Toy Story (1995)

Neha says
WOW what a concept! Toys coming alive and existing in this secretive world of their own where they have staff meetings, spy on their owner Andy and rue over the mean boy neighbor; where all they long for is Andy’s affection and where all they fear is being tossed into a storage box...

Pixar and Disney started off their unique partnership in style with the 1995 TOY STORY and even today whether you see this film in 2D or the latest 3D version one can’t ignore the significance of Toy Story and how it takes a classic story of good vs. evil coupled with an underlying universal idea of longing and the need to be loved and packages it in a neat little bundle of a fun, tight, undemanding 90 minutes where good story telling meets unleashed imagination and beautiful and bold animation.

But the number one genius of Toy Story is the friendships it explores and its fun-loving characters. When cowboy Woody voiced with heart and girth by Tom Hanks has to suddenly contend with being number two, he decides in a moment of impulse to do away with Andy’s new favorite toy- space ranger Buzz Lightyear voiced with an infectious enthusiasm by Tim Allen. Unfortunately the plan backfires and soon the two rivals are out in the real world, forced to help each other escape the evil clutches of the sadistic juvenile neighbor Sid. At the same time Woody’s fall from grace in the eyes of his old friends- a dinosaur (voiced by Wallace Shawn), Mr. Potato Head (voices by Dan Rickles), a piggy bank (voiced by John Ratzenberger), Little Bo Peep (voiced by Annie Potts) leaves him feeling alone and desperate to get Buzz Lightyear back home to redeem himself.

Whether its a bunch of tiny soldier toys grouping up military style to conduct a “spy on the owner” operation or Buzz Lightyear’s unflinching belief that’s he’s a space ranger who can fly to infinity and beyond or Sid’s dark and sad misfit toys-what Pixar does so seamlessly is make their toy characters real-both in their animation designs and their characterizations-even more so than the human elements in the film that have a more cartoonish character design and intent. While this may be a common ploy today- humanizing the toys really works in making us root for them and juxtaposing the rich, vibrant colors of Andy’s world with the dark black and blue hues of Sid’s world really makes Woody and Buzz’s adventures dark and their escapades deliciously dangerous.

It’s one of those rare animated films that has definitive dark undertones but still leaves you with that feel good factor. It’s one of those gems that appeals to both the young and the young at heart. It’s got sufficient adventure and innocence for its target kids and enough wit and thought to keep the adults engaged as well. It’s one of the first few animated films that bakes together a classic story with impressive technology and while technology has come a long way even since 1995-lets just say the ingenuity of it’s concept and more sophisticated story telling appeal will keep it relevant and relatable and keep the sequels flowing. Do I have a problem with that? Absolutely not.


Ira says
“You're not a space ranger, your’e a TOY!!”

Back in 1995, 13 years before a sassy alley cat tells Bolt the dog that he’s not a superdog but just a normal-dog and before even the 1998 Truman Show made JIM CARREY an experiment of the media and stripped him of his true identity, there was an endearing, old fashioned toy named WOODY, a wooden cowboy (voiced by the one and only TOM HANKS), telling a modern, sophisticated space toy named BUZZ (after astronaut BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, voiced by the equally matched TIM ALLEN), to learn the difference between reality and fantasy, and to accept who he really is. Just one of several moments of dramatic irony in one of the most engaging and layered animated films I have seen , a film to talk about and a film to watch again and talk about, JOHN LASSETER’S 1995 ‘TOY STORY’ is special.

Not just because it was the first ever animated film to be made entirely on the computer but because it’s a smart, sharp, extremely entertaining roller coaster of a ride as well! First, lets tick off all those criteria boxes that go into making a good animated product- 1. Premise: toys coming to life when humans aren’t looking; universal, accessible, and every child’s ultimate, game playing fantasy. 2. Plot: full of action, lots of adventure, oodles of humour and heartwarming affirmations of family and friendship. 3. Animation: pioneering, state of the art, lifelike, inventive, colourful. 4. Characters: well etched, engaging and wonderfully brought to life by an A-list, pitch perfect voice cast. And what’s amazing is how not just the veterans, but all the actors become the roles they play, never for a second letting you feel these are ‘computerized’ beings.

But, what really makes this one stand out are the subtle little touches of genius in the conception and writing. Be it the use of multi award winning composer RANDY NEWMAN’s fantastic sound score; the energy of superbly executed and enjoyable action sequences (including a nail biting, hilarious final half hour with Woody and Buzz chasing a truck), or the attention to detail in the delightful, surprising characterizations. My favorites? Apart from the wonderful leading pair of course: Andy’s barely seen mother, Sid the naughty tyrant, his bizarre set of freaky toys and Potato Head & the dinosaur from Andy’s motley toy gang. Writers Andrew Stanton (of WALL E directorial fame) and Joel Cohen along with the 2 others, get the mix right, keeping the toys familiar but diverse, the plot funny but rich, and lacing the screenplay with bite, realism , and at times scathing satire so that this makes for great all round family entertainment.

TOY STORY is one of those films you store in your collection and pull out on a rainy day when the kids are clamoring and you are stuck deciding which movie to give them. The best part: in this techno-driven, fast paced world we lived in, if they’ve been getting bored or a bit too greedy, this is a ‘toy story’ that will more likely than not make em go back, pull out their oldest, worn out favourites and appreciate those, and all they have, so much more. What can I say Mr Lasseter, you’ve got a friend in me, and all of us!

Ben-Hur (1959)

Neha says
300 lavish set pieces, thousands of extras, impressive period costumes, a dramatic sound score- BEN-HUR in all of its 220 minutes running time transports you into another era with a sweeping epic of how one man’s destiny (Judah Ben Hur) and another man’s divinity (Jesus Christ) criss-cross with one another in a precious few, highly anticipated moments. I was riveted by the silent transcendental power of that relationship and director William Wyler’s treatment of it- We never see Christ’s face, we never hear a dialogue exchanged between Judah and Jesus but yet we sense the omnipresent force of Christ’s campaign and it’s impact on the common man-Judah being one of them.

But this is not Christ’s story- let’s get that straight-it’s a tale of Judah Ben Hur played by the charismatic, even a melodramatic Charlton Heston. When his childhood Roman friend Messala played by Stephen Boyd returns as the new commanding officer and unsuccessfully urges Judah to turn informant-long time friends turn foes and Messala, given an opportunity banishes Judah and his family to the gallows. During transportation, Judah meets Christ for the first time as he offers the tired, thirsty Judah a sip of water. Enslaved, tied to the oars of a battle ship and serving his time, Judah saves the life of Roman Counsel Quintus Arrius played by Jack Hawkins when their ship is attacked by the enemy- gaining his admiration, trust and subsequently Judah finds himself a career as a renowned circus charioteer in Rome. But Judah decides to return to Jerusalem and on his journey back home he meets a gregarious, horse-harem owning Sheikh played by Hugh Griffith who shares his hatred for Messala. What ensues is a tale of revenge, a gripping chariot race, touching reunions with lost ones and a divine experience of sorts that humbles Judah, making him reconnect with the man he once was.

There’s a character and then there is this world in which he belongs- and while the first half is seeping in reality with themes of war, the Roman verses Jews conflict, historical exposition, the tragedy of betrayal and the treachery of Roman dictatorship-the second half sweeps you off your feet with ideas of destiny, miracles, forgiveness and redemption, never loosing sight of Ben Hur’s journey-each relationship that he develops and every experience he encounters on land, in the desert or at sea shapes him and defines the next turn in the tale.

And while there is no shortage of melodrama, intense dramatic pauses and performances that seem Shakespearean in nature, there is a curiosity to know “how” Ben Hur will react, conform or lead by example. Sometimes the dialogues seem a little too scripted but let’s face it-it’s really about the spectacle-and on that count it’s a delicious and dramatic cinematic beauty. Be it the chariot race that’s gripping with detail and menace or the sequence in which Ben Hur, tied to his oar, responds to the silent challenge of Arrius. The way in which this centerpiece gets edited with alternating close-ups, intense glares, the musical cues... it all comes together to create a steamy tension like one in a ring fight only minus the physical combat.

I wonder what Ben Hur would be like if it was remade today? Maybe a Gladiator like Russell Crowe cast as Ben Hur would enhance the overall performance experience of the film. But think of substituting the wonderfully dynamic set pieces and raw visual experience for the CGI Hollywood experience and that just makes me cringe with dread. I admire BEN-HUR for being untainted by technology and I love it for its epic spectacle.


Ira says
I remember watching BEN HUR as a child; an image of CHARLTON HESTON on a chariot of snow white horses has stayed with me ever since (of course this is the image from popular culture most associated with the film but I kid you not!). Still one of the finest action sequences in Hollywood history, with astounding set pieces and a fiery energy, the Chariot race in act 2 of the film with actors BOYD & HESTON doing their own riding and stunts, is a mesmerizing cinema going experience in itself. Watching the film over a dozen and a half years later, I found (as always in a good classic) that I picked up things and nuances that had slipped past me the first time, some of which, were quite remarkable. Amidst the rousing crowd, the sound of furious hooves and the images of the 2 men riding, sweating, and charging ahead are 2 quick close shots of Boyd’s black horses and Heston’s white ones. The sheer look on each set of horses said more than anything in the sequence about the journeys, personalities and destinies of the two men riding them. The black looking ahead with deadened, glazed over, steely eyes, and the white, panting, alive and brilliant. We know who’s the hero and who’s the villain, right? But director Wyler ensured we never forgot.

No one can deny that this 1959 adaptation of LEW WALLACE’s literary work, “Ben Hur -the Tale of the Christ”, with its majestic, weighty title and over three hour length, is an epic of mammoth scale. Winning 11 academy awards (equaled only by the similarly larger than life TITANIC in 1998) and coming at a time when Hollywood had to face the advent of television invading American homes in a big way, the emphasis was on making movies bigger, better, larger and grander. So a revenge epic set in the time of Christ would be just the right subject matter for audiences and who would be a better director than the very versatile, master craftsmen William Wyler (Wuthering Heights, Roman Holiday, The Best years of our Lives). And the man delivered, giving us a film that may not seem spiritually profound, but was still path-breaking at the time, remains visually breathtaking (lets leave aside the open sea bit with HAWKINS & HESTON on an odd wooden raft), and will certainly not be forgotten for its technical achievement and universal themes.

Wyler and his writers enjoy drawing things out and, because of its scope and scale, the film tends to meander between sections that are almost complete within themselves; going from politics to war, friendship to love, religion to deprivation conveniently. Extremely intelligently edited however, strongly performed and directed with focus and a minute attention to detail, the beauty of this one, which for me was reaffirmed by this 3rd close watching, is that WYLER knew exactly what he was doing. Resting on the steady, arresting shoulders of his leading man (a somewhat pained looking but intense HESTON), he makes this story the journey of one man and respectfully keeps the spiritual inclinations of the story in the background; we never see or hear JESUS. But Christian themes like forgiveness, redemption, resurrection, the hand of God, and good versus evil are omnipresent and everywhere, echoing under the grandeur of spectacle, the flourish of war and pageantry, the drama of love, loss and longing, and the misery of tyranny and slavery. Despite the melodrama, the heavy dialogues, and the length of the film, to me BEN HUR is a Hollywood blockbuster of its time and carries the always relevant appeal of Christian values as its most lingering stamp. Even now, it is hard to forget the scene of CHRIST when he meets his fate towards the end of the film, one of the simplest and most symbolic, poignant images of the film, and it is hard to ignore how life affirming yet entertaining the film is and will always be for any audience across the globe.