Disney does it again

Enchanting entertainment for all ages and the most accomplished animated feature film from Disney in many a year, John Lasseter's richly inventive Toy Story is the first fully computer animated feature film. The movie's Oscar nominated screenplay imaginatively reworks the buddy movie and tales of sibling rivalry into a scenario of toys who come to life in a world of their own when adults are not present.

The toys, which belong to the six year old Andy, suffer from insecurity twice a year on Andy's birthday and at Christmas time, when new toys arrive to distract his attention from the older ones. When Andy becomes the owner of the smug but naive Buzz Lightyear a space action figure who actually believes that he is an intrepid defender of the galaxies the older toys are alarmed, principally their leader, the pull string talking cowboy, Woody, who is accused of "laser envy".

The animation in Toy Story has a remarkable clarity and fluidity to it, giving a three dimensional look to all the movie's characters, and the screen writing team has invested each of the characters with well defined identities of their own. The other toys include the loyal Slinky Dog, the gruff Mr Potato Head, a know all piggy bank, a neurotic plastic dinosaur, an army of toy soldiers and Bo Peep, a porcelain lamp.

The biggest threat to all of them is the film's sharpest creation, a human the sadistic Sid who lives next door and dismembers and reassembles his toys as bizarre mutants. Sid would not be out of place in a Tim Burton film.

The appeal of Toy Story to children goes without saying to keep adults well amused, the screenplay is replete with witty post modernist humour. Adding to the movie's pleasures are the voices of the toys, which are provided by Tom Hanks (as Woody) and Tim Allen (as Buzz), along with Don Rickles, Annie Potts, Wallace Shawn, Jim Varney and, as Sid, the excellent Erik Von Detten. And Randy Newman contributes a score and three songs refreshingly different from the often treacly soundtracks featured on Disney's animated fare.