King of Hollywood

Chapter 352: Chapter 76 This is the Counterattack Chapter 352: Chapter 76 This is the Counterattack “This is the first feature film in history to be entirely computer-generated, and Pixar has presented us with a full-length animation that differs from traditional hand-drawn techniques. I believe this will be another milestone in the history of animation!” —— Los Angeles Times
“This story about your toys actually having life may sound quite ordinary, but it will be a revolution in the animation industry since the birth of ‘Snow White’ forty years ago!” —— New Yorker
“For the average person, this is a touching comedy, but to those with a keen sense, it’s clear that this is also the biggest leap in the field of animation since Disney’s release of ‘Snow White’!” —— Variety
The media was almost unanimous in its praise of ‘Toy Story,’ whether for the story, the art, or the technology; it received ample affirmation, a rarity indeed. ‘Mission: Impossible,’ while also receiving much praise, was largely commended for its storytelling, though everyone knows the film targeted the market, so no one bothered to delve into its connotations. Even ‘Forrest Gump,’ despite its fine story and art, didn’t receive much mention for its technology.

Comparing live-action films to animated films might seem inappropriate, but this also indirectly shows how much of an impact ‘Toy Story,’ a film completely created by computer-generated 3D animation, has had on people.

“Everybody played with toys during their childhood: dolls, green army men, and so on. What if one day they came to life and began playing when you left, taking it as their mission to please and accompany you? What kind of stories would happen then? This is exactly the story that Pixar’s ‘Toy Story’ tells.

Woody, the cowboy, is the favorite toy of the young owner and also the leader of all the toys. Whenever the owner is away, they play joyfully. However, what all the toys fear most is the arrival of new toys, because it means some of the old toys will fall out of favor or even be discarded. Even Woody, the owner’s favorite, begins to face this crisis with the arrival of the space toy Buzz Lightyear. Woody tried everything to get rid of Buzz. However, by accident, they both fell into the neighbor’s yard, and the neighbor’s child was a toy torturer. Any toy that fell into his hands would be disassembled. Woody and Buzz, needing to avoid this dreadful fate and return home, had to work together.”

This is just a simple introduction; the wonders of the film can only be experienced by watching it. Pixar created a multitude of lifelike characters: the timid dinosaur, the fun Slinky Dog, the chatty Mr. Potato Head, Woody who, despite not wanting to lose his position, could understand where he went wrong, and Buzz Lightyear who always thought he was a space ranger until he finally came to his senses. Each one leaves a lasting impression. Many tropes that have become somewhat clichéd in live-action movies felt fresh and new in this animated film. If you want to enjoy a movie with the whole family, ‘Toy Story’ is the perfect choice.

Congratulations to Pixar; they have started a new era.” —— Empire, Scott Hoffman
Indeed, Pixar has started a new era. Calling it “the greatest leap forward in the field of animation” is by no means an overstatement. Many critics have even declared, “I can’t imagine a more entertaining film than ‘Toy Story'” and “‘Toy Story’ is the year’s most creatively comedic film” or “Pixar’s creativity is simply astonishing,” and so forth.

Who knew that just a few years ago, they had no hope for computer animation. Even though Pixar’s short films had received much praise, some still mocked them as the ugly duckling of Silicon Valley. When Jobs sold it to Adrian, many thought it was the smartest thing he’d done since leaving Apple. Even a few weeks ago, when people unanimously praised the film after test screenings, there were still those who thought it was an exaggeration.

Now, ‘Toy Story’ has swept the North American box office, like a slap in the face to all those doubters. But how could critics take such a slap to heart? In this business, you often have to have thick skin. Making a wrong judgment is just that, nothing embarrassing, who doesn’t make mistakes? Especially when most people got it wrong.

So they selectively forget their previous words and begin to heap all the beautiful phrases onto ‘Toy Story’ and Pixar. Although a small part stubbornly tried every means to nitpick, even Woody’s girlfriend, Bo Peep, couldn’t hide the brilliance of this animated film.

In summary, Silicon Valley’s ugly duckling, Pixar, has thoroughly turned things around.

“I don’t think I need to say much more, congratulations to everyone, congratulations… to all of us!” Standing in the Pixar conference room, which had been cleared out and then reorganized, John Lasseter, holding a cup, had a voice that became choked, and the eyes behind his round glasses began to twinkle. Fortunately, he quickly raised his cup, followed by a warm round of applause, as every face in Pixar glowed with excitement.