Did you ever have enough Toy Story yourself as a kid? Did your kids ever watch it to the point where you had to force them to watch something else? Did you ever find yourself humming "You've Got A Friend In Me" over and over again and gotten tired of it? If your answer to all these questions is "no", then it's definitely a good thing that Pixar made another one only four years following the original's success without hesitation. Production for this movie saw some interesting developments throughout the studio and the movie itself and is not only one of the rare cases in which the sequel met the success of the original, but also surpassed it unexpectedly. Without getting too much into the fine details right away, let's go ahead and take a look at what makes Toy Story 2, like its predecessor, still one of the most beloved films to this day.
***SPOILERS AHEAD*** (but I'm sure many have seen this movie too, so why fret?)
The main factors that make Toy Story 2 stand out so well not just as a sequel, but as it's own film are its plot developments. This time we see Woody (voiced once more by Tom Hanks) trying to save a toy from a yard sale only to wind up stolen by greedy toy collector, Al McWhiggin (voiced by Wayne Knight), to be sold to a toy museum in Japan. While Woody gets to know his history through the likes of his "Roundup gang", Buzz Lightyear (voiced once more by Tim Allen) and the other toys set out on a search and rescue mission, risking their lives to locate Woody and bring him back home. Basic as it sounds, there's actually a neatly complex dilemma to it -- Woody initially wants to go back to Andy's after being fixed up for display when newcomers Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack) and Stinky Pete (voiced by Kelsey Grammar) convince him that it's better to be adored forever than it is to be forgotten by those you used to play with. In a sense, it's easy to understand this, especially since Woody's departure would have meant the rest of the gang going back into storage (of which Jessie can't stand). However, Buzz begs to differ, reminding Woody of the lesson he taught him in the first film on being loved by those who matter most while they're around. Such a relatable topic for a movie about toys! Who would've thought a series like Toy Story would get SO incredibly deep?
And, for that matter, there's no real reason to argue that the film isn't good when it both looks and sounds fantastic! Although it was only released four years after the original -- and one year after Pixar's previous hit, A Bug's Life -- the animation and textures definitely got that much better! The humans no longer resemble plastic as the toys should and the graphics, despite being dated, actually hold up well enough today. General as that sounds, there's no mistake that, during the scenes where the toys are traveling through the apartment vents that it truly feels like you're inside one of those things -- not just from a graphical standpoint, but from the various sounds echoing off the walls as well. And so tell me again why I shouldn't say it doesn't sound great when the music is perhaps even more noteworthy this time? Randy Newman may not have any vocal bits in this movie, but there is still an abundance of phenomenal tracks both vocal and orchestral throughout. The part showing the montage of Jessie's story is greatly enhanced by the track "When She Loved Me" and there are, not one, but two different versions of "You've Got A Friend In Me" this time around! Could this possibly get any better?!
I may sound like I'm overly gushing about this movie from a nostalgia perspective seeing as I watched this film quite often, if not just as much as the first film when I was a kid, but really I'm not. Back when I was just a kid, though, it went over my head just how many genius adult jokes and film parody scenes were in this movie in the first place -- the adult jokes I'll save talking about for the observant viewers wishing to give this movie a view if you haven't already. What big movie buff could've possibly missed the Jurassic Park reference when Rex falls out of the car in Al's Toy Barn and Mr. Potato Head spots him in the rear view mirror? And those Star Wars references... I swear they're everywhere, even in a Toy Story film! Between Buzz breathing like Darth Vader in his helmet at the beginning or the "I am your father" parody scene between Utility Belt Buzz and Emperor Zurg during their showdown on the elevator, it's amazing the writers had the urge to stick those in there in the first place. With that I will say that Toy Story 2 is, without a doubt, a well-written, well-acted film with little moments like these from the side characters to make me appreciate it all the more!
Like its predecessor, Toy Story 2 is another one of those brilliant films that can't even have anything negative said about it. It's a sequel that managed to not only be as successful as the original, but succeeded it as well through means of deep dilemmas, well-written characters, well-acted voice performances from an all-star cast, improvements in graphics, excellent music, and little comedic moments that make me love it all the more. In the end, it's a neat addition to an already existing franchise and is one of the reasons why Pixar is known for being the animation giant it is today. All this and more said, I give this movie an A+ and surely consider it a must see for all ages as well as anyone who is both a fan of the original and/or looking for a brilliant film sequel to watch!
Thanks y'all for reading and, as always, I will see you in the next review!
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