Review of Toy Story 2

Toy Story 2 (U)

Plot
When Woody is mistakenly sold to an evil toy trader, the rest of the toys team up to save him.

Review
Having made such a remarkable impact on the world of animation, swapping sentiment and dodgily-etched 2-D stereotypes for something distinctly more multi-dimensional - while creating the same sort of real-life demand for its screen playthings that it portrayed in the movie - it was inevitable that a sequel to Toy Story would appear at some point.

Originally envisioned, however, as one of the straight-to-video efforts that have proven so successful for Disney (to wit: Aladdin follow-up The Return Of Jafar, and The Lion King sequel Simba's Pride), the folks at Pixar sensibly decided this film was worthy of a big screen outing first. And right they are, for Toy Story 2, while lacking the immediacy of its predecessor and taking just a little too long to switch into high gear, is a highly superior sequel. In the States it zoomed its way to $150 million in just four weeks, kicking off with a not-to-be-sniffed-at $80 million opening weekend - proof, then, that this sort of thing may well come with a built-in audience, but at the same time, a little quality and thought goes a very long way.

This time around it's the summer after the original movie and Andy is heading off to cowboy camp, Woody in tow. Until, that is, Woody is incapacitated in a playroom accident and left on a neglected top shelf, along with a broken penguin, for repair. A further string of mishaps, mainly involving Woody's attempts to save the dusty bird from a yard sale in a brilliant rescue sequence, see him landing in the clutches of toy collector Al (of Al's Toy Barn fame), and finding out facts about his past life, involving a crap 50s black-and-white telly show, a bunch of new characters - cowgirl doll Jessie, boxed gold prospector Stinky Pete and mute pony Bullseye - and one of the biggest merchandising opportunities since, well, Toy Story. Meanwhile, Buzz and his pals set off to the toy store in order to bring Woody back to Andy's room, encountering a string of obstacles - from Tour Guide Barbie to a whole shelf of other Buzz Lightyears - along the way.

While Toy Story's plotline depended largely on Buzz Lightyear's refusal to believe in his action figure origins, this time around Lasseter ups the stakes; the underlying story strand, treated in one of the movies handful of songs, gets the toys pondering their fate once they become broken or outmoded, or their owner simply outgrows them. Knowing that the characters have only a limited lifespan lends proceedings a rather curious poignancy, although it doesn't detract from some quite sensational animation which, as it was first time around, is the major selling point. Here the detail is evident in everything from the amazing opening sequence, pitting Buzz against his arch nemesis, Emperor Zurg, through to the monolithic shelves of Al's Toy Barn. However, its the little touches - such as the thick dust layer adorning Woody's new shelf-top home - which stick in the mind longest.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Toy Story 2, however, is the amount of care that has gone into creating a film which is every bit as impressive as its predecessor, rather than delivering something vastly inferior that can be sold on the strength of its characters. Lasseter and new arrival Brannon have skilfully woven their way around the lack of surprise element to create new characters that charm and convince, set-pieces galore - leading up to a finale every bit as breathtaking as its predecessor - and a whole range of new and original jokes, not least of which is a canny repetition of Buzz's space ranger delusions to hilarious effect. Toy Story 2 doesnt quite knock The Godfather II from its best-sequel-of-all-time perch, but it still provides the kind of exhilarating cinema experience that leaves you gasping in admiration and actually wanting a third instalment. If only all sequels were this good.

Verdict
As impressive as the first film, this actually leaves you wanting more.

Reviewer: Caroline Westbrook

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tp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120363/]Toy Story 2ogether with The Godfather II and The Empire Strikes Back, Toy Story 2 is part of a small group of sequels that are better than the originals. A better storyline and told with great precision without the message being forced upon you too much, this still remains to be a lovely film. Just as with the first one, the blu-ray again looks magnificent. Right from the first scene it`s brilliant and over the whole movie it looks like it just has a bit more... Read More

TheGodfather About me
22:24, 05 August 2010 \| Report This Post




Toy Story 2: The Two And Only!

Another great story from Pixar here! Loved the story and the animation is just unbeatable! I love the way Pixar use actual toys like the Etch A Sketch and the toy soldiers which are toys of that generation. I loved that fact that they did not bring too many new characters into it as that would have made it more confusing. Toy Story 3 has about 8 new characters which I fear will make it too confusing for it's target audience, the kids. Absolute must for Pixar fans! ... Read More

LUCASLITTLEWOOD About me
14:47, 26 May 2010 \| Report This Post




TS2

One of the greatest animated experiences ever created. I can't say that I like more this or the first one. Both are great. ... Read More

nc_jj About me
04:11, 27 April 2010 \| Report This Post




Toy Story 2 is great

Toy story is is great i think it deserves a five star rating but its better in 3d. ... Read More

Covcityfan15 About me
12:22, 02 February 2010 \| Report This Post




RE: Toy Story 2
To be honest the only let down for me that drops it below the 100% perfect notch is 'baggage handler number 2' or as we know him Andy peters with his immortal line 'hold it got a couple more bags coming from the terminal', he just doesn't fit. ... Read More

MOnkeyboy1138 About me
09:12, 16 September 2009 \| Report This Post




RE: Toy Story 2
10 years Toy Story 2? Those were the days! ... Read More

Timmy_Brisby_05 About me
18:42, 13 September 2009 \| Report This Post




RE: 2 good 2 be true

The renowned sequel to my all-time favourite movie as a little child, I couldn't wait to see it when it first came out, and it was as just a charmingly imaginative and gratifying film as the first one. There are some seriously emotional bits that really spoke to me even those ten years ago (Woody watching "You Gotta Friend In Me" on the Roundup Show and realising how important Andy truely is to him, anyone?) All in all, though, it's still the ludicrously entertaining set-pieces, in the same vei... Read More

TheEmpireStrikesJack About me
12:29, 13 September 2009 \| Report This Post




2 good 2 be true

Just barely below the originals best animated movie ever perch It's still brilliant in its own right ... Read More

S1lent B0b About me
17:24, 10 September 2009 \| Report This Post






This movie is slightly under the first but my god...it is still absolutely outstanding...again, like the first, everything is brilliant, this is almost the greatest sequel ever made ... Read More

Coyleone About me
22:39, 23 February 2009 \| Report This Post




SURPRISE-a brilliant sequel

When this came out in cinemas I thought this was going to be, like most sequels, shite. I was, of course, wrong. And I deserve a slap in the face for ever doubting the creators at PIXAR. It isn't as good as the original, obviously, but that doesn't mean it's shit! It's 99% good- the 1% meaning that it isn't as memerable as the first...BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T MEAN IT'S SHIT!!! ... Read More

!xHoTRoDx! About me
16:10, 05 January 2009 \| Report This Post




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