In the mid 90’s Toy Story was huge. The first feature length computer animated film not only broke world records but it was making serious bank for studio Pixar and distributor Disney, particularly with its merchandise. Eager to keep the money rolling in, Disney requisitioned a direct to video sequel be made as quickly as possible. Starting out life in a small animation studio, Pixar quickly caught wind of how the project was shaping up and were extremely unhappy with the results. Eager to keep the Toy Story brand from being sullied with a rushed home video release, Pixar undertook turning Toy Story 2 into a full theatrical release, something they achieved to meet the tight release window just nine months ahead. By all indications Toy Story 2 should have failed, yet it somehow became one of the rare sequels that can hold its own against its predecessor and surpass in in many areas.
Whilst preparing to go to summer camp, Woody (Tom Hanks) accidentally has his arm ripped, which lands him on the shelf for broken and unwanted toys. In an attempt to save a fellow broken toy from being sold in a yard sale, Woody finds himself stolen by Al (Wayne Knight), a collector and local toy store owner.
After figuring out where Woody might be, Buzz (Tim Allen), Mr. Potato head (Don Rickles), Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Slinky (Jim Varney), and Rex (Wallace Shawn) must travel into the city to rescue their friend.
But at Al’s apartment, Woody questions whether he wants to return to Andy (John Morris) when he discovers his past as the star of his very own TV show. Befriending co-stars Jessie (Joan Cusack), Prospector Pete (Kelsey Grammar), and Bullseye, who along with Woody are destined to be shipped off to Japan and be displayed in a museum.
Whilst preparing to go to summer camp, Woody (Tom Hanks) accidentally has his arm ripped, which lands him on the shelf for broken and unwanted toys. In an attempt to save a fellow broken toy from being sold in a yard sale, Woody finds himself stolen by Al (Wayne Knight), a collector and local toy store owner.
After figuring out where Woody might be, Buzz (Tim Allen), Mr. Potato head (Don Rickles), Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Slinky (Jim Varney), and Rex (Wallace Shawn) must travel into the city to rescue their friend.
But at Al’s apartment, Woody questions whether he wants to return to Andy (John Morris) when he discovers his past as the star of his very own TV show. Befriending co-stars Jessie (Joan Cusack), Prospector Pete (Kelsey Grammar), and Bullseye, who along with Woody are destined to be shipped off to Japan and be displayed in a museum.
For an animated film that was basically started and finished in nine months, Toy Story 2 is nothing short of remarkable. This could have very easily ended up a total disaster, or at the very least underwhelming in comparison to the first film, but instead Toy Story 2 manages to outdo its predecessor in almost every way.
The story is so much wider in scope than the first film, and for the first time we get to see what life is really like for a toy beyond the safety of a child’s bedroom. Whilst the first film did take us out of the house, it was only briefly, and the world wasn’t particularly threatening. Toy Story 2 throws conundrums like how do toys cross a road?
It also peels back the curtain of how toys feel about their owners, and what the purpose of a toy is once their owner no longer needs them. It’s these themes in particular that punctuate the three Toy Story sequels, the idea of ownership and what happens to toys when their owners no longer need or want them anymore.
Woody’s journey in Toy Story 2 is radically different to the one he had in the original film. Now damaged goods, his life expectancy as Andy’s favourite toy had dropped significantly, and the idea of being able to become a museum exhibit that’s adored by hundreds of people every single day, forever, seems much more tantalising than going back to Andy’s room and getting another couple of years of play before being thrown away or boxed up because Andy’s outgrown him. The decision he faces is understandably difficult, especially when in the first film Woody was so desperate for Andy’s constant attention that he tried to get rid of Buzz.
The Woody’s Roundup gang are great new additions to the cast too. Prospector Pete is a mint condition doll, never left the box, and he presents an entirely new side to a toy too. What if a toy was never played with, how would that shape them? In the case of Pete, he ultimately becomes the villain because he can’t understand how being a child’s toy can bring fulfilment. Jessie meanwhile starts off on the wrong foot, at least for me, because she’s a real piece of work when Woody first meets her. She’s mean spirited and grouchy because if Woody chooses to leave then she will go back into storage. Once she gets to tell her backstory (through the heart-breaking song ‘When She Loved Me’), the way her character is written changes immediately into someone who’s inexplicably now nice and understanding. This nicer Jessie is a really great character, but it takes a while to get there.
As for the returning characters in Buzz’s rescue group. Buzz gets to be the action hero which fits understandably well. Now Woody’s best friend, Buzz will go to any lengths to bring him home, feeling as though he owes him a debt from saving his life in the original film.
It’s nice to see Potato Head, Rex, Slinky, and Hamm get more screentime, and the four of them bring some great comedy moments along the way. They also meet new toys along the way including a factory fresh Buzz who goes through the same existential crisis Buzz did in the first film (which seeing him deal with is extremely funny).
The story is so much wider in scope than the first film, and for the first time we get to see what life is really like for a toy beyond the safety of a child’s bedroom. Whilst the first film did take us out of the house, it was only briefly, and the world wasn’t particularly threatening. Toy Story 2 throws conundrums like how do toys cross a road?
It also peels back the curtain of how toys feel about their owners, and what the purpose of a toy is once their owner no longer needs them. It’s these themes in particular that punctuate the three Toy Story sequels, the idea of ownership and what happens to toys when their owners no longer need or want them anymore.
Woody’s journey in Toy Story 2 is radically different to the one he had in the original film. Now damaged goods, his life expectancy as Andy’s favourite toy had dropped significantly, and the idea of being able to become a museum exhibit that’s adored by hundreds of people every single day, forever, seems much more tantalising than going back to Andy’s room and getting another couple of years of play before being thrown away or boxed up because Andy’s outgrown him. The decision he faces is understandably difficult, especially when in the first film Woody was so desperate for Andy’s constant attention that he tried to get rid of Buzz.
The Woody’s Roundup gang are great new additions to the cast too. Prospector Pete is a mint condition doll, never left the box, and he presents an entirely new side to a toy too. What if a toy was never played with, how would that shape them? In the case of Pete, he ultimately becomes the villain because he can’t understand how being a child’s toy can bring fulfilment. Jessie meanwhile starts off on the wrong foot, at least for me, because she’s a real piece of work when Woody first meets her. She’s mean spirited and grouchy because if Woody chooses to leave then she will go back into storage. Once she gets to tell her backstory (through the heart-breaking song ‘When She Loved Me’), the way her character is written changes immediately into someone who’s inexplicably now nice and understanding. This nicer Jessie is a really great character, but it takes a while to get there.
As for the returning characters in Buzz’s rescue group. Buzz gets to be the action hero which fits understandably well. Now Woody’s best friend, Buzz will go to any lengths to bring him home, feeling as though he owes him a debt from saving his life in the original film.
It’s nice to see Potato Head, Rex, Slinky, and Hamm get more screentime, and the four of them bring some great comedy moments along the way. They also meet new toys along the way including a factory fresh Buzz who goes through the same existential crisis Buzz did in the first film (which seeing him deal with is extremely funny).
I think what’s most impressive about Toy Story 2 though is just how good it looks. Even when compared to A Bug’s Life which released just one year prior to Toy Story 2 and had a significantly longer production period, Toy Story 2 looks leagues ahead. When looking at Toy Story 2 against the original film you’ll notice that characters and environments are so much more detailed, lighting looks more natural, there’s more moving objects in a single frame than before, and the result of all of that brought together is a significantly better-looking film. Again, the fact that this was pulled together in under a year is amazing.
Randy Newman returns with another fantastic score, and the previously mentioned ‘When She Loved Me’ even gets its own little animated music video; a bold move from Pixar to assume that kids would be happy sitting and watching a full three-minute music video in the middle of their animated film, but you know what, it works!
Toy Story 2 should have failed, everything about it was poised to crash and burn, and yet Pixar managed to not only make a good film, but they made yet another great one. Toy Story 2 really is a testament to the kind of studio that Pixar are, because most animation studios can’t turn around a halfway decent animated film in three years, let alone nine months! Personally, I don’t like Toy Story 2 as much as the original, I couldn’t explain why even if I wanted to. If I wrote down an itemised list of everything each film did well, Toy Story 2 would have more points to it, but I just prefer the original. That’s not to say that Toy Story 2 isn’t good, I hope that this glowing review has proved that.
It would be a long time before Pixar returned to Toy Story however, almost an entire decade in fact, and so much would happen in that time.
Randy Newman returns with another fantastic score, and the previously mentioned ‘When She Loved Me’ even gets its own little animated music video; a bold move from Pixar to assume that kids would be happy sitting and watching a full three-minute music video in the middle of their animated film, but you know what, it works!
Toy Story 2 should have failed, everything about it was poised to crash and burn, and yet Pixar managed to not only make a good film, but they made yet another great one. Toy Story 2 really is a testament to the kind of studio that Pixar are, because most animation studios can’t turn around a halfway decent animated film in three years, let alone nine months! Personally, I don’t like Toy Story 2 as much as the original, I couldn’t explain why even if I wanted to. If I wrote down an itemised list of everything each film did well, Toy Story 2 would have more points to it, but I just prefer the original. That’s not to say that Toy Story 2 isn’t good, I hope that this glowing review has proved that.
It would be a long time before Pixar returned to Toy Story however, almost an entire decade in fact, and so much would happen in that time.