In a world where toys come to life when humans aren't looking, Woody, a pull-string cowboy doll, enjoys his status as young Andy's favorite possession and the leader of the bedroom toys. However, his world is turned upside down with the arrival of Buzz Lightyear, a high-tech space ranger action figure who believes he is a real astronaut. As a rivalry develops between the two for Andy's affection, they find themselves separated from their owner and trapped in the house of a toy-torturing neighbor, forcing them to forge an unlikely alliance to survive and return home before Andy moves away.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
November 22, 1995 |
Running time |
81 minutes |
Genre |
Animation Adventure Comedy Family Fantasy |
Budget |
$30,000,000 |
Box Office |
$373,554,033 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
John Lasseter |
Produced by |
Bonnie Arnold Ralph Guggenheim |
Written by |
Joss Whedon Andrew Stanton Joel Cohen Alec Sokolow |
Music by |
Randy Newman |
Cinematography |
Sharon Calahan Robert Anderson |
Edited by |
Robert Gordon Lee Unkrich |
Production Co. |
Walt Disney Pictures Pixar Animation Studios |
Distributed by |
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #01 in Toy Story Collection
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The Plot
The Secret Life of Andy’s Room
The story opens in the vibrant, imaginative world of six-year-old Andy Davis. As he races through his room, Andy plays out a classic Western adventure with his favorite toys: a plastic dinosaur named Rex, the grumpy Mr. Potato Head, and his most beloved companion, a pull-string cowboy doll named Woody. However, the joy of playtime is shadowed by change; Andy’s mother mentions his upcoming birthday party and the family’s imminent move to a new house. Once Andy leaves the room to help his mother with his baby sister, Molly, the toys magically spring to life, revealing a complex social hierarchy led by Woody.
Woody quickly assumes his role as the leader, calling a staff meeting to address the group's anxieties. With the move just a week away, he urges everyone to find a "moving buddy." The tension spikes when Woody reveals that Andy’s birthday party has been moved up to today. Panic spreads among the toys, who fear being replaced by newer, flashier models. Hamm the piggy bank eventually alerts the group that the guests have arrived, and the toys watch from the window in silent dread as children carry brightly wrapped presents into the house.
The Arrival of a Galactic Rival
To ease the tension, Woody sends Sarge and a disciplined team of green plastic Army men downstairs with a baby monitor to scout the gifts. The mission is nerve-wracking; while most presents are harmless clothes and board games, a final, surprise gift from Andy’s mother changes everything. It is a Buzz Lightyear action figure—the most sophisticated toy on the market. In his excitement, Andy shoves Woody off the bed to make room for the newcomer. When the toys finally meet Buzz, they are dazzled by his "high-tech" features, including retractable wings, a red laser light, and a digital voice box.
However, there is a catch: Buzz doesn't realize he is a toy. He firmly believes he is an actual Space Ranger from the Gamma Quadrant, tasked by Star Command to repair his "ship" (which is actually just his cardboard packaging). Woody’s jealousy festers as the other toys become enamored with Buzz's gadgets. This rivalry reaches a breaking point when Andy begins to prefer Buzz, replacing his cowboy-themed room decorations with space-age posters and bedsheets, leaving Woody feeling like a relic of the past.
A Dangerous Descent and a False Accusation
Desperate to regain his status, Woody sees an opportunity when Andy’s mother announces a trip to the space-themed Pizza Planet restaurant, allowing Andy to bring only one toy. Knowing Andy will choose Buzz, Woody attempts to use RC, a remote-controlled car, to knock Buzz behind the desk so Andy can't find him. The plan goes catastrophically wrong, and Buzz is accidentally knocked out of the second-story window and into the bushes. The other toys, led by the cynical Mr. Potato Head, accuse Woody of attempted murder driven by envy. Only Bo Peep and Slinky Dog maintain a shred of doubt. Before the toys can retaliate, Andy—unable to find Buzz—grabs Woody and heads to the car.
Stranded at Dinoco
While the family stops for gas at a Dinoco station, Woody is riddled with guilt and worry about how to prove his innocence to the other toys. Suddenly, Buzz appears on the minivan's sunroof, having hitched a ride. A heated confrontation ensues, devolving into a physical brawl that tumbles them out of the car. The minivan drives away, leaving both toys stranded in the middle of nowhere. Woody is terrified of becoming a "lost toy," but he manages to manipulate Buzz into hitching a ride on a Pizza Planet delivery truck by claiming it’s a "spacecraft" headed for a spaceport.
The Claws of Sid Phillips
Upon arriving at Pizza Planet, Buzz’s delusions lead him to a crane game shaped like a rocket ship, which he believes is a real vessel that will take him to Emperor Zurg. Woody dives into the machine to rescue him, but both are trapped in a sea of squeaky three-eyed aliens. Their situation turns dire when Andy’s sadistic neighbor, Sid Phillips, wins both toys from the machine. Sid is notorious for torturing toys, often disassembling them or "performing surgery" to create horrific hybrids. At Sid's house, Woody and Buzz encounter the "Mutant Toys"—grotesque creations like a doll head on mechanical spider legs—and assume they are cannibals.
The Fall of a Space Ranger
The next morning, Woody and Buzz attempt an escape but are thwarted by Sid’s vicious dog, Scud. During the chaos, Buzz wanders into a room where a television is playing a commercial for "Buzz Lightyear" toys. Seeing the disclaimer "Not a flying toy" and his own face on the screen, the truth finally hits him: he is just a plastic plaything. In a desperate, final attempt to prove himself wrong, Buzz tries to fly from a staircase banister, only to crash to the floor and lose his left arm. Broken both physically and mentally, Buzz is found by Sid’s sister, Hannah, who dresses him up in a bonnet and forces him into a "tea party" as "Mrs. Nesbitt."
A Heart-to-Heart in the Dark
Woody eventually finds a delusional, drunken-acting Buzz and tries to snap him out of it. He attempts to signal Andy’s toys across the way using a string of Christmas lights, but when he accidentally reveals Buzz’s severed arm, the toys in Andy's room are convinced Woody has finally finished Buzz off. They abandon him, leaving Woody in despair. Just then, the Mutant Toys swarm Buzz, but to Woody’s surprise, they aren't eating him—they are using their spare parts to expertly repair his arm. Before they can celebrate, Sid returns with a massive "The Big One" rocket, intending to blow Buzz to bits. A sudden rainstorm delays the launch, but Sid traps Woody under a heavy toolbox, planning to carry out the execution at dawn.
During the night, Woody gives a moving speech to the depressed Buzz. He confesses his own feelings of inadequacy, telling Buzz: "Why would Andy ever wanna play with me, when he's got you? I'm the one that should be strapped to that rocket..." He highlights that being a toy is a noble calling because of the joy it brings to a child. Buzz looks at the bottom of his boot, seeing "ANDY" written in permanent marker, and realizes that being "Andy's toy" is more important than being a Space Ranger. Reinvigorated, Buzz helps Woody escape the crate just as Sid wakes up to take Buzz to the launch pad.
Breaking the Rules: "Play Nice!"
With the moving van literally pulling out of Andy’s driveway next door, Woody recruits the Mutant Toys for a daring rescue mission. He organizes them into a tactical unit to surround Sid in the backyard. Just as Sid is about to light the fuse on Buzz, Woody activates his own voice box, speaking directly to the terrified boy. Woody and the other toys "break the rules" by moving and talking in front of Sid. Woody’s head turns 360 degrees as he warns Sid: "We toys can see everything! So play nice!" Petrified by the sight of his "victims" coming to life, Sid screams and flees into the house, forever traumatized by his own toys.
The Great Van Chase
Free at last, Woody and Buzz sprint after the moving van. A harrowing chase ensues as they try to board the truck while being pursued by Scud the dog. Buzz heroically sacrifices himself to knock Scud away, becoming stranded. Woody tries to rescue him using RC, but the other toys on the van, still believing Woody is a villain, throw him out onto the road. However, they soon realize their mistake when they see Woody riding RC with Buzz. To gain enough speed to catch the van, Woody uses Buzz’s helmet as a magnifying glass to light the fuse of the rocket still strapped to Buzz’s back.
The rocket ignites, sending Woody and Buzz hurtling into the sky at incredible speeds. Woody manages to toss RC back into the moving van before the rocket explodes. At the last second, Buzz opens his wings, cutting the tape and severing the rocket. The duo glides gracefully through the air, with Woody shouting, "Buzz, you're flying!" to which Buzz famously replies, "This isn't flying, this is falling with style!" They drop through the sunroof of the Davis family car, landing right next to a grieving Andy, who is overjoyed to find his two best friends.
A New Era for the Toys
The film concludes months later at Christmas in the new house. The toys have found a new sense of harmony, and the rivalry between Woody and Buzz has evolved into a deep friendship. Sarge and the soldiers monitor the Christmas presents, and the toys are far less anxious about being replaced. Mr. Potato Head is delighted when he hears Molly has received a Mrs. Potato Head. As the story ends, Woody playfully asks Buzz what Andy could possibly get that would be "worse" than a Space Ranger. The answer comes in a loud bark from downstairs: Andy has received a new puppy, leaving Woody and Buzz sharing a look of hilarious unease as the screen fades to black.
