Even better than the original...and the original was marvelous!

Rating: 10/10 (4 May 2008)

The history of film-making has shown that sequels are rarely ever a patch on the original. And only rarely ever can a sequel overcome its predecessor and oftentimes there are complex reasons why. An example was "The Terminator" and "Terminator 2". The sequel is considered to be better, then again, it was made on a higher budget and a longer shooting schedule.
But when a sequel can overcome a prequel when both were made on similar budgets and schedules, then the filmmakers really have outdone themselves. The first "Toy Story" was and still is a marvelous, funny, classic animated film that is perfect for family entertainment. Pixar worked their magic again when they gathered the cast and crew to make "Toy Story 2", which is even better. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Jim Varney, and the others reprise their roles as the toys that come to life whenever there's no human around to witness. The voice acting, once again, is flawless and the screenwriters did a fantastic job with the script.
The humor in the film is even more effective than the hilarious examples from the first "Toy Story". A favorite part of mine is when the rescue party out to find Woody, who has been stolen by a toy collector, find they have to cross a busy highway. Rex, after seeing a car crush an aluminum can, simply says in a laconic "Oh, well, we tried." and tries to walk away. Like with the first film, I now find the humor, the animation, and the film overall even better than when I first saw and adored it as a child.
To make a long story short, "Toy Story 2" is a modern-day classic. It outdoes an original, which is miraculous seeing as how the original was magnificent and flawless. It is perfectly-paced, is effectively animated, never falls short on its entertainment value, and is a film I highly recommend for audience members of all ages. It won't frighten children, but it also won't be too subtle for teenagers and adults.