Toy Story Rankings
When people ask me the ice-breaker "what's your favorite movie," I always find myself stumped and unable to give a good answer. My default answer tends to be a trilogy-turned-tetralogy: Toy Story. As a fan of Pixar films, the entire Toy Story trilogy has held a special place in my heart. It's also been one of the rare properties in Hollywood to repeatedly turn out sequels that have lived up to the hype. A few weeks ago, I watched Toy Story 4 and enjoyed it (for the sake of today's post, I will tread lightly with spoilers). After having more time to process the movie and discuss it with a fellow Toy Story fan, I found it only fitting to do my own unofficial ranking of the 4 films.
Now, as I rank the films, one thing to keep in mind is that the "worst" one of the 4 is still a darn good movie as far as I'm concerned. There's also not that much separation in between the rankings, either. And as always, these are my own opinions, some of which well may be unpopular. Without further ado, here we go:
4. Toy Story 4
Let's start with the positives: Toy Story 4 was a good movie. Bo Peep returned after being absent from the 3rd film, and context was also provided for what happened to her in between the 2nd and 3rd films. Bo Peep also took on a larger role than she did in the previous films This film also featured the comedic and voice talents of Key & Peele and current Internet sensation Keanu Reeves. There were some rather hilarious bits in the movie as well, a couple revolving around Ducky & Bunny (voiced by Key & Peele). There was also the introduction of a spork named Forky, who really was a nice addition as well. And just as was the case with the 3rd film, there was an emotional ending that made me my cry. It's not a true Pixar movie unless there's at least one scene that leaves you in tears, you know!
With all that in mind, here's why it's fourth: one thing that stood out to me about Toy Story 4 when compared to the others is that it felt more action-paced compared to the others. In general, the film had a different feel compared to the first 3, if that makes sense. While it was nice to see new characters like Ducky, Bunny, Duke Kaboom, Giggle and Forky, one struggle that I had was that it meant significantly reduced screen time and roles for mainstays like Jessie, Hamm, Rex, Slinky, and the Potato Heads. Bonnie's toys from the previous film (Dolly, Buttercup, Trixie) mostly felt like after thoughts as well. With the way the story unfolds, it was well done in the context of a standalone story. However, with the backdrop of the first 3 films in mind, parts of the story didn't seem to mesh with themes from the previous films.
When Toy Story was first released, I was 1. Flash forward 23 and a half years later, and 24-year old Will Goodfellow found himself watching its latest installment. Quite literally, I've grown up with Toy Story. And with that in mind, it may be why I found the fourth one to be the "weakest" of the 4, so to speak. It didn't resonate me the same way as it did when I was a 5 year old watching Toy Story 2 or even a high schooler watching Toy Story 3. And admittedly, with the way the third film wrapped up, making a fourth film never felt that necessary.
3. Toy Story 3
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Toy Story 3 ended on a terrific, full-circle note. Andy entrusted his toys to Bonnie, a preschool girl. Andy got to play with the toys one last time before heading off to college, even thanking them for all the joy and fun that they brought him growing up. Woody gets his goodbye with Andy, signing off with "so long, partner" before the film closes with a still of the clouds in the sky, similar to how the first film began. When I first watched this in theaters 9 years ago, I completely lost it and cried. Toy Story 3 has the best ending of the 4 films...and that's why it also finds itself 3rd on the list.
The problem that Toy Story 3 has is that the story leading up to the ending falls short when compared to the first two. Most of the story revolves around the toys figuring out what to do with their lives now that Andy's grown up and going to college soon. They first wind up at a daycare that's essentially run by a dictator in Lotso. Personally, I wasn't a fan of Lotso as the villain here - his story was that he was abandoned (and later replaced) with the kid he was with...and now he takes out those hurt feelings on fellow toys at a daycare.
As time goes on, one part of this movie that I'm not fond of is when the toys and Lotso are at the junkyard. It felt too much like The Brave Little Toaster with all of these near-death experiences. It also drives my home my dislike of Lotso where the toys save him and he completely abandons them to die. Granted, being saved from death by "the claw" was a nice touch and nod to the original film. But that's enough with the morbid pieces. All in all, Toy Story 3 was a good film with a great ending that falls a little short of the first two.
2. Toy Story
The one where it all began - not just for the Toy Story franchise, but for Pixar's full-length films and the first film to be entirely computer animated. I'm not sure if Toy Story gets enough credit for how groundbreaking it was not just for Pixar and Disney, but for the entire animation industry.
This film tackles the unique premise of giving toys life when humans aren't around and introduces the core of Andy's room - Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Hamm, Slinky, Rex, and Mr. Potato Head (and of course Bo Peep from Molly's room). The plot revolves around Andy receiving a new toy in Buzz Lightyear, which threatens and challenges Woody's status as Andy's favorite toy and leader of the toys. Naturally, Woody & Buzz have some crazy adventures, ending up next door at the dreaded Sid's house (side note: Sid might be the best Pixar villain of all-time) right before Andy's about to move and even being a part of rocket launch.
What the original does so well is that poses the question "what does it mean to be a toy" and runs with it. Woody learns that being a toy is less about being Andy's favorite and more about being their for Andy. Buzz learns that even though he's not a "real" space ranger, he can find an even greater purpose by being Andy's toy and the love that comes from that. It's hard to conjure up flaws (if any) with this one. The reason why it's ranked #2 has less to do with itself and more to do with the film ranked #1 being that good. Which leads me to...
1. Toy Story 2
The first Pixar sequel ever made has quite the untold backstory. Toy Story 2 was originally slated to be a direct-to-video movie, but Disney urged Pixar to make it into a full-length feature film. This led to a lot of work needing to get done in a short time period, which included some obstacles along the way (Creativity by Ed Catmull is a good book to read up on this) before getting released around Thanksgiving in 1999.
Toy Story 2 centers around Woody being stolen by an owner of a toy store so that he can sell him and an entire collection of Woody-themed merchandise to a museum in Japan. Buzz Lightyear and the crew set out to save Woody, who teeters between living forever in a museum with fellow toys or going back to being with Andy knowing he only has a few years left with him. Woody's arm also gets ripped (and even falls off), which further factors in to his struggle.
So why does this one take the top spot? You could make a case that seeing this as a 5-year old in theaters holds a certain weight the others just can't hold. I can remember having a birthday part one year where we played "Pin the Tail on Bullseye". Still, Toy Story 2 takes the cake because it does an incredible job of building off and adding to the events of Toy Story. It further explores what it means to be a toy and all that comes with it. More is learned about Woody's background, including that he was the start of a show called "Woody's Roundup". New characters like Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete are introduced, highlighted by Jessie's heartbreaking backstory. Just as Woody risked his life to save Buzz (and speaks truth into his life), Buzz likewise risks his life to save Woody (and speaks truth into his life). Woody's struggle with what he should do upon learning that he's a collectible is well done, too. In the end, Woody passes up living forever for a limited shelf life with Andy because it means being loved and being with his friends.
And there you have it. My ranking of them goes 2, 1, 3, and 4. If I were to rank all the Pixar films, Toy Story 2 would be right up there in contention for the top spot with the likes of The Incredibles and Monsters, Inc. That, however, is another topic for another time. In the meantime, you just remember what you're old pal said: you've got a friend in me.
Now, as I rank the films, one thing to keep in mind is that the "worst" one of the 4 is still a darn good movie as far as I'm concerned. There's also not that much separation in between the rankings, either. And as always, these are my own opinions, some of which well may be unpopular. Without further ado, here we go:
4. Toy Story 4
Let's start with the positives: Toy Story 4 was a good movie. Bo Peep returned after being absent from the 3rd film, and context was also provided for what happened to her in between the 2nd and 3rd films. Bo Peep also took on a larger role than she did in the previous films This film also featured the comedic and voice talents of Key & Peele and current Internet sensation Keanu Reeves. There were some rather hilarious bits in the movie as well, a couple revolving around Ducky & Bunny (voiced by Key & Peele). There was also the introduction of a spork named Forky, who really was a nice addition as well. And just as was the case with the 3rd film, there was an emotional ending that made me my cry. It's not a true Pixar movie unless there's at least one scene that leaves you in tears, you know!
With all that in mind, here's why it's fourth: one thing that stood out to me about Toy Story 4 when compared to the others is that it felt more action-paced compared to the others. In general, the film had a different feel compared to the first 3, if that makes sense. While it was nice to see new characters like Ducky, Bunny, Duke Kaboom, Giggle and Forky, one struggle that I had was that it meant significantly reduced screen time and roles for mainstays like Jessie, Hamm, Rex, Slinky, and the Potato Heads. Bonnie's toys from the previous film (Dolly, Buttercup, Trixie) mostly felt like after thoughts as well. With the way the story unfolds, it was well done in the context of a standalone story. However, with the backdrop of the first 3 films in mind, parts of the story didn't seem to mesh with themes from the previous films.
When Toy Story was first released, I was 1. Flash forward 23 and a half years later, and 24-year old Will Goodfellow found himself watching its latest installment. Quite literally, I've grown up with Toy Story. And with that in mind, it may be why I found the fourth one to be the "weakest" of the 4, so to speak. It didn't resonate me the same way as it did when I was a 5 year old watching Toy Story 2 or even a high schooler watching Toy Story 3. And admittedly, with the way the third film wrapped up, making a fourth film never felt that necessary.
3. Toy Story 3
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Toy Story 3 ended on a terrific, full-circle note. Andy entrusted his toys to Bonnie, a preschool girl. Andy got to play with the toys one last time before heading off to college, even thanking them for all the joy and fun that they brought him growing up. Woody gets his goodbye with Andy, signing off with "so long, partner" before the film closes with a still of the clouds in the sky, similar to how the first film began. When I first watched this in theaters 9 years ago, I completely lost it and cried. Toy Story 3 has the best ending of the 4 films...and that's why it also finds itself 3rd on the list.
The problem that Toy Story 3 has is that the story leading up to the ending falls short when compared to the first two. Most of the story revolves around the toys figuring out what to do with their lives now that Andy's grown up and going to college soon. They first wind up at a daycare that's essentially run by a dictator in Lotso. Personally, I wasn't a fan of Lotso as the villain here - his story was that he was abandoned (and later replaced) with the kid he was with...and now he takes out those hurt feelings on fellow toys at a daycare.
As time goes on, one part of this movie that I'm not fond of is when the toys and Lotso are at the junkyard. It felt too much like The Brave Little Toaster with all of these near-death experiences. It also drives my home my dislike of Lotso where the toys save him and he completely abandons them to die. Granted, being saved from death by "the claw" was a nice touch and nod to the original film. But that's enough with the morbid pieces. All in all, Toy Story 3 was a good film with a great ending that falls a little short of the first two.
2. Toy Story
The one where it all began - not just for the Toy Story franchise, but for Pixar's full-length films and the first film to be entirely computer animated. I'm not sure if Toy Story gets enough credit for how groundbreaking it was not just for Pixar and Disney, but for the entire animation industry.
This film tackles the unique premise of giving toys life when humans aren't around and introduces the core of Andy's room - Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Hamm, Slinky, Rex, and Mr. Potato Head (and of course Bo Peep from Molly's room). The plot revolves around Andy receiving a new toy in Buzz Lightyear, which threatens and challenges Woody's status as Andy's favorite toy and leader of the toys. Naturally, Woody & Buzz have some crazy adventures, ending up next door at the dreaded Sid's house (side note: Sid might be the best Pixar villain of all-time) right before Andy's about to move and even being a part of rocket launch.
What the original does so well is that poses the question "what does it mean to be a toy" and runs with it. Woody learns that being a toy is less about being Andy's favorite and more about being their for Andy. Buzz learns that even though he's not a "real" space ranger, he can find an even greater purpose by being Andy's toy and the love that comes from that. It's hard to conjure up flaws (if any) with this one. The reason why it's ranked #2 has less to do with itself and more to do with the film ranked #1 being that good. Which leads me to...
1. Toy Story 2
The first Pixar sequel ever made has quite the untold backstory. Toy Story 2 was originally slated to be a direct-to-video movie, but Disney urged Pixar to make it into a full-length feature film. This led to a lot of work needing to get done in a short time period, which included some obstacles along the way (Creativity by Ed Catmull is a good book to read up on this) before getting released around Thanksgiving in 1999.
Toy Story 2 centers around Woody being stolen by an owner of a toy store so that he can sell him and an entire collection of Woody-themed merchandise to a museum in Japan. Buzz Lightyear and the crew set out to save Woody, who teeters between living forever in a museum with fellow toys or going back to being with Andy knowing he only has a few years left with him. Woody's arm also gets ripped (and even falls off), which further factors in to his struggle.
So why does this one take the top spot? You could make a case that seeing this as a 5-year old in theaters holds a certain weight the others just can't hold. I can remember having a birthday part one year where we played "Pin the Tail on Bullseye". Still, Toy Story 2 takes the cake because it does an incredible job of building off and adding to the events of Toy Story. It further explores what it means to be a toy and all that comes with it. More is learned about Woody's background, including that he was the start of a show called "Woody's Roundup". New characters like Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete are introduced, highlighted by Jessie's heartbreaking backstory. Just as Woody risked his life to save Buzz (and speaks truth into his life), Buzz likewise risks his life to save Woody (and speaks truth into his life). Woody's struggle with what he should do upon learning that he's a collectible is well done, too. In the end, Woody passes up living forever for a limited shelf life with Andy because it means being loved and being with his friends.
And there you have it. My ranking of them goes 2, 1, 3, and 4. If I were to rank all the Pixar films, Toy Story 2 would be right up there in contention for the top spot with the likes of The Incredibles and Monsters, Inc. That, however, is another topic for another time. In the meantime, you just remember what you're old pal said: you've got a friend in me.
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