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Toy Story
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Release Date
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April 2, 2025
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Running Time
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20:35
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Previous Review
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Link
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Video
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(...)
NC: That... could've been what we got.
(The film's title card is shown, followed by footage of it.)
NC (vo): In 1995, Disney released the first computer generated animated film, Toy Story, and 30 years later, most mainstream animated films in one way or another are still trying to replicate it. The same way for decades (a poster of the original Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is shown) Snow White provided the feel and tone for most hand drawn films, Toy Story laid the groundwork for most CG films. Sure, there's an occasional variant, but most movies try to replicate this style: snarky humor with a good heart that has modern dialogue with comedy for both kids and adults. Even Shrek (the poster for that film is shown), the other film most other animated features try to mimic, you could argue is Toy Story taken to a more self-aware and cynical extreme. But while this is the norm and has been for several years, people forget this was kind of a risky choice. Most CG movies at the time were used for low-lit action and creepy monsters and natural disasters. The idea of doing a bright and colorful G rated film about children's toys did not seem like the logical choice. (Clips from the original trailer for the movie are shown) Honestly, the trailer for this movie was so bad, I didn't know anyone else excited to check it out. Literally, the big clinching joke, like the joke you end on in a trailer to get people to see the movie is the cute little spaceman saying he can fly around the room.
Buzz: Can!
(A clip of Lorenzo (Robert De Niro) from A Bronx Tale is shown)
Robert De Niro: That's not funny!
(More clips from the film are shown)
NC (vo): But thankfully, the film itself was very funny, winning over skeptical audiences and being nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar, and breaking new ground for animated films. With likable characters, smart humor and a story everybody can identify with, they knew they didn't have to change the industry but rather the industry would have to change around them. So what was it about this film that set the stage for the majority of modern day animated features? Well, let's fall with style and take a look.
NC: Because remember what we could've had.
(...)
NC: Let's take a look at Toy Story.
(The opening scene is shown with a young boy named Andy "Something" (as his surname has never been revealed) playing with his toys)
NC (vo): The credits roll as we see a kid named Andy playing with his favorite toy, Woody the Cowboy.
Andy: Come on, let's wrangle up the cattle!/I'm here to stop you, One-Eyed Bart!
(A clip is shown of Andy giving Woody a piggyback ride and sliding him down the stair rail.)
NC: When you reach that age and realize Sid (a picture of him is shown) would've been the cooler kid to play with.
(Andy's baby sister Molly gets a hold of Mr. Potato Head and slobbers all over him. She also knocks him against the rails of her crib.)
NC: (the image of Molly slobbering on Mr. Potato Head is shown) Yeah, remind me: which one's the toy again?
(More clips of the opening are shown. The Randy Newman song "You've Got a Friend in Me" plays over the action.)
Randy Newman: (singing) ♫ Just remember what your old pal said, boy, you've got a friend in me... ♫
NC (vo): And yeah, you think I'm crazy enough to make fun of Randy Newman what many consider his most heartwarming dedication to childhood innocence?
NC: (snickers) You bet I am! Why does he always sound drunk?! (He grabs a beer bottle and mocks Newman's singing) You got a friend in me... (He takes a giant swig from the bottle)
NC (vo): OK, real talk, I don't see Randy Newman as one of the worst songwriters. There's actually some songs of his I enjoy, one of them even in this film. He's just aggressively generic, and I never got into the voice.
NC: Is that really so surprising to hear someone say?
NC (vo): You like him, fair enough. But to me, he always sounds like the Happy Happy Joy Joy singer on valume.
(Clips alternate between Randy Newman and the other singer from The Ren & Stimpy Show in the episode "Stimpy's Invention")
Randy Newman: (singing) ♫ Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am... ♫
Stinky Wizzleteats: ...If and you ain't the granddaddy of all liars!
NC (vo): Anyway, Andy plays with his favorite toy who I'm only now noticing leaves his mouth open in the intro. Maybe he's coming to grips with his existence, like... (the scene goes black and white and zooms in on Woody with a creepy sound effect)
NC (vo): (whispering) How was I born?
(Andy leaves his room and all the toys come to life.)
NC (vo): But as soon as Andy leaves the room, Woody, played by Tom Hanks, and all his other toys come to life.
Woody: Staff meeting, everybody!
Slinky Dog: We got a staff meeting, you guys! Come on, let's go!
NC (vo): It is fun comparing the technology back then and how mind-blowing it was to modern day animated films. Don't get me wrong: for the first film, this looks very, very good, and it's very smart to choose toys as the main characters as that's very CG friendly. But not only do the humans look weird like we discussed before, but man, some of those pixely backgrounds are a little distracting nowadays.
NC: These surfaces look like Doom half the time.
NC (vo): Woody is the ringleader of the toys and even has a girlfriend named Bo Peep, played by Annie Potts, who again gets some weird faces out of him.
Bo Peep: I'm just a couple of blocks away.
(Woody is completely smitten as he makes a weird face.)
NC: If a grown man comes to a kid's birthday party with any of these faces, don't let him in.
(He then goes on to talk about the invention of the Pixar formula, starting with Mr. Potato Head making a joke to Hamm the piggy bank.)
Mr. Potato Head: (with parts all messed up) Look, I'm Picasso!
Hamm: I don't get it.
NC (vo): You can easily see the Pixar formula getting set up, introducing characters through a slice-of-life scenario utilizing comedy and puns, eventually leading to a relatable social problem both kids and adults can relate to.
NC: I don't think it's a coincidence this was done at the height of Seinfeld's popularity (a poster for the show is shown).
NC (vo): As a lot of comedic dialogue has a lot of Seinfeld snark. It's very easy to see these attitudes from the leads on that show.
(Several clips demonstrating this are shown, alternating with pictures from Seinfeld.)
Woody: It's just a mistake!
Mr. Potato Head: Well, that mistake is sitting in your spot.
NC (vo, as Jerry): Well, that mistake is sitting in your spot.
Buzz: This is no time to panic.
Woody: This is the perfect time to panic!
NC (vo, as George): This is the perfect time to panic!
Bo Peep: I found my moving buddy!
NC (vo, as Elaine): I found my moving buddy!
Rex: Great, now I have guilt!
NC (vo, as Kramer): Oh, great... now I have guilt! (an image of the 2006 Laugh Factory incident is shown) But I won't say from what...(normal) ah, that was a long time ago. Let's keep going.
(More of Woody's friends are shown.)
Woody: Sarge, have you seen Slinky?
Sarge: Sir, no sir!
NC (vo): Woody has a fair amount of friends like Rex, voiced by Wallace Shawn....
(Rex jumps in front of Woody and roars at him. Woody's not impressed.)
Woody: How you doing, Rex?
Rex: Were you scared?
Woody: I was close to being scared.
NC (as Rex): Wait until I tell Andre! (an image of a photoshopped image of Rex's head next to an Andre the Giant doll is shown)
NC (vo): ...Slink, played by Jim Varney....
Woody: I got some bad news...
Slinky: BAD NEWS?!
Woody: Shh, shhh, shhh!
NC (as Woody): I just found out we're gonna do this 'til we're 80! (an article of the upcoming Toy Story 5 is shown)
NC (vo): ...as well as Hamm and Potato Head, voiced by John Ratzenberger and Don Rickles.
(A clip is shown of the two playing Battleship.)
Hamm: G6.
Mr. Potato Head: Oh! You sunk it!
Hamm: Pay up. No no, not the ear. Give me the nose. Come on.
NC (as Hamm): Feel lucky we're not wagering your tots again!
(Andy is having a birthday party. Woody sends the toy soldiers downstairs to see what Andy gets and they communicate over walkie-talkie.)
NC (vo): They're all concerned because Andy is having a birthday party, which might mean new toys are going to replace them. I mean, come on, if he holds on to one of the first things Pixar ever animated (the famous Pixar ball is shown as well as the famous Pixar lamp), I think you're all safe.
Woody: (to Sarge) Establish a RECON post downstairs, code red!
Sarge: Yes, sir!
NC (vo): Little green soldiers are sent to spy on the party, and as you may have noticed, not every line is a home run.
Woody: Come on, they're not lying down on the job.
(Cut to the soldiers lying down.)
NC: It's cool, though. That's R. Lee Ermey as the sergeant. He'll make the dialogue a lot more colorful!
(Clips of the soldiers are shown with an R. Lee Ermey voiceover.)
R. Lee Ermey: Holy dogshit, Texas only steers and-
NC (vo): So Andy opens his last present and heads upstairs.
Woody: Andy's coming, everybody! Back to your places, hurry!
NC (vo, as Woody): And remember, if anybody says Andy's coming a Disneyland (an image of Woody, Jessie and a Disneyland guest are shown. They're all lying on the ground.) then-you know what? Don't do that. It's going to get old really quick.
(Andy's new toy is the action figure Buzz Lightyear, who thinks he's a real space ranger.)
NC (vo): Andy gets a toy based around his favorite movie (a poster for Lightyear is shown)--yeah, still not buying that!--called Buzz Lightyear, played by Tim Allen.
Buzz: (pressing on one of his buttons) Star Command, come in! Do you read me? (to himself) Why don't they answer?!
NC (vo): While everyone's great in this movie, we're used to seeing these types of performances from most of these actors.
NC: Tim Allen is really doing something different from his usual norm.
NC (vo): He mainly plays the egotistical handy doofus (images of other Tim Allen roles are shown) with a heart of gold. Hell, even when he played another spaceman, he was still playing this type of role. But he really knocks it out of the park as a space ranger who actually thinks he's saving the universe and has no idea he's just a toy. I never doubt for a second the galaxy of aliens and rangers he's saving is always going on in his head.
Buzz: Buzz Lightyear mission log, Stardate 4072. My ship has run off course en route to sector 12.
(Everyone is impressed by Buzz except for Woody. Over time, the Woody memorabilia in Andy's room is replaced with Buzz memorabilia. Andy also writes his name on the bottom of Buzz's boot.)
NC (vo): This conflict of cowboys vs spacemen suggests him in the '50s or '60s despite this apparently taking place in the '90s.
Woody: Well, in a couple of days, everything will be just the way it was, they'll see. I'm still Andy's favorite toy.
NC (vo): He grows jealous of Buzz being Andy's new favorite as more and more the world around him transforms into Buzz's.
Buzz: (to Rex and Slinky) Your chief Andy inscribed his name on me.
Rex: Wow! With permanent ink!
NC (as Rex): He branded me with one of his dad's cigarettes!
(The toys look outside and see the next door neighbor kid Sid torturing one of his toys.)
NC (vo): We're introduced to the antagonist of the movie, a next door neighbor named Sid... everybody either knew growing up or was growing up.
Woody: Oh no. It's a Combat Carl.
NC: He's a kid who loved blowing up toys so much, there's little to no grass left in his backyard! (an image of Sid's backyard is shown)
Buzz: Why is that soldier strapped to an explosive device?!
Woody: Sid.
Buzz: (looks at the dog) Sure is a hairy fella.
Woody: No! That's Scud, you idiot!
NC: Are you sure? Dogs and humans don't look that different in this world.
NC (vo): I love it when villains in Pixar movies are just kids doing what they do (images of other Pixar kids are shown), because they're so naturally violent little messed up shits when you think about it.
(Sid blows up the Combat Carl and celebrates like he just won the World Series.)
Bo Peep: The sooner we move, the better.
NC: They're taking the death of that toy pretty well. Maybe they were like...
(A clip of the Combat Carl getting lit is shown.)
NC (vo): ...eh, he knew what he was getting into when he applied for ages 4 and up.
(A shot of the house being sold is shown with the company's name "Virtual Realty" on the sign.)
NC (vo): After a joke I still don't know is clever, lame or (an image of a virtual house tour webpage is shown) ahead of its time, Woody decides to trap Buzz in a corner when Andy's told he can only pick one toy to take to Pizza Planet. The trap backfires, though, and knocks him out of the house via Lucas homage. Even down to the Wilhelm scream.
(Buzz gets knocked out the window by a lamp, and the Wilhelm scream is heard.)
Everyone: Buzz!
NC: Maybe it's one his buttons (an image of Buzz is shown with the text "Wilhelm Scream" over one of his buttons), I don't know.
NC (vo): After one of my favorite lines in the movie...
Mr. Potato Head: This was no accident!
Bo Peep: What do you mean?
Mr. Potato Head: I mean Humpty Dumpty was pushed.
NC: God, that's funny!
NC (vo): ...and my introduction to the A113 in-joke. Yeah, I'm not kidding, I look for this in (images of A113 in other animated movies are shown) every animated films now. Buzz sneaks aboard to get his payback.
(Andy and his family have stopped at a gas station on the way to Pizza Planet. While there, Buzz catches up and knocks Woody out of the van and they start fighting underneath it.)
Buzz: Revenge is not an idea we promote on my planet.
Woody: That's good.
Buzz: But we're not on my planet, are we?
Woody: No.
(Buzz tackles him and they fall out of the van.)
NC: This is when I was like, "okay, this style needs to stay", because most of 1995 Disney (posters of 1995 Disney movies are shown) would have stopped after the first half of that line.
NC (vo): But they were like, "Screw it. We want to be funny" and they convinced Disney to leave it in. OK, I know it's not the same level as Ryan Reynolds convincing Kevin Feige (an image of the two actors is shown), but it's still pretty cool.
(While Woody and Buzz are fighting, Andy and his family leave the gas station and Woody and Buzz are stranded. The Pizza Planet truck stops by and Woody and Buzz sneak on, hoping to get a ride to Pizza Planet.)
Woody: I'm a lost toy!
NC (vo): Buzz fights Woody, causing them to fall out of the car. Woody realizes if he's going to find a way home he has to bring Buzz, because without him, he won't be allowed back.
Buzz: Now you're sure this space freighter will return to its port of origin once it jettisons its food supply?
Woody: Uh-huh...
NC (vo): I should say, while the CG cartoon style was certainly being experimented with (other '90s CG is shown), the only two that really felt like they understood the importance of facial expressions was this and Casper. (clips from that movie are shown) And OK, while I didn't personally get into that movie that much, it was the first time people saw CGI could have just a big a range of facial reactions as hand drawn animation. (Back to Toy Story) These little smirks and eye-rolls and split second ticks not only make the scenes a lot funnier but they make the characters feel much more alive at a time when this just wasn't being utilized, at least not to this degree.
Pizza Planet Guy: Come on man, hurry up! Um, like, the pizzas are getting cold here!
NC (as the Pizza Planet guy): Ahh sweet, a Buzz Lightyear doll and it's alive! God, I'm stoned!
(We go to the commercial. Then we resume this review, the truck takes Woody and Buzz to Pizza Planet. While trying to get back to Andy, Buzz jumps into a claw machine with a bunch of squeaky green aliens in it.)
NC (vo): They make their way to Pizza Planet, which I'll just say, I'm a 43-year-old man and I am still waiting for this place to exist. (we focus on a Whack-an-Alien game with aliens shooting out of a man's bloodied torso) I mean, that's Alien: the Kindergarten Game! But Buzz sneaks into a crane machine where he encounters even more oddities.
Alien 1: A stranger.
Alien 2: From the outside.
All Aliens: Oooooh!
Buzz: Greetings. I am Buzz Lightyear.
NC (vo): Well, (an image from Buzz Lightyear of Star Command is shown) technically you should all know each other from the show, but...
NC: ...then again, Buzz is Zurg now (an image from Lightyear is shown), so who gives a shit about anything?
(The aliens tell Buzz about the claw while Woody sneaks into the machine. Suddenly he sees Sid coming to play the game. Sid ends up winning both an alien and also Buzz and Woody. While Woody is trying to save Buzz from Sid's grasp, the aliens won't let him do it.)
Alien 1: Claw is our master.
Alien 2: Claw chooses who will go and who will stay.
Woody: (to himself) This is ludicrous.
NC (vo): Sid tries his luck at the game, and maybe the biggest hole of the film, someone actually gets a toy from a crane machine...twice!
Alien 1: He has been chosen!
Alien 2: He must go!
Woody: Hey! What are you doing?! Stop it, you zealots!
NC: Not gonna lie, I kinda like the toy version of Midsummer (the poster for that movie is shown).
NC (vo): Sid gets Buzz and Woody, who of course has terrible plans for them.
Sid: Let's go home and... play. (chuckles deviously)
NC: Anyone else feel like this is Syndrome's (an image of Syndrome from The Incredibles is shown) backstory in reverse?
NC (vo): At Sid's home, we see he's just as cruel to his sister's toys as he is to his own.
(Sid replaces the head of one of his sister's dolls with the head of a pterodactyl.)
Sid: Janie's all better now.
Hannah: (screams) Mom!
NC: I don't know what her problem is, I'd give Sid all my toys to have 'em improved!
(We see all of Sid's different toys and the things in his room.)
NC (vo): I'm not even kidding, the designs of Sid's alter toys are some of the most imaginative creations in any Pixar film. Even his room is filled with all sorts of hilarious little touches like all the locks on the door, this bumper sticker (the bumper sticker says, "I Love Explosives"), and... (it zooms in on one of his posters) I don't know what Kill'n Paul Bunyan is, but if he has a poster of it, I'm into it!
(While in the house, Buzz sees a commercial on TV for the Buzz Lightyear action figure and starts to doubt that he's a real space ranger.)
TV Announcer: Come in, Buzz Lightyear! This is Star Command!
NC (vo): The next day they try to escape, but Buzz sees a commercial clarifying he is in fact a toy.
TV: Buzz Lightyear! Available at all Al's Toy Barn outlets in the Tri-County area.
NC (vo): I could say it's more proof of the Seinfeld influence as they're building up (an image of Al from Toy Story 2 is shown) Wayne Knight's appearance, but honestly, I'm distracted by the TV's channel changer (the channel changer is a pair of pliers). What is the story behind this family?!
(When the commercial is over, Buzz feels sad as another Randy Newman song plays.)
Randy Newman: (singing) Out among the stars I'll sail...
NC (vo): This starts the one song I do genuinely enjoy, I'll Go Sailing No More. It captures the right tone, it's sad, it has a decent melody. It's a song so good, even Randy's voice can't ruin it.
Randy Newman: (singing) Now I know exactly who I am...
NC: ...but God, does he try! He sounds like Will Sasso's impression of him!
(A clip is shown of Will Sasso imitating Newman.)
Will Sasso: I still haven't seen A Bug's Life or Toy Story! But I don't need to, you know? Writing songs is easy!
(Buzz tries to fly out the window but falls to the ground, losing his arm as he lands. Sid's sister discovers him and starts playing with him.)
NC (vo): Buzz tries to prove to himself he can fly but goes boom, leading to Sid's sister discovering him.
Hannah: Mom, have you seen my Sally doll? (She steps on Buzz and picks him up) Never mind!
NC (as Hannah): Now I can torture his toys!
NC (vo): Actually I'm not too far off, as Woody sees the sister playing with Buzz and tries to get him out.
(Woody tries to get Buzz away from Hannah. He acts as the mother calling from another room to lure her out.)
Woody: Hannah! Oh, Hannah!
Hannah: Mom? (to the toys) Please excuse me, ladies.
NC (as Hannah): I have to check on my mom. I think she's dying!
Woody (off screen): Oh, Hannah!
Buzz: GONE! It's all gone!
NC (vo): Buzz finally cracks having tea with the sister's dolls--I like how one of the beheaded ones is called Marie Antoinette--and am I crazy, or is this some of the funniest acting Tim Allen's ever done?
Woody: Let's get you out of here, Buzz.
Buzz: Don't you get it?! You see the hat?! I'm Mrs. Nesbitt!
NC (as Buzz): I'm telling ya, this kid is weird. She's talking about (an image from Monsters Inc is shown) monsters in her closet when she was younger, she's all messed up!
(Woody gets an idea to throw a strand of lights from Sid's window to Andy's window so he and Buzz can escape. Buzz isn't in the mood to help and tosses his arm up to Woody. Woody uses Buzz's arm from behind the wall to fool his friends.)
NC (vo): Woody reaches his friends, but they don't know whether or not to trust him after what he did to Buzz. Buzz as well is not much help.
Woody: (as Buzz) Hiya, fellas!
Mr. Potato Head: What are you trying to pull?!
Woody: Nothing! (He absentmindedly pulls Buzz's arm out from behind the wall. Bo Peep screams.)
NC: Well, we know when this goes public domain, Jagged Edge will make a horror film out of this! (a poster of that horror film is shown)
NC (vo): Everyone abandons Woody, it's a little funny Slink is the last one to leave, even after his supposed true love does... (We zoom in on Bo Peep leaving) ...and Sid straps Buzz to a rocket, planning to launch him in the morning. Andy, meanwhile, is heartbroken he's unable to find Woody or Buzz before they move away.
(Bo Peep sees Andy sleeping while holding onto a cowboy hat.)
Bo Peep: Oh, Woody. If only you could see how much Andy misses you.
NC (vo; as Woody, off screen): That'd be nice! Let me in!
NC (vo): Woody finally confesses his jealousy over Buzz--I mean, the dude is getting better in-jokes than him (the toolbox says "Tools Binford")--and Buzz starts to realize just because he's a toy doesn't mean he can't save the day for someone special.
Woody: I'm the one that should be strapped to that rocket.
(Buzz tries to get Woody out.)
Woody: Buzz?
Buzz: Come on, Sheriff.
NC (as Buzz): Let's get this thing off of me and onto you!
NC (vo): Woody is set free, but Buzz is taken to be launched. Once Woody discovers the toys in Sid's room wants to help, he utilizes them to get back at Sid.
(Sid inspects Woody after he thinks he's busted)
Sid: It's Busted. (Shakes Woody)
Woody (v-box): Who are you calling "busted", buster?! I'm talking to you, Sid Phillips!
(Sid then freaks out and gasps after Woody said his name)
NC: This scene is, basically funny as you would think it is.
(The rest of Sid's tortured toys come alive and get back on Sid from torturing them in revenge by scaring him and learning his lesson)
NC (vo): I think they finally put together how scary Woody's face can be.
Woody (v-box): We don't like being blown up Sid.
(Talky Tina's voice from The Twilight Zone episode "Living Doll" is dubbed over Woody's voicebox, during Woody's "The Exorcist" head spin-around)
Talky Tina: My name is Talky Tina, and I'm going to kill you.
(Sid screams in horror after being scared by his toys and runs back inside his house in terror)
NC (vo): And Sid is suddenly terrified of every toy he sees.
(Hannah shows off her "Sally" doll in front of Sid, scaring him after what he saw previously saw outside and after Hannah lures the doll closer to him, he runs up the stairs all terrified and crying by the toys he saw. Hannah follows him to question on playing with the doll)
Hannah: What's wrong Sid, don't you wanna play with Sally?
NC: Oh, I hope Toy Story 5 is about his exposure therapy.
(Woody and Buzz escape Sid's home to follow and chase up to the moving van, only for Sid's dog Scud to witness them)
NC (vo): They try to follow the moving van with Andy's family on it, but Sid's dog sees them.
(Woody and Buzz make it to the van, but as Woody almost reaches the platform, he yells and sees Scud chasing up and bites on Woody's boot, he then struggles to knock Scud off of him but he can't)
NC: Yeah, for as bad as the people look in this, the animals look 10 times worse.
(The look on Scud's poorly design and texture details are then-explained)
NC (vo): My god that looks like a whale banged a cow! He's the kind of thing you show Foodfight (an image of Dex Dogtective from that film is superimposed) to make it feel better about itself.
(...)
(Clips from the movie are shown.)
NC (vo): And that was Toy Story, the animated film that changed animated films. Is there some stuff that doesn't hold up as well? A few little things, but for the most part, it's as timeless as it is influential. These characters are easy to like and relate to and it thrives on being a simple story with strong writing. The majority of jokes still land, the world it creates is fun to explore, and like I said over and over, it set the stage not just for how Pixar films would be constructed, but for how the majority of animated films would be constructed. On the one hand, yes, I would like more variety in the styles of cinematic animation but, let's face it, most cinema leans towards what's popular and will usually do something over and over. I think I'd much rather see this style be popular and done over and over than, say, (the posters for the following are shown) Bay's Transformer movies or the Twilight films or some fad like that. This is a decent reference to keep returning to, if only we could, you know, (the logo for Toy Story 5 is shown) stop literally returning to it! Whatever's in the cards for Pixar, Disney or animation as a whole, it's good to know the industry can still be shaken up in both the biggest yet somehow simplest ways, too.
NC: I'm the Nostalgia Critic. I remember it so you don't have to (He gets up and leaves.).