FilmEdge previews this week's long-awaited release of Disney•Pixar's TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2 Special Editions with our advance review of the Blu-ray Combo Pack of each film, making these animated classics available in true high-definition for the first time in your home.

Memorable characters, delightful and irreverent humor and soulful storytelling, TOY STORY was the first feature-length computer animated film in 1995 and it remains a timeless classic today and will remain so for generations. This week it finally arrives in a high-definition Blu-ray release to be seen and enjoyed in the full glory of its digital video and sound as intended.  When viewed in spectacular 1080p high-definition and heard in 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio sound, you'll find yourself fully immersed in this eye-pleasing, heartwarming tale of toys who live to please the little boy who owns them.

Directed by John Lasseter forging a new filmmaking frontier with his artistic and technical wizards at Pixar, their story redefined the modern animated feature film indelibly and established a legacy that thrills adults and children alike.  Brilliant voice performances by stars Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, John Ratzenberger, Jim Varney and Wallace Shawn, animator and actor combined their talents and passion to create unforgettable characters that have become cultural icons and family friends.

Three joyful and emotion-tugging songs by Randy Newman, including You've Got a Friend in Me, deepen the very human drama of these toys' story and sound just as fresh in this vibrant new HD release.  It's easy to see why the story co-creators Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton have gone on to success as directors of hits like MONSTERS, INC., WALL-E and the recent Academy Award winning UP.  The late Joe Ranft would also go on to forge many of Disney•Pixar's subsequent classics including A BUG'S LIFE, FINDING NEMO and CARS before his untimely passing in 2005.  For all the quantum leaps made in computer graphics animation since its release, TOY STORY hasn't one dated frame of style or substance in it thanks to these master storytellers.

Aside from TOY STORY looking and sounding better than you've seen it, this Special Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack boasts a treasure chest of new Bonus Features exclusive to this new release:

• The Story: An Exclusive Sneak Peek at TOY STORY 3 delivers just that, a preview of the newest adventures for Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the toys as Andy's about to go off to college.  Hosted by its director Lee Unkrich, only this TOY STORY release gives you this exclusive peek at this summer's new film in theaters June 18th.
• Feature-length Commentary Track by director John Lasseter, co-writer Andrew Stanton, supervising animator Pete Docter, art director Ralph Eggleston, supervising technical director Bill Reeves, and producers Ralph Guggenheim and Bonnie Arnold.
• Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs — Episode One: Blast Off is the first short of several co-produced with NASA encouraging young audiences' interest in space exploration as Buzz reports back on his journey aboard the Space Shuttle to the International Space Station.
• Paths to Pixar: Artists introduces some of the studio's renowned animators who offer true and inspiring advice to budding artists how education and determination can make dreams come true for aspiring filmmakers of the future.
• Three Studio Stories offer entertaining anecdotes narrated and animated by Pixar crew, vignettes describing the unconventional and comical events which occurred amid production of TOY STORY: how John Lasseter refused to stop driving his disintegrating old car even after the film's success; one crew member shed his dignity and put on a costume to win Pixar's all-important Halloween contest; and how the original employees risked life and limb to break the record time in the late night scooter races.
• Buzz Takes Manhattan recounts how Lasseter and team lived their own dream holding the ropes as the Buzz Lightyear balloon joined the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
• Black Friday: The TOY STORY You Never Saw offers a rare look at the first story reel presentation Pixar made to Disney and how this edgy, unfunny test almost ended the film before animation began.

This Special Edition also offers the Original Bonus Features offered on TOY STORY's previous 10th anniversary DVD release, including: Filmmakers Reflect (hilarious!), Making TOY STORY, The Legacy of TOY STORY, eight Deleted Scenes, plus featurettes on the film's Design, Story, Production, Music & Sound and Publicity.

Walt Disney often referred to advancing his creative projects as plussing: allowing talented artists, craftspeople and crews to add their own special touches and skills to make a great idea even better.  This Special Edition of TOY STORY plusses a great animated classic and brings it home as you've never seen it before.  Disney•Pixar's 2-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack offers the best of both worlds this Tuesday, delivering TOY STORY in spectacular high-definition for the first time ever and including a standard DVD with bonus features for viewing flexibility for your entire family.  Buzz, Woody and the toys continue their adventures in Disney•Pixar's TOY STORY 2 Special Edition which FilmEdge reviews next.