Amazon.com video review:
Before Toy Story, there was Tin Toy. John Lasseter and the
creative geniuses at Pixar made landmark short films that paved the way for
their feature-length films. This dandy collection contains their five
shorts made between 1984 and 1989. The only throwaway is The Adventures of
André
& Wally B., the earliest short, barely two minutes long. The famous hopping
lamp (now part of the company's logo) appears in Luxo Jr. and
illustrates how Pixar's sense of humor is so crucial to its success. There is
real personality here, as a "father" lamp is surprised by his "son." That
essence comes to life in the Oscar-winning Tin Toy. This film about a baby
playing
with a wind-up doll is a blueprint for Toy Story as is Knickknack,
a delightful and very funny short about a snowman who will do anything to
get out of his snow globe. An essential for any fan of computer animation.
--Doug Thomas
