairly interesting piece with some great footage from the station itself.
Paths to Pixar: Artists
Various Pixar artists discuss their first moments with the company and their philosophies regarding their careers. If you're an animation fan, It's great to see some more of the people who create the magic. It's especially nice to see people besides the big names at Pixar being interviewed.
Studio Stories
Continuing the “Behind the Scenes at Pixar” theme, these are three different shorts featuring some hand drawn animation and narration and remembrances by Pixar veterans. All are humorous and worth watching.
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“John's Car”
Toy Story director John Lasseter and his beat-up old car.
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“Baby AJ”
Halloween at Pixar and the winning employee costume was…the big baby from the short “Tin Toy.”
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“Scooter Races”
A great scooter battle between Lasseter and a fellow employee around the Pixar offices.
Buzz Takes Manhattan
An enjoyable piece documenting Buzz Lightyear's debut as a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Black Friday: The Toy Story You Never Saw
The filmmakers talk about how different the first rough cut of the film was and the reaction of Disney executives. This is great behind the scenes material. You get to see the film from a different point of view and see how smart the Toy Story creators were to stick to their original vision.
Audio, Video and Interface
I have to admit that I do not have a home theater audio system, so I was only listening to this on the speakers of my Samsung HDTV. The sound is remarkable and i can only imagine it pumping through a top notch system.
The video quality is truly breathtaking. The clarity is just amazing. The textures on the various characters can almost be felt they are so clear. It's hard to imagine that this is the first full length computer animated film, because it looks better than just about everything produced today. It's a testament to the technology and the artistry of the crew at Pixar.
The interface is simple to use and I love the concept art that is floating through the backgrounds of all of the menus.
The Final Evaluation
If I need to sell you on Toy Story, it's obvious that you haven't seen it. The film sells itself. If you have a Blu-ray player then you need to make Toy Story part of your collection. It's one of the great films of all time and is truly visually amazing in high definition.
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Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack Features
- Combo Pack Release Date: March 23, 2010
- Original Theatrical Release: November 24, 1999
- 2.35:1 1080p, Widescreen
- 5.1 DTS-HD ES, English 2.0 DTS-HD, English DVS 2.0 Dolby
- French and Spanish Language Tracks
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
- Suggested Retail Price: $39.99
The Movie
If it wasn't perfectly obvious from the previous review, I'm a huge fan of Toy Story. For that matter, I'm a huge Pixar fan in general. It's been said many times when discussing Toy Story 2, that it managed to accomplish the near impossible in Hollywood. It was better than the original. In the great tradition of The Empire Strikes Back, it can certainly be argued that Toy Story 2 is indeed abetter film than the original. I kind of put them each as equal. I'm always surprised by the non-Disney nuts out there who have seen and loved Toy Story but dismiss Toy Story 2 without even seeing it. It's a wonderful film featuring the same fantastic characters as the first, with the addition of some equally endearing new characters.
It turns out that Woody is a collectible, and a rare one at that. Woody disappears from Andy's house and ends up on the verge of being sold to a toy museum in Japan, part of a complete collection. His toy friends go on an adventure to get Woody back and, of course chaos and hilarity ensue.
Toy Story 2 proved that good story and solid characters that people care about are the true elements to a successful film.
The Goodies
The previous special releases of Toy Story 2 were chock full of extras and most of those that you are familiar with are included here. Once again, for this review, I'll focus on the new bonus features.
The Characters: An Exclusive Sneak Peek at Toy Story 3
A few minutes with Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich whetting your appetite for the June 18th release of the third installment in the Toy Story series.
Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: Episode Two – International Space Station
Buzz narrates footage of his recent trip into outer space aboard the International Space Station. A fairly interesting piece with some great footage from the station itself.
Paths to Pixar: Technical Artists
Various Pixar technical artists discuss their first moments with the company and their philosophies regarding their careers. If you're an animation fan, It's great to see some more of the people who create the magic. It's especially nice to see people besides the big names at Pixar being interviewed.
Studio Stories
The “Behind the Scenes at Pixar” theme picks up from the first disc. These are three different shorts featuring some hand drawn animation and narration and remembrances by Pixar veterans. Again all are humorous and worth watching.
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“Toy Story 2 Sleep Deprivation Lab”
A short unveiling the amount of sleepless nights incurred on Toy Story 2 and it's detrimental results .
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“Pinocchio”
Proving that Pixar is probably the most fun place on Earth to work, two employees recount a tale of boredom and it's side effects.
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“The Movie Vanishes”
An, “I can't believe I pushed delete!” moment. This short will make you feel good if you've ever lost your work on a computer. At least the big guys make mistakes too.
Pixar's Zoetrope
You have to see it to believe how cool it really is. I had the pleasure of seeing the Pixar Zoetrope at the MOMA in New York. It's amazing. Go see it at California Adventure.
Celebrating our friend Joe Ranft
A truly moving and wonderful remembrance of Pixar story master Joe Ranft.
Audio, Video and Interface
Once again, I do not have a home theater audio system, so I was only listening to this on the speakers of my Samsung HDTV. The sound is remarkable and i still can't wait to hear it pumping through a top notch system.
I can only repeat what I said above. The video quality is truly breathtaking. The clarity is just amazing. The textures on the various characters can almost be felt they are so clear. It's a testament to the technology and the artistry of the crew at Pixar.
The interface is simple to use and again the concept art that is floating through the backgrounds of all of the menus is wonderful.
The Final Evaluation
If I had to sell you on Toy Story, then it's a safe bet that you didn't see Toy Story 2. You should. You should see both. You should own both and if you're going to own both, get a Blu-ray player and get these Blu-ray editions. They're fantastic and well worth the price of admission.
