Toy Story (1995)

I could talk about any Pixar movie in this spot, because with the exception of one or two, they are all really good, which probably gives Pixar a better batting average than any other studio in Hollywood.

It’s hard to believe Toy Story came out in 1995 – over half of my life ago – because it is one of the few cinema experiences that stands out to me all these years later. When it was released there was nothing like it, and that’s not hyperbole. It was fresh and new at a time when there was very little innovation on the big screen.

You will find a new computer animated release almost every week in 2017, but in 1995 it was extremely rare. People saw it as a novelty. Toy Story was a litmus test of sorts. Had it been a flop most of the animated movies we have seen over the last two decades may not have been produced, but not only was it a major financial success, it was also extremely well written and the critics and public alike loved it. As such, it set the benchmark for every cgi release from that point on.

Toy Story is a great movie, but it’s not even the best one in that trilogy, let alone the best thing Pixar has released. If you’ve not seen it, you owe it to yourself to give it ninety minutes of your time.