42 - "Toy Story" (1995)

     I loved my toys growing up. Heck, I guess you can say that I never stopped loving them as I still buy lots of them. I could spend hours alone in my room with my Star Wars, GI Joe and He-Man action figures and I was perfectly happy. Of course I had my personal favorites that I liked just a little bit more than the others. For my Star Wars figures, I was always partial to the Stormtrooper figures that I had. For G.I. Joe it was Barbecue and Serpentor. I also had some wrestling figures and my Road Warriors figures always won. I can remember some of those times so vividly it's like they happened just yesterday, not 25 years ago. Because of this, I "got" Toy Story right away. I understood the affection towards Woody and Buzz Lightyear because I was the exact same way. This was a movie that I could watch and just sit back and smile. Pixar Studios is perhaps the best movie studio going these days, as they have had an impeccable run of brilliance. It started in 1995 with Toy Story and was book-ended last year by the equally impressive Toy Story 3. (As I write this, Cars 2 is being released). Toy Story is certainly aimed at kids, but adults will get just as much, if not more, satisfaction from the end result. If' you've ever had an emotional attachment to any toys you will find this movie very rich and exciting. It is a joy and a must-own for families.