The Toy Story films are one of those rare movie franchises in which every film is at least good. There are no bad films, it’s just that some are better than others.

Each film was created by the legendary CGI studio Pixar, the masters of making their audiences cry. The films feature an all-star voice cast, including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Wallace Shawn, Jim Varney, John Ratzenberger, Joan Cusack, Estelle Harris and the late great Don Rickles and R. Lee Ermey.

The first film, Toy Story, was released in 1995 and was directed by John Lasseter.

The film is about a group of toys owned by a kid named Andy (played by John Morris), who come to life and interact with objects when no human is looking. The leader of this toy civilization, and Andy’s favorite toy, is Woody (Tom Hanks), a toy sheriff. 

However, Woody’s position as favorite toy is threatened when Andy is given a new toy for his birthday, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a space ranger. Buzz however thinks he is an actual space ranger and not a toy. 

Due to events that transpire, both are accidentally lost by Andy, and now have to make their way back home.

The picture is revolutionary in terms of film. Not only was it a Disney film that wasn’t 2D, wasn’t a musical, and was trying to appeal to just children. It was a big risk on Disney’s part and it could have gone horribly wrong.

Thankfully, the film not only succeeded but was a huge success. The film, despite being 25 years old, has aged like fine wine.

The animation, while a bit dated in certain areas (specifically the human faces, which look less human then some toys), was mind blowing for the time.

The writing and comedy is expertly done. There’s enough slap-stick and humorous situations to keep the children entertained. But there’s enough adult jokes and references to keep the parents happy.

The characters are memorable, funny, expertly performed, and timeless. Woody and Buzz work well off each other and have great chemistry.

Woody is easily annoyed by and is jealous of Buzz, but despite that it’s clear all he wants is the best for Andy. Buzz’s total confusion, and misinterpretation of everyday objects as alien, is always humorous.

The side characters are just as memorable, whether it’s Slinky (Jim Varney), the slinky dog, who is Woody’s number 2 and is always there to lend a hand or in this case paw; Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), who’s crass and rude; or Hamm (John Ratzenberger), the super knowledgeable piggy bank.

Or my personal favorite, Rex (Wallace Shawn), the T-Rex toy that’s always antsy.

Something that’s so ingenious about the film is how Pixar manages to make a whole new world in our own world. For instance, objects humans use for one function toys use for another, or how every toy knows about and fears becoming a lost toy.

But even if the film is mostly comedic, it still has enough heart and heavier moments to really hit the audience where it matters most, the heart.

If the film has any flaws it’s that the animation hasn’t aged very well gracefully. This fact is not the film’s fault, it’s just a factor of when it was made.

But even if the animation is dated, it still has that Pixar seal of quality and detail.

After Toy Story was a huge success, Pixar released A Bug’s Life. Unfortunately it wasn’t as big a success as Toy Story. So Pixar was once again the underdog, this time however, they needed to prove that they weren’t just a one-trick pony.

This hard work once again paid off with the release of Toy Story 2 in 1999, one of those rare sequels that is just as good if not better than the original. The entire cast returns, along with the  addition of a few new faces. 

While rescuing a toy from a yard sale, Woody is stolen by a toy collector named Al McWhiggen (Wayne Knight). It turns out Woody is somewhat of a collectors item and is part of a set of toys consisting of Jessie the cowgirl (Joan Cusack), The Prospector Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammer),  and Bullseye the horse. Al is planning to sell all of them to a museum in Japan for a tight profit.

While all of that is going on, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head, Hamm, Rex, and Slinky are going on an adventure to try to rescue Woody.

The film does what all great sequels do, keep the original’s spirit while adding something new. The new characters of Jessie, Bullseye, Mrs. Potato Head (Estelle Harris), and the little green men (Jeff Pidgeon) fit right in with the old cast.

The film’s animation is a noticeable upgrade compared to the first. The odd human faces are a thing of the past. 

Thankfully the comedy that works for adults for both children and adults still reigns supreme.

A highlight is when Buzz and crew have to try to cross the freeway, and wear traffic cones to get across, unintentionally causing chaos and pandemonium in the process.

 The film keeps following the tradition of being a tear factory, with Jessie’s backstory in particular being a sad one.

Toy Story 2 proved once and for all that Pixar was here to stay.

Pixar took a break from making Toy Story for a while till 2010 when they released Toy Story 3,  this time directed by Lee Unkrich.

It’s now several years later, and Andy is now on his way to college, with the only toys that now remain being Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye, Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Slinky, Rex, and the little green men.

The toys end up accidentally being sent to Sunnyside Daycare, which is ruled by a teddy bear named Lotso Hugging Bear (Ned Beatty). However the crew is split when Woody thinks they should leave and get back to Andy before he leaves for college, while the rest of the toys think they should stay. 

To compound the situation, Sunnyside Daycare might not be all it’s cracked up to be.

The animation is, of course, better than the previous two and still holds up. And the writing is still fantastic. It brings on the tears along with the laughter.

Lotso’s villain turn, while obvious, still works as an intimidating antagonist and evil tyrant of this new society. The film ends up becoming a prison break halfway through and even that’s well done.

There are very few films that make me cry. Toy Story 3 is one of them. What can I say, that ending gets me every time. 

When the film came out, it really felt like this would be the last adventure we would get with these loveable characters. What helps is that every character in some way has their shining moment in the sun.

The film was a chance for our heroes to walk off into the sunset, and to end the series on high note. The film really is the perfect ending for these unforgettable characters.

Unfortunately, this is not the last film in the franchise, for in 2019, Toy Story 4 (directed by Josh Cooley) was released.

Bonnie (the crew’s new owner, played by Madeleine McGraw) makes a new friend while in kindergarten. Quite literally it turns out, as she ends up making Forky (Tony Hale), a spork with two sticks as feet and wire for arms. 

However, Forky thinks he’s trash and keeps trying to throw himself away, with Woody trying to stop him. Eventually, while the family is on a trip, Forky throws himself out the window, causing Woody to go after him. 

Eventually, Forky ends up being held hostage by Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks), a doll with a broken voice box who wants to replace hers with Woody’s. So Woody, along with his old flame Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and some new friends, have to try to rescue Forky before Bonnie continues on with her trip and they’re left behind forever.

Toy Story 4, is a film by design I should hate. The previous film left the series with a perfect ending. Why make another film aside from money?

The film feels less like a Toy Story film and more like a Woody film, as most of the film is focused on him. Even Buzz is mostly swept to the wayside, with the rest of the old crew having almost nothing to do in the plot.

But angers me most of all, is that despite all those flaws, I still like the film. I don’t know how, but Pixar brought enough of its charm and magic to make the film work.

Because this is the most recent film, obviously the animation looks the best here, with backgrounds and details to blow the audience away.

The humor is still so written that both children and adults will have a good time. 

I even like the new characters, with a standout being Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), a stunt toy obsessed with making dangerous jumps and crashing into things.

So despite my misgivings with the film I’d still give it a thumbs up.

Patrick is set to star in the soon-to-be-released Boy Story, about a writer with good taste in films when no one is looking.