The Toy Story Films An Animated Journey – Book Review
Most films like to believe they are first in offering something that predeceasing films have not been able to, only to find their initial innovation eclipsed by subsequent films developing whatever novelty the originator has to offer. One such recent example (so far as film and animation history is concerned) is the film ‘Toy Story’. Not only was it the first CGI feature film, a technique of storytelling that has seen its presence in cinema snowball in the 18 years since its release but also the first feature by Pixar, the studio that would continue to dominate the joint worlds of storytelling and animation. However it is not the technique, or its place in history that makes Toy Story and its sequels so commendable but the way it manifests childhood imagination and demonstrates the unique relationship a child shares with its toys in an imaginative and affectionate way.
And so a film that instigated such a change in animation and cinema history needs a tome dedicated to it, and much has been written about its impact over the years. ‘The Art of Toy Story – An Animated Journey’ is written by Charles Solomon and delivers a more personal journey through the films concept right the way through to Toy Story 3. In fact the book delves a little deeper than that placing the work by Pixar as central to the development of CGI delivering a fascinating insight into early Pixar shorts before giving us a tantalising glimpse at the the film that Toy Story almost became as we get to pour over images of ‘Tinny’ the star of the Oscar winning ‘Tin Toy’ (although he was credited as Billy in the short) as he was to be the star of his own christmas special. The special would develop into the series that we know and love.
They say you should not judge a book by its cover but when you peel away the dust jacket from this one you are presented with two images of Andy with Woody on his shoulders, one side features a digital colour sketch of young Andy as a flashback whilst the other shows his mature incarnation fully rendered from the 3rd instalment. Its a decent representation of how this book covers the trilogy and the storytelling arc that the franchise has executed with the type of finesse that other franchises can only dream about.
We are not just given a history of the films alone, we are also treated to some teasing images from the mysterious ‘Circle Seven’ project that Disney started in order to force discussion between the two companies about the future of their films. A move that lead to the reshaping of Disney and Pixar into the company we know today.
This book is a worthy and commendable representation of the film series. It is packed with gorgeous illustration and colourful screenshots whilst also offering a tremendous insight into the journey that the film undertook. The index and forward by Hayao Miyazaki and afterward by John Lasseter make this the ultimate overview of the Toy Story franchise.
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