succeeds because it is a tightly scripted "buddy comedy" built on the universal fear of obsolescence. The rivalry between , the traditional pull-string cowboy, and Buzz Lightyear

: The film grew from the success of Pixar's 1988 short film, Tin Toy . Disney initially proposed a holiday special, but Pixar pushed for a feature-length project.

The glossy sheen on Buzz’s armor and the matte, molded plastic of the Army Men look sharper and more lifelike, accurately mimicking the real-world toys they were based on.

Ironically, HD exposes the charming limitations of the film. You can see the geometric facets of the humans (Andy’s mom looks like she is made of smoothed clay). You can see how the "fur" on the dog Scud is just layered spikes. Watching allows you to appreciate how close the animators got to realism with such primitive tools. It’s a history lesson in rendering.

For viewers looking to watch Toy Story with optimal picture quality, several modern options exist:

by Woody’s mean-spirited behavior that they nearly shut down production entirely. Director John Lasseter was given just two weeks to rewrite the script

Woody’s struggle with jealousy highlights the insecurity of being replaced, a theme that resonates with audiences of all ages.