#99 - Toy Story

I looked forward to watching this movie from the moment I decided to take up this challenge. One day in, I couldn't resist the temptation anymore -- I just had to take this trip back in time and relive my childhood. A trip back to 1995, to be exact, when I as a five-year-old boy first saw this movie in theaters (this is one of only three movies on the list that I've seen on the big screen). This movie works on so many levels -- humor, heart, and technical mastery: three characteristics that have become hallmarks of any Disney/Pixar movie.

But what makes this movie stand out for me and the AFI voters is not just that is was the first Pixar movie released. It is its relentless desire to please everyone in the audience. Everyone in America has played with a toy at some point in life -- whether it was a cornhusk doll, a Raggedy Ann, a Cabbage Patch Kid, or a Bratz doll, everyone has had something as a child to hold on, to play with, to use their imagination with.

So for children, the idea that our toys come to life was absolutely mind-boggling. It opened up an entire world of possibilities for our creativities. But for the adults who knew better, "Toy Story" also did not disappoint. The humor is so classically funny that everyone can laugh at the jokes, but there are some jokes that are so dry that they are clearly aimed for a more mature audience. Unlike "Shrek" with its uncouth cursing and flatulence jokes that appeal to only the immature sides of adults, "Toy Story" is a movie that everyone can enjoy. And I do mean everyone.