Toy Story 2 is simply The Godfather Part Two of animation!

Rating: 10/10 (18 September 2003)

Toy Story became one of my favourite films the moment I finished watching it, and made such a huge impact on me I was near terrified when I heard a sequel was being planned, especially since it was only ever meant to be a straight to video release. How foolish it was of me to worry, for In Pixar I Trust.
Toy Story 2 is not only one of the best films of 1999, nor simply one of the few sequels which can actually surpass a superb original, for me this is without question one of the best films ever made! I can't remember how many times I've seen it now but with each viewing I feel a stronger emotional response toward it, something which I would expect to be diminished through repetition, as is the case with other films I've watched repeatedly over time.
Like all the best sequels, the film contains elements from the original without being merely a rehash of plot and situations, it builds on the development of established characters while creating new ones, but most importantly, it can survive as a film in it's own right away from the original. Just like The Godfather Part Two, Aliens, A Very Brady Sequel (yes, really!) and Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey, Toy Story 2 gives us a completely new universe where the film is set but populated with the same characters that we love. And like the examples mentioned above, the filmmakers are intelligent enough to give us situations that seem similar enough to events in the original to provide us with a thematic link, but are then twisted enough to become something original in itself. An simple example occurs when the gang set off to find Woody. In the original Woody had to leave his friends behind to rescue Buzz after he mistakenly knocked him out of a window. This time it's Buzz who has to lead the rescue, but he has all his friends working alongside him, which leads to necessary (and comical) support from Slinky, Rex, Mr Potato Head and Hamm. Another example found later in the film is having effectively two different Buzz's, one of which is still stuck in Space Ranger mode, and our own, now wiser Buzz who just looks on with embarrassed detachment.
Going into spoiler territory now so, y'know the drill.
This time around they don't waste any screentime. After an utterly stunning opening sequence involving Buzz and Sector 9 of the Gamma Quadrant, Woody is soon stolen by a nasty little toy collector known as Al. Once Buzz and the rest of the troops discover where he is, they lead a search and rescue expedition to Al's Toy Barn. Meanwhile Woody is being primed to be sold as part of a collection to a toy museum in Japan, and it's here Woody realises that he has roots stretching far beyond his little wooden legs. As leader of the Round-Up Gang, Woody was one of THE original classic toys of yesteryear with enough merchandise to make Barbie blush. He even had his own TV show before Sputnik launched and space toys then found their way into the hands of children. Completing Woody's Gang are Jesse the cowgirl, Stinky Pete the prospector and Bullseye his horse. His cohorts are overjoyed to see their long missing centrepiece until they realise he actually likes the idea of being played with merely as a toy. They had their hearts set on becoming immortalised within a glass frame forever. When he tries to convince his new found friends of the importance of being a toy, he realises that things aren't always as clear cut as they once seemed and that someone in the Gang has their own separate plan for their collective prosperity
Back on Buzz's adventure he discovers his arch nemesis Emperor Zurg, and a whole aisle worth of Buzz Lightyear's, one of which manages to escape and cause much consternation for our hero. I really love the symmetry that they play with in this film. The original had Buzz discovering his roots via a TV commercial and realising that although he wasn't as important as he thought, being simply a child's plaything and not an Intergalactic Space Ranger, his purpose was for a much greater good in being a companion for not only Andy, but also for Woody. This time around it's Woody who discovers his real' past, also via television. But while he is already happy in the knowledge that Andy is his main occupation and that Buzz is his equal in the toybox, when he realises he's a hugely popular toy, he's forced to make a choice between his exciting new life in Japan, or to continue with his safe routine life back home.
This builds to one of my favourite moments in the film and a scene which I still find astonishing no matter how many times I see it. We have the character of a toy(!) making a serious philosophical decision as to whether it's better to be in contentment or to risk it all by venturing into the unknown. The unknown brilliantly depicted by a long empty elevator shaft. And I love the fact that he chooses the most unlikely option, but then decides he can have it all anyway. This is character development that is absent from most live-action films I've seen. And this is merely' a comedy! This in turn sets up the superb climax at the airport where Woody and Buzz both have to rescue Jesse from a plane that's taxiing down the runway. The fact that it's handled with such aplomb and leaves many live-action action' films floundering in it's wake is only half the trick. It's the way that Pixar manage to incorporate both of Woody's choices; his past (Bullseye) and his present (Buzz) in order for him to effectively save the day.

Rather than just concentrate on Woody and Buzz, some of the other characters have also been well fleshed out. Rex has his own sub-plot involving Zurg which is well paid off throughout the film. Mr Potato Head gets to adopt a family with Mrs Potato Head! Even Zurg gets his own mysterious past and a wholly unexpected family reunion. Jesse in particular gets to be the huge heart that this film proudly shows off at it's centre. Her past is a sad tale and one which imparts heavily on Woody's decision to stay or to go. She once had an Andy' of her own, but then she grew up and forgot about her toys. This segues into the most moving part of the film, and the only real musical number. I was a bit worried about how they would incorporate a song given that the first film survived without any, bar the opening and end credits. (And I mean of typical Disney numbers where the film effectively stops' until the song is over and the characters sing along). Again, foolish me, In Pixar I Trust. It's a wonderfully emotive song and one that I simply cannot imagine the film without. This is also a very brave decision by Pixar, to show kids that one day they will forget about their toys, and that they will turn into something as horrible and cynical as an adult. Even Woody and Buzz ruminate on what it will be like when Andy forgets about them and provides for me, what I think is the perfect end to the Toy Story saga. Buzz turns to Woody and asks if he's worried about what will happen when Andy grows up and Woody replies that he isn't worried as long as he has old Buzz Lightyear to keep him company, For Infinity And Beyond. In the context of where they are at that point, and what they've gone through, there couldn't have been a more perfect ending. And while I'd love to see more adventures of Woody and Buzz, their wistful little moment is my argument for not making a third Toy Story. We now know that whatever may come along for our heroes, everything will turn out fine. And besides which, how on earth could you top an ending which has Robert Goulet providing the voice for a penguin belting out a Vegas showtune version of You've Got A Friend In Me?!

Toy Story 2 is a landmark in Western animation, not just for it's dazzling technical achievements but for the care and craftsmanship that's been invested in the story and characters.