HOT: Toy Story

Did you ever wonder what happens when you shut your door as a kid? Perhaps those toys you have been spending so much time with actually have minds of their own.

In 1995's Toy Story, those questions and more are answered. I have always been a fan of cartoon films, especially Disney films - but this new kid on the block, Pixar, was seriously about to blow our minds.

It was the first film ever to be totally created through computers and CGI, which in itself would make this film groundbreaking. But, Pixar didn't stop there. They actually made an amazing story to go along with it - something that would become the norm with Pixar films.

So, Andy (John Morris) is a young child who really gets into playing with his toys. Woody (Tom Hanks) is a sheriff doll with a pull string that has been Andy's favorite toy since he was in kindergarten.

When Andy heads out of the room and leaves his toys by themselves, they all come to life and interact with each other. Some of the main toys throughout the room are Rex (Wallace Shawn), Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Slinky Dog (Jim Varney), Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles).

Andy and his family are about to move into a new home and it also just so happens to be close to Andy's birthday. A surprise to the other toys, they find out that Andy's mother has moved his party up so that it can happen before the move.

Woody dispatches a team of Army soldiers led by Sarge (R. Lee Ermey) to stake out the birthday party and report back with what Andy receives for his birthday. After thinking they had escaped the party without Andy receiving anything big - Andy's mom pulls a large box from the closet, and out comes Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen).

Buzz is a toy with all of the bells and whistles and soon takes Woody's place as Andy's new favorite toy. But, Buzz is also a bit confused as he believes he is the real Buzz Lightyear and not a toy - so he tries to fix his broken spaceship in order to get back to outer space.

Woody becomes depressed when he is replaced by Buzz and on a night when Andy is allowed to bring one toy with him to Pizza Planet - Woody tries to knock Buzz behind a dresser, but instead knocks him out of the window.

Blamed by the toys for trying to get rid of Buzz, Woody tries to find Buzz and get him to come back to the house. But, both toys are discovered at Pizza Planet by Andy's neighbor Sid (Erik von Detten) and brought back to his house - Sid is a deranged child who enjoys torturing toys and Woody does all he can to get Buzz and himself out of the house and back to Andy before the moving trucks leave.

Again, just an amazing film. Pixar is the new standard for animated features and it all started with Toy Story in '95. It is also the film that all new CGI films will always be compared to. It's not often that something so new and groundbreaking can also produce one of the best animated features ever as well.

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What's Your Blu?

With the release of Star Wars on blu-ray DVD just a month away my brain began to turn.

I have yet to jump onto the blu-ray bandwagon yet. I am sure I will in the future (if it remains that long), but so far I have not really had a reason - or the means - to purchase a blu-ray player.

There is one thing that appeals to me about this type of player - and that is that it sort of goes parallel. Unlike new technology of the past (read VHS/Beta) this move will still allow you to play your old DVDs.

When I made the jump from VHS to DVD 10 or 11 years ago, it took me quite a long time get all of my VHS tapes on DVD. Once I made the jump it made VHS obsolete to me - I can't even remember the last time I watched a VHS tape.

So, that is the good news. Once I do make the jump there is no reason to run out and buy a bunch of blu-ray DVDs that I already have on DVD. The old ones will still work. Which is exciting.

This sort of takes the same route that some of the new gaming systems have taken of late. By not allowing people to play their old games on the new consoles - it sort of penalizes someone for being loyal to a console maker. By making older games playable on the new consoles - it gives people a reason to make the switch and stay loyal.

So, the main reason that my mind began flowing was this: What movies out there would you absolutely have to make the switch from DVD to blu-ray?

A few jumped out to me.

Obviously, Star Wars. I have probably purchased these movies a handful of times already. I believe I owned three different versions of the original trilogy on VHS, plus I owned the Episode I on VHS before finally making the switch to DVD, which I own all six now.

Second, Back to the Future. I remember when it finally came out on DVD as a trilogy purchase how excited I was. It is one of the most iconic trilogies for me. It is an absolute upgrade for me.

Third, Indiana Jones. I know I am probably being obvious on these first three selections, but they are pretty obvious to me. I got the original trilogy on VHS and then quickly turned that around to the DVD trilogy - which I completed with the purchase of Crystal Skull.

Fourth, Toy Story. I am sorry, but the Pixar trilogy is one of my top set of films of all time. I would definitely need to upgrade these films.

Finally, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This film has been my all-time favorite film since I saw it as a kid. There is something about it that draws me in every time I see it. Of course I would need to upgrade my all-time favorite film.

So - I turn the microphone to you. What films would you absolutely need (or already have) to upgrade from DVD to blu-ray?

Top 10: Tom Hanks Roles

Alright, I figured it out. I have decided to do a Top 10 list about my all-time favorite actor, Tom Hanks. I pretty much like all of Mr. Hanks' work, although he has had a few duds in the mix. So, getting just 10 characters was a bit difficult. But, I did do it.

When I wrote down the characters he has played I actually came out with 12 that were my favorites, so I have to give Lawrence Whatley Bourne III from Volunteers and Scott Turner from Turner & Hooch an honorable mention.

So here is the list (reverse order as always):

10) Robert Langdon - Da Vinci Code

Synopsis: Based on the best-selling novel, Hanks takes over as Dr. Robert Langdon, a symbologist who is called into action of tracking down hidden clues inside Leonardo Da Vinci's paintings.

9) Jim Lovell - Apollo 13

Synopsis: Lovell is named captain of the Apollo 13 moon mission, and along with two other astronauts, will be one of the first few people on the moon. An explosion within the shuttle, however, makes this mission into a rescue mission.

8) Carl Hanratty - Catch Me If You Can

Synopsis: Hanratty is the main investigator in catching the con man Frank Abagnale Jr. During his pursuit he sort of develops a relationship with the young man - as sort of a father figure.

7) Chuck Noland - Cast Away

Synopsis: In one of Hanks' most brilliant performances, Noland is stranded on a remote island after a plane accident. For 2/3's of the movie, Hanks is forced to keep the audience interested with only his actions and his interactions with a volleyball named Wilson.

6) Mr. White - That Thing You Do

Synopsis: Mr. White of PlayTone Music is the new manager of The Wonders, whose hit single "That Things You Do" is climbing up the charts. But, friction between the band members soon puts an end to the magical run and the band becomes a one-hit wonder.

5) Josh Baskin - Big

Synopsis: The movie that really moved Hanks into the mainstream. Hanks plays Baskin, a 12-year old boy looking to grow up a little too fast. Making a wish on a Zoltar Machine, Baskin wakes up as an adult and is forced to figure things out on his own.

4) Forrest Gump - Forrest Gump

Synopsis: Easily one of the most quotable movies of Hanks' career. Hanks plays Gump, a man with a well-below average IQ, but even with his lack of smarts, Gump lives an extraordinary life and meets many fascinating people along the way.

3) Jimmy Dugan - A League of Their Own

Synopsis: Dugan is a retired baseball player, who during his prime was one of the greatest hitters of all-time. Drinking, however, got in the way of his playing career and he is given the chance to manage the Rockford Peaches of the All-American Baseball League - a woman's league. But it could very well be the best thing that ever happened to him.

2) Capt. John Miller - Saving Private Ryan

Synopsis: Hanks plays Miller, a school teacher who is in charge of men's lives during World War II. He is given the assignment of tracking down Private Ryan, whose three bothers had already been killed in the war. It's a gripping tale and one of the most realistic (so I'm told) war movies ever created.

1) Sheriff Woody - Toy Story

Synopsis: As stunning a career as Tom Hanks the actor has had, it's his voice work that has truly made the biggest splash. Hanks lends his voice to Woody, the jealous cowboy doll, in Toy Story. Which, along with being the first all-computer generated film in history, is also one of the best all-around movies.

Top 10: Cartoon Films

In continuation with Cartoon Week, I have decided to post my favorite Top 10 Cartoon Films. As a disclaimer, however, I would like to state that I have not yet seen every cartoon movie ever created, obviously. I am not a fan of Anime, so I have not included any in my list. And I did not include any sequels in my list as well (all sequels should be assumed to be mixed with it's original).

That being said, it was tough to limit the list to just 10 movies. I am a huge fan of the Pixar films, as you will see by my list below, but I didn't want to include all of them on my list - so I excluded a few of those. It was also extremely difficult to be just to cartoons created so long ago. With the technology boom, cartoon animation has come along way since the days of Snow White, and although those films are a huge piece of the animation culture - and I enjoy watching them every now and then - they just don't hold a candle to what today's generation of cartoon movies can bring to the table. But, I did manage to sneak in a few of my absolute favorite old-school animation films.

Finally, I am including only movies that are full cartoon animation. So, movies that have both animation and live-action have not been included.

So, here are MY favorite Top 10 Cartoon Films. They will obviously be different then yours. In reverse order, as always.

Note: It has been a little while since seeing some of these, so the synopsis may be a little unclear.

10) The Chipmunk Adventure
Synopsis: The Chipmunks face-off against the Chipettes in a hot air balloon race around the world. They are picking up and dropping off little Chipmunk/Chipette dolls along the way, not realizing that they are actually smuggling diamonds for a pair of criminals.

9) The Great Mouse Detective
Synopsis: A sort of Sherlock Holmes-type film that focuses on Basil and his counterpart Dawson as they track down the kidnapping of a little girl's father. The girl's father, a toymaker, has been snatched up by the evil Ratigan (voiced by Vincent Price).

8) A Bug's Life
Synopsis: Flick, an inventor ant, accidentally knocks over a hoard of food that the ants have been collecting for the grasshoppers. In order to save his colony, he ventures to the city to find some tough bugs to stand up to the grasshoppers - but chooses a bunch of circus performers by mistake.

7) The Incredibles
Synopsis: Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl are just two of many superheroes forced into retirement. Trying to make it in the real world is difficult for them, but they (along with their children) are thrust back into the jobs they are meant for to save the world from Syndrome.

6) Oliver & Company
Synopsis: A young kitten joins a group of on the street dogs, who do anything possible to survive. Oliver (the kitten) is adopted by a little girl, but he is soon 'kidnapped' by the dogs and their owner, Fagin, in order to extort money to pay off a debt he owes to Sykes.

5) Finding Nemo
Synopsis: An overprotective clown fish named Marlin sets out on a journey to find his lost son, Nemo, who was plucked from the ocean and is now a member of the 'Tank Gang' in a dentist office. Dorey, a forgetful fish, joins Marlin in his trek across the ocean to reunite with his son.

4) South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Synopsis: The Terrence & Philip Movie is released in South Park, and all the children are treated to vulgar language. Their parents, in an effort to save their children, go after Terrence & Philip and eventually declare war on Canada.

3) Monster's, Inc.
Synopsis: A group of monsters capture screams from children in order to power their community. A little girl, whom the monsters think is toxic, escapes into their world, and Sully and Mike try to get her back into her room without anyone realizing she is there.

2) Shrek
Synopsis: Shrek is, as of now, a trilogy. The original shows Shrek and Donkey rescuing Princess Fiona from a dragon-guarded castle. The second film is about Shrek getting to know his in-laws, while the third is about Shrek finding knew king, Arthur, and stopping the fairy tale villains and Prince Charming.

1) Toy Story
Synopsis: Toy Story is the movie that started it all in terms of computer animation. It was the first full-length feature done entirely with computers. Woody is Andy's favorite toy, that is until Buzz Lightyear arrives on Andy's birthday. Buzz, however, doesn't believe he is a toy, and tries to get back to his home planet - while Woody must go along for the ride to prove to the other toys that he is not jealous of Buzz.