#936- Toy Story 2 (1999)Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack
Directed by: John Lasseter
Plot Summary: Woody is getting ready to go with Andy to summer camp, until he is accidentally damaged and put on the top shelf instead. In an attempt to save an older toy from being sold in a yard sale, Woody is stolen by the owner of the local toy shop. Buzz, Rex, Hamm, Slinky Dog and Mr. Potato Head embark on a mission to rescue Woody and have him back before Andy gets back from camp. However, Woody has discovered that he was the star of his own television show, and with his new friends Jessie, Bullseye and Stinky Pete, they have an opportunity to go to a museum in Tokyo, Japan, where they can be loved for generations and not have to worry about being shelved or replaced.
When it comes to animated movies, sequels are very difficult to accomplish. They usually are considered inferior to the original film and a lot of times, especially in Disney's case, are released straight to DVD. So when Pixar decided to make Toy Story 2, people didn't know what to expect. It's the sequel to an animated film the world fell in love with, so did they want it to be better than the first, or did they expect it to fail? When it was released, I enjoyed it but I thought the first Toy Story movie was still better. But that was from the point of view of a kid still playing with his toys. As I got older, my appreciation for the second film continued to grow with each viewing. I not only think that Toy Story 2 is just as good as the first movie, but I think it's even BETTER than the first in certain areas.
One of the new toys Woody encounters is a cowgirl named Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack. Jessie is a character that holds a lot of emotional depth throughout the film. She's introduced as someone who is adventurous, outgoing, and a lot of fun to be around. She's elated to see Woody because he is her chance to be immortalized in a toy museum in Japan, but quickly becomes resentful towards Woody when he shows signs of wanting to return home to Andy. Jessie's motivations are revealed in the emotional highlight of the film, a montage of how her previous owner, Emily, grew out of loving her. Randy Newman's "When She Loved Me" is the song used in this tragically beautiful scene. The song, performed by Sarah McLachlan, truly captures the perfect amount of emotion for the scene and is what makes this scene all the more heartbreaking and memorable.
Bullseye is Woody's horse from the television show Woody's Roundup. Like Slinky, Bullseye is completely loyal towards Woody. However, while Slinky is loyal like a close friend to Woody, Bullseye serves as more of a loyal pet (I credit some of that to Bullseye being a silent character). He has many comedic bits with Woody during the film, but knows when to be serious for a heroic deed. Stinky Pete the Prospector, voiced by Kelsey Grammar, serves as a mentor-like role for the rest of the Woody's Roundup toys. He explains to Woody how they were phased out (by space toys, how ironic) and makes sure to emphasize the importance of why they should go to the museum. He thinks they deserve to live forever and have children love them from generation to generation, as opposed to having an individual owner that will forget about them.One of the characters from the first movie I didn't mention last time was Mr. Potato Head, voiced by Don Rickles. In the previous installment, Mr. Potato Head was more hostile and antagonistic towards the other toys. In the second film, the arrival of Mrs. Potato Head, voiced by Estelle Harris, has seemed to mellow him. He's involved in one of my favorite bits from the film when he saves the lives of three alien squeeze toys from the first film, voiced by Jeff Pidgeon, and they show him that they are eternally grateful by never leaving him alone. For me, it's one of the most quotable moments in the franchise, logically making it one of the more entertaining portions of the film.
Toy Story 2 is full of new villains for Woody, Buzz and the rest of the toys to combat. Woody is kidnapped by Al, voiced by Wayne Knight, the owner of a local toy store, Al's Toy Barn. Al is a bit of a greedy idiot, but has a reason for kidnapping Woody and is symbolic of how a toy collector can go too far. There's even a toy version of Buzz's arch enemy Zurg, voiced by Andrew Stanton, who is targeting the group led by Buzz (not really Buzz, there's another Buzz Lightyear who goes through the same motions Buzz does in the first film, but I digress). Zurg is an obvious Darth Vader rip-off, but it's done in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way that is still enjoyable and humorous. There is a third villain that I technically won't reveal the identity of, but I will say the motivations of the villain, as well as the build up to the reveal, are completely understandable and even feel natural for the character.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Toy Story 2 takes the established universe of the first film and expands it further, creating a film that is arguably better than the first. It introduces new characters and delivers a stronger plot that leaves the door open for another sequel. I strongly recommend that everyone sees the second installment in the Toy Story franchise and it is definitely worth owning in your DVD collection.
Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review
Toy Story 2 and movie images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios
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