Toy Story (1995)
Hang on for the comedy that goes to infinity and beyond!
Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 22 November 1995 |
| Genre | Family, Comedy, Animation, Adventure |
| Director | John Lasseter |
| Starring | Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Don Rickles |
| Runtime | 81 min |
| Rated | G |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 9.4/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 100% · Metacritic 96/100 · IMDb 8.3/10 · TMDB users 8.0/10 |
| Budget | $30 million |
| Box office | $394 million worldwide |
Where to watch Toy Story
Toy Story is streaming on Hulu ($18.99 a month) in the US. It is also on Disney+ ($15.99 a month). If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Disney+ is $15.99 at list price.
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What kind of watch this is
John Lasseter directed this 81-minute adventure, which runs on a simple engine: a cowboy doll panicking because a space ranger just moved into his room. The comedy lands because the stakes feel genuinely high to the toys, even if Andy just wants a birthday present. It is a film that treats inanimate objects with the same emotional weight as people, making their rivalry surprisingly tense. You will probably laugh at the absurdity of a plastic astronaut threatening a felt cowboy. That is the specific flavor of this one.
What the critics said
Critics didn't just like it; they were stunned. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 100% approval rating as of 2026, with an average score of 9.4 out of 10. Metacritic, slightly more measured, gives it 96 out of 100 as of 2026. Leonard Klady of Variety praised the "razzle-dazzle technique," while Roger Ebert noted it reassembled cinematic visuals for a new perspective. The consensus was that it reinvigorated animation. Universal acclaim is a strong claim, but 163 professional reviews make it hard to argue otherwise.
How it did with audiences
Steve Jobs calculated that $75 million would let Pixar and Disney break even. The film pulled in $223 million in the United States and $394 million worldwide against a $30 million budget. It was the highest-grossing domestic film of 1995, beating Batman Forever and Apollo 13. On TMDB, users rate it 8 out of 10. That is a solid score for a movie that made a computer-generated cow a cultural touchstone.
Awards
The Academy handed John Lasseter a Special Achievement Award in 1996 for making the first feature-length computer-animated film possible. The film was nominated for 3 Academy Awards, including Best Original Screenplay, making it the first animated film to receive a writing nomination. It also swept 8 Annie Awards. The ceremony was thorough, if slightly redundant.
What came next for the cast
Tom Hanks entered with the momentum of Forrest Gump and Philadelphia, then kept the streak alive with Saving Private Ryan and The Green Mile. Tim Allen arrived fresh from Home Improvement and The Santa Clause, later trading family fare for Galaxy Quest and Wild Hogs. Don Rickles brought decades of experience, from Thunderbolt and Lightfoot to Kelly's Heroes, before Dirty Work landed. The films do not cause the careers. They merely mark the spots on the timeline.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Toy Story.
Read more: Toy Story 5
Sources
- Toy Story on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q171048 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Toy Story” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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