At director John Lasseter’s request, both laserdisc versions of 'Toy Story' (this deluxe edition and a standard movie-only version) have been letterboxed for a 1.77:1 aspect ratio. This presents the entire width of the animated image, but blocks off a bit of the top and bottom. The computer-generated camera negative had an aspect ratio of roughly 1.66:1, and the image was actually cropped further, to 1.85:1, in theaters. Hence you see more on this disc than you did in theaters. The framing is consistently satisfying, and the colors are so bright and rich they appear three-dimensional. Both versions are THX-certified and are absolutely stunning. The deluxe boxed set even has a new THX logo, custom animated by Pixar, the computer animation company responsible for creating 'Toy Story'.
Even without considering the Dolby Digital AC-3 mix, 'Toy Story' has one of the most impressive laser soundtracks in memory. From the tentative roar of the insecure T-Rex to the fiery blast of Buzz Lightyear’s strapped-on rocket to Randy Newman’s bouncy score, the bombastic sound puts you right in the middle of this computer-generated fantasy world. The basses rumble and shake, the high-end sounds are clean and sharp and the surround sound is enveloping. When you reach for a title to demonstrate the power of your home video system to envious friends, you’ll be reaching for 'Toy Story' for quite some time.
The 77-minute movie (the liner notes incorrectly list a running time of 81 minutes) is divided up into three sides, all in CAV. The side breaks are fine.
Sure, casual, budget-minded collectors might settle or the CLV movie-only version, but fans of this ground-breaking film and students of film and animation will want to invest in this deluxe edition, crammed with more supplementaries and delectable making-of goodies than any other movie has ever been packaged with. For starters, there’s an in-depth making-of feature that shows every step of the complicated computer animation utilized to create 'Toy Story'. Included here are interviews with the filmmakers, a glimpse of the actors during recording sessions, and a look at the genesis and progression of the film from concept to storyboard to rough "wire-frame" computer models to fine-tuned computer images, with appropriate colors, shadings and textures. It’s a crash-course in computer animation that no film buff will want to miss. Then, there are early animation tests and thousands of still-frames devoted to designs and models of every character, designs of every virtual environment, storyboards, sketches, conceptual art and a look at the original treatment for the 'Toy Story' script. Also here is a look at some deleted animation and a collection of some computer-generated bloopers—scenes that were ruined because of programming errors and malfunctions. They’re pretty humorous. Also interesting is a scene dubbed in over 20 foreign languages which allows the listener to hear how 'Toy Story' sounded around the world. To give the package a sense of absolute completeness, five early computer-animated shorts produced by Pixar are included on side 4. There are audio-only tracks of demos of the film’s songs (including some not used in the finished film), and a thoroughly enjoyable audio essay from the filmmakers, during which they discuss their ideas about the film, the challenges in making a film solely by computer and its phenomenal success. Of course, they’re all quick to acknowledge that while the breathtaking computer animation is the main draw of the film, the movie succeeds mainly on the strength of its script, which revolves around the power of friendship and teamwork. A curious note of omission: a chapter is devoted to the artwork and trailers created to promote 'Toy Story', including three theatrical trailers, several TV spots, the many variations of the newspaper ad campaign and "For Your Consideration" ads created for industry trade papers to generate awareness for Academy AwardŽ nominations. What’s not here is a still frame of the controversial ad suggesting 'Toy Story' for Best Picture, in which a squad of Green Army Men is depicted carrying away an OscarŽ. This ad was quickly withdrawn, because Academy regulations restrict the use of the familiar statuette, which is a registered trademark. Some speculate that this ad cost 'Toy Story' a Best Picture nomination, but the fact that it’s not here certainly suggests that the filmmakers and the publicists wish they’d never created it.
The movie is a visual marvel and the cutting-edge technology employed to create it is a taste of the future. The vocal talents are all perfectly matched with their respective characters (Tom Hanks and Tim Allen make a great team, and their support by the likes of Don Rickles, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, Jim Varney and R. Lee Ermey represents clever casting at its cleverest). But the bottom line is that the movie is populated with fantastic characters who we really care for. Beyond the gee-whiz imagery, the rapid-fire pacing, and the witty humor, there’s a lot of heart in 'Toy Story' and that’s the core of its universal appeal. That, and the long-sought-after explanation of why our toys were never where we remembered leaving them.
Toy Story (Deluxe Collector’s Edition) Walt Disney Home Video; 4 discs, 8 sides; CAV, 1 supplementary side in CLV; Widescreen (1.77:1); Stereo Surround; Dolby Digital AC-3; THX; Chapter stops; Closed captioned; $124.99
Also available is a standard, movie-only version: Walt Disney Home Video; 2 sides; CLV; Widescreen (1.77:1); Stereo Surround; Dolby Digital AC-3; THX; Chapter stops; Closed captioned; $29.99
S. Damien Segal.
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