3. Toy Story
Like Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo and Up, Toy Story has at the heart it a misfit buddy duo that immediately warms your heart. Woody and Buzz are the definitive Pixar characters and the iconic pairing upon which Pixar's success was built. The release of Toy Story saw cinema changed forever as it pioneered computer animation and set a new benchmark for animated movies. Toy Story was either going to be the hit it became or a disastrous flop as everybody involved was going for broke, with money and resources stretched to the limit and Disney being apprehensive about the project. What we got was one of the most innovative movies ever made that displayed the brilliance of the imagination for all to see. Without Toy Story, there would be no Monsters Inc, The Incredibles or Up. It's the film that kicked off Pixar's dominance of animated movies, as they were unstoppable for over a decade. John Lasseter and his team also capture the essence of toys and give each toy a special characterisation that is true to them, which creates a fantastical universe that is truly a wonder impossible to not get lost in. The film has many great moments, both awe-inspiring and poignant, emphasising its ability to appeal universally, but the thrilling escape sequence aside, the supreme moment in the film is when Buzz devastatingly realises he is just a toy - it's a powerful and often overlooked moment. For all the attention the animation and visuals received, Toy Story's magic is in its heart with the characters and the words they say.