QUICK TAKE:

Animated Comedy/Adventure: In a world where toys come to life whenever humans aren't around, a toy cowboy figure must contend with the arrival of a new space ranger toy who enamors the other toys as well as their human boy owner, but doesn't realize he's not the real character from which he's molded.

PLOT:

Like most other kids his age, Andy (voice of John Morris) has a lot of toys in his bedroom, and his favorite is his talking, pull-string cowboy. Little does the kid realize, however, that Woody (voice of TOM HANKS) and the rest of the toys only pretend to be inanimate when he and other humans are around, and otherwise are alive when they're just among their own kind.

With Woody as their unelected leader, the various toys -- including Mr. Potato Head (voice of DON RICKLES), Slinky Dog (voice of JIM VARNEY), Rex the tyrannosaurus (voice of WALLACE SHAWN), Hamm the piggy bank (voice of JOHN RATZENBERGER) and Bo Peep (voice of ANNIE POTTS), among others -- are always worried when a new toy arrives in the house.

Since they're moving to a new home soon, Andy's mom moves up his birthday celebration, and that means the arrival of space ranger toy Buzz Lightyear (voice of TIM ALLEN), who arrives with all of the latest cool gizmos and gadgets, all of which impress not only Andy, but the other toys as well. That is, except for Woody who's jealous of the attention being diverted away from him and can't believe that Buzz thinks he's the real character and not a toy replica.

Woody's jealousy gets the better of him, and Buzz ends up knocked out the bedroom window. Realizing he must retrieve his rival in order to keep the rest of the toys from turning on him, Woody sets out to do just that. In doing so, however, that takes him out into the real world where various dangers lurk, including the next door neighbor teen, Sid (voice of ERIK VON DETTEN), who enjoys abusing toys (not realizing they're sentient beings), and eventually gets his hands on both Woody and Buzz.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

It's a good bet that many will.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: G

For not containing material that would warrant a higher rating.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

Although it's debatable whether kids view computer-animated characters as role models, here's a quick look at the major characters.

WOODY is the friendly and easygoing, if somewhat neurotic cowboy toy and leader of the others who ends up jealous of the attention paid to Buzz upon his arrival in the home. After causing Buzz to be knocked out of the house, he must retrieve him in order to save face with the other toys.

BUZZ LIGHTYEAR is the cocky space ranger toy who doesn't realize he's just that and thinks instead that he's landed on a strange planet with an interesting array of characters.

REX plays a nervous Nelly of a tyrannosaurus rex toy.

MR. POTATO HEAD is cynical and sarcastic potato-shaped toy who's quick to criticize and condemn Woody for his actions.

SLINKY DOG is another toy who always stands up for Woody, thus drawing Mr. Potato Head's contempt.

HAMM is a wisecracking piggy bank who joins in the condemnation of Woody.

BO PEEP is a porcelain shepherdess who likes Woody.

ANDY is the human boy who owns the toys, not realizing they're sentient beings and that his newfound fondness for Buzz over Woody has put their world in disarray.

SID is the sociopathic neighbor teen kid who's destructive and enjoys altering, damaging and destroying toys (without realizing they're alive).

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