"To infinity and beyond!"

continued from my earlier post "The Pixar animation exhibition in Singapore"

Pixar has made 10 feature films beginning with "Toy Story" in 1995 and each one has achieved critical and commercial success.

"Toy Story" is a 1995 American computer-animated family film directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. It was the first feature film released to use only computer-generated imagery. Toy Story follows a group of toys who come to life whenever their owner is not present, focusing on Woody, a toy cowboy and Buzz Lightyear, a Space Ranger astronaut action figure.

The film was so successful it prompted a sequel, "Toy Story 2", which became an even bigger hit than the original.

Here's Buzz from way back. I still have the original 1995 released 12-inch Buzz lightyear figure, 16-inch Talking Woody along with Bo Peep, Slinky Dog, Playskool Toy Story Mr Potato Head and other characters in the store-room... kind of like how Toy Story 3 starts

Some of the basic characters in Toy Story: Tom Hanks as Sheriff Woody, an old-fashioned pull-string cowboy doll who is Andy's favorite toy. Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, the new and popular sci-fi action figure who begins to rival Woody as Andy's favorite toy and as the most popular toy in Andy's room. Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, a cynical toy, based on Playskool's popular Mr. Potato Head toy. Wallace Shawn as Rex, an inept, insecure tyrannosaurus. John Ratzenberger as Hamm, a wisecracking piggy bank who gets involved in all of the other toys' affairs. Annie Potts as Bo Peep, a porcelain shepherdess, who is the voice of reason among Andy's toys and Woody's love interest. RC is Andy's remote controlled car. RC speaks in "whirring" sounds (he can't talk, but Potato Head can perfectly understand his motor sounds).

Toy Story 2 got real interesting when Al, a greedy toy collector kidnaps Woody who unbeknownst to himself is a highly valued collectable. Buzz Lightyear and gang - Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex and Hamm - spring into action and save their pal from winding up as a museum piece.

New characters appeared: Mrs. Potato Head, Mr. Potato Head's wife and female counterpart. Although mentioned as one of Molly's Christmas presents near the end of the first movie, she isn't seen until Toy Story 2. Emperor Zurg, Buzz Lightyear's arch-enemy, as well as his "father" (to Buzz number 2). Let's not forget Sarge, the gung-ho commander of an army of plastic toy soldiers from Bucket O Soldiers.

In Toy Story 2, we were introduced to Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack (yodeling by Mary Kay Bergman). She is modeled after a character on the fictional television show "Woody's Roundup", where the characters consisted of Sheriff Woody, Jessie, Stinky Pete the Prospector and Bullseye, Woody's horse.

Let's not forget the Squeeze Toy Aliens or LGM (Little Green Men), a bunch of three-eyed space aliens. Each one believes that "The Claw" will somehow choose one of them to "go on to a better place." In the sequel, three of these toys are found in a Pizza Planet truck that the toys hijack to chase Al to the airport. During the pursuit, they almost get blown out of the open window, but are rescued by Mr. Potato Head and become attached to him. Their unison catchphase was "You have saved our lives. We are eternally grateful."


"Toy Story 3", scheduled for release on June 18, 2010, is currently in post-production.