On November 22nd, 2020, Disney Pixar’s Toy Story turned 25 years old. Toy Story was Pixar’s first full-length film, and the first-ever completely CGI animated movie. Starring the voices of established Hollywood actors such as Tom Hanks, Woody Allen, and Don Rickles, as well as the backing of Disney, Toy Story was a massive hit, both financially and critically.

Though dated now, the biggest news surrounding Toy Story 

during the time of its release was the use of CGI as a means of animation. No film had incorporated computer imagery nearly as much as Toy Story did, being created entirely out of this style. Not only was it the first movie to use this animation style, but it looked great at the time, too. Compared to other CGI animated shorts from Pixar and other companies that predate the film, Toy Story was a huge step up quality-wise. Toy Story became an instant classic for its insanely fun atmosphere, an interesting concept, and groundbreaking animation. 

CGI now dominates the film industry, being used for animation in juggernaut films like Frozen, as well as for effects in blockbusters like the recent Star Wars films. If it wasn’t for Toy Story and the success it saw, special effects in film would look very different. 

Toy Story has proved itself timeless, with people who saw it when it first came becoming parents now and showing it to their kids, thus furthering the cycle. Toy Story has been loved by and inspired both kids and adults for over 25 years, and it will continue to do so for a long time.