Toy Story 2 (1999)

So Toy Story 2.

If you didn't know, for a recap I've review Toy Story and why I think its a great movie. You do know there are some films like the first is great but the sequel not so, then the sequel is better then the first but the first isn't as good as the sequel. What if you can have both great movies and this is where Toy Story comes in.

Of the world of animation sequels, I'll argue that Toy Story is up there of one of the greats and no other sequel (with a few rivals e.g Shrek 2) would rival it, not even their recent sequels. Again there's this quality that Pixar had but others don't.

Nip Picks: Also just before I get into the actual review, I'll mention a few things but keep in mind this does not harm or ruined the movie its just small things that gone over my head. Like the infamous scene where Stinky pete talks to the Barbie dolls and calls them identical.

If you don't get the joke someone made fun out of John lasseter because I'm very self aware of on Lasseter's, "troublesome lustful history" to best worded it. But that scene was cut in Disney+. The other is Mr Potato Head almost gets crushed but he just move side but again that doesn't doom the movie.

The Production: So to importantly to mention the production of the movie because Toy Story had a very rocky production. Now if want more details because I'm going to make it short, I highly recommend to watch Hemmas Studios YouTube video on the Director's lost cut of Toy Story 2 and even the short Pixar make about it. So what happens according to Galyn Susman, the files of the movie code RM -R -F * was deleted by someone out of 30 workers and every set of the movie sorce was erased and gone. It was also the time that this movie needed to be released before the deadline as Disney asked.

So Susman had backups but it didn't work, but she can get the characters back by her home, so she literally got all the sorces and got this movie up and running again but John said they need to completely re-written the movie from stratch. But Toy Story 2 did eventually get released and that's thanks to Galyn Susman and oh boy did it pay off. Honestly the world owns her (but not Pixar later on, if you don't know what I'm reffering to, Susman is one of the 70 employees get laid off by Pixar despite saving Toy Story 2, Pixar is not the same but I digress).

The Animation: To best start, the animation for being a movie from the last centry is incredible and mostly holds up well. The humans designs did slightly improved but it has the technincal problems but Pixar is still improving. Not perfect but even then they aren't mostly the focus.

The animation is very striking, in fact there's no on scene that is dull or drag back. Also the little details of the transitioning like when Buzz stand as he said to save he's friend while the Earth stands is in the background. Stuff like this just adds on and pushing the top for me. It also have very creative shots and it has lots of energy.

I should add on the locations, it makes the world feel bigger and the fact the Hotel is near by Andy's as the camera showed makes this place feel more alive and not ghost town.

There are slight reflections like Buzz's face appears on the glass.

The Comedy: The comedy is hilarious, it has very snappy lines and the references like Jurrasic Park or Stars Wars is done in a very subtle way and not in your face or just get the joke. Like the scene where Buzz has a sticker called "Butte" but its not in your face and it makes the joke funnier for me. Also the subtle joke where the other Buzz used Rex's head but if you know already opened it, again little details like this adds on the movie.

Story/Characters: Okay let's really get into the movie.

So if I don't mind, Woody wanted to go camp with Andy but Andy accidently (slightly) rip he's arm off and he couldn't go to camp, but when Wheezy was in yard sale, Woody go after him but he get capture by the one and only fanboy Al to he's hotel and its now for Buzz and the others to rescue him.

Now to start off with Buzz, what makes he's character great that he is a genuinely a true friend to Woody, like he slightly being playful about Woody's hat and Buzz take the risk to recue he's friend but failed, however he receive a feather that tights to Al.

I wanted to mention the scene where Buzz and the gang cross the road, its the perfect "show, don't tell" comedy, like they aren't screaming because logically why if you go out of the cone if anybody can see you. Its also very intense the way the movie ultize music and sound. In fact every scene is iconic.

The thing what great sequels do is to add on the world, like I said of the animation part on Al's Toy Barn it brings new things but also keep in mind the first world setups.

I adore the Buzz meets Buzz, its such a unique and again such a creative way to create comedy without coming across as forced. The other Buzz get he's ending where after defeating Zurg (Star wars parody stuff) and now calls him he's dad. This adds on that the same toy will have a different effect as Buzz trying to convince Buzz he's not an actually space ranger, he's a toy is prue genuis. Also as Buzz just didn't care what the other buzz said shows how much he had grown.

Enough of Buzz its time to talk about the others because almost every character gets to something to do without feeling like they are leaving out and the movie acknowledges it. Characters like Rex, in the first he is mostly just a nerdy character and now he fighting Zurg in the game but now he defeated Zurg and now he lives with it. Or Mr Potato Head is now a loving husband but he's a lot less grumpy and now he's on Woody's side but after he saved the Aleins, Mrs Potato head adopted them is kinda wholesome now thinking about it.

Al is the greateset character in history: Now findly the best character, Al. He is comically, Tragic in he's perspective. The fact that he embodies man child and the detail he is very over pretected of he's properties and by the end lost he's dream of losing the toys.

Like, let's put you on he's shoes, you got a huge job and delivering the toys all the way to Japan but your toys is gone and you get into huge trouble for that, you spend your entire life of collecting but you of all things your most belove toys is now gone. How sad is that.

Okay let's get into the real meat and potatoes. Woody's character arc, in the first he really tells Buzz the truth and its Buzz who had to deal with it but Woody though he's above others and Buzz learning he's extensionalism, the both over come taht by sticking together and become the best of friends. But in the sequel its completely switch around, its now Woody forced to ask the question while Buzz stands on Woody's words.

As Woody worried he wouldn't be good enough for Andy without he's hat, Bo Peep tells him that it doesn't make a different and he would still play with him.

Until Andy broke Woody's arm and didn't play with him. This conveys the audience there's a tragic consequence of being a toy. The fear that everyone in the toy universe is to be broken, the first movie play it in a way that Sid just frankstain them into things that aren't them true selves. But here it played in a more believable way, like the nightmare scene where Woody is thrown to the trash and Andy just said bye. Like putting that into perspective, if a toy is not broken its pretty much imortal but when a toy breaks its the end of the world to a child's expectation.

The scene where, Woody gets captured, it seen that Woody was worthless but in Al's eye its the best thing in the since the birth of Jesus. He really vaules toy for collecting is a reflection of adults like toys for different for Al's case its collecting.

So when he meet the Roundup gang, he realised there's more then meets the eye of a toy. He discovered he's a very rare toy and a part of the toy history and its to the museum to see child of generations to see Woody. This is cleaver because its a contrast to Buzz because he is very new but here Woody is very old and vaulable. Woody never realised he was bigger then he thought he would be and the scene where Pete said this:

Pete:"Ever since the man was on the moon, kids wanted to play space toys."

As Pete is referring to Buzz, Woody didn't mention him and just said its just a shame that the show was cancelled.

In fact the dynamic trio what makes this movie, like gerat sequels do they bring in new characters and make them feel earn their place. It works so well because all of the sides are correct in different reasons, Woody is to be played with a child and forever get love but Pete rather wants to be a collector of a museum and for Jessie its complex because she wouldn't be in the box for storage for the rest of her life.

All of the sides is right but its a game of 2 vs 1. But as Woody points out there are cons to it, as being in a museum meaning you are never being played with ever again. You'll be watched as people passed along, its you are just cool but nothing any beyound personal vaule but on the flip side, yes children grow up into adults and they'll stop playing with you and now what they going to do with you.

The next scene is perhaps one of the best scene in Pixar's History, Jeesie's backstory. It is done beautifully with the cherry on top of Randy Newman doing the score. Woody thought Jeesie was against him but she was saying the thing that happened to her and Emily.

Jeesie looked up to Emily as she's her purpose but then after years of waiting, Emily find her but in a sense of she didn't needed her and she saws Jeesie as an afterthought and you can't blamed Emily for this. Its true that people grow up and change and making themselves not like they used to. Sometimes in life all friendships have to comes to an end and that other friend would break the heart more then the other.

This made Woody re-consider he's thoughts and yeah Jeesie is right, I mean Al vaule's him and so do the man Gary from the Gary checkmate short. But then his friends came along and Buzz tells Woody that he's not a collector item, he's a toy shown how much they've mature and Buzz is in Woody's perspective by saying he's a toy in the first movie Woody tells Buzz he's a toy. This is perfection and it dosen't feel forced and feel natural.

As Woody finally confront he's choice, he realised going to the museum is the wrong if not the selfish choice and he knows he is not like the previous Woody before and he doesn't history to repeat himself he decided to be with Andy with the Roundup gang (I love the detail Jeesie isn't sure with that conflicted face showing she doesn't know what to do) but then Pete locked the vent and it was him who turns off the Tv.

Stinky Pete is a great villain, its not because of shock vaule, its because he is correct of being in a muesum as I already said it. He was also noticeable patient, like he didn't shout at Woody as Woody opened the vents he confronts him instead and that subtle hint adds on he's character. I mean he wsa trapped in the boxed in a hint that he was isolated alone in the box and as he said that other toys get choosen but not Pete, he's character is actually quite tragic if you analysis he's character.

Can I just mention the third act climax, man it is intense and probably the best climax scene I've seen for a while. Like the location gets more complex and dangerous as it goes, its the elevator, then Pizza Planet car, the airport and the plane itself.

Also Stinky Pete findly learn to love from the worst child he could ever imagine, a Barbie Girl Artist.

The plane scene that Rnady Newman cleaverly plays the Roundup music and it perfectly ties it up as the finale epsiode of Woody's Roundup as Woody and Jeesie escape from the plane and now Escape from the City to Andy's House as he was greet with Jeesie , Bullseye and the Aliens. Also the final of how the toys get here is that they stole a car from the airport is funny and the fact Andy repair Woody's arm as being looking more buffed, and the cherry on top is the music number (done right) and Woody looking at Andy down below as he acknowledges Andy will grow up but it is his friend's that made Woody who he is.

Final Thoughts: So that Concluded Toy Story 2, it is an Masterpiece that perfectly expanded the first movie with new elements in a very genuis and interesting way, a new and tougher challenge for our main characters and continue the thematic purpose of being a toy, in fact it made us rethink of our own toys of we treated them. I should also mention 2025 marks Toy Story's 30th anniversary.

So that's everything I got to say!