Toy Story 2

Toy Story 2 is a 1999 American computer-animated comedy adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. Directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon, it is the sequel to the 1995 film Toy Story.
Woody is stolen by a toy collector, prompting Buzz Lightyear and his friends to vow to rescue him. However, Woody finds the idea of immortality in a museum tempting. Many of the original characters and voices from Toy Story returned for this sequel, and several new characters, including Jessie, Barbie, and Mrs. Potato Head, were introduced.
Disney initially envisioned the film as a direct-to-video sequel. Toy Story 2 began production in a building separated from Pixar, on a small scale, as most of the main Pixar staff were busy working on A Bug's Life (1998). When story reels proved promising, Disney upgraded the film to theatrical release, but Pixar was unhappy with the film's quality. Lasseter and the story team redeveloped the entire plot in one weekend. Although most Pixar features take years to develop, the established release date could not be moved and the production schedule for Toy Story 2 was compressed into nine months.
Despite production struggles, Toy Story 2 opened in November 1999 to wildly successful box office numbers, eventually grossing over $485 million, and highly positive critical reviews. Toy Story 2 has been considered by critics and audiences alike to be one of few sequels that outshine the original, and it continues to be featured frequently on lists of the greatest animated films ever made. The film has seen multiple home media releases and a theatrical 3-D re-release in 2009, 10 years after its initial release. The film's success led to the production of Toy Story 3 in 2010, which was also highly successful.
==Plot==
A few years after the events in Toy Story, Woody prepares to go to camp with Andy, but his right arm is accidentally ripped. Andy decides to leave him behind, and his mother puts him on a shelf. The next day, Woody discovers penguin toy Wheezy has been shelved for months because of a broken squeaker. When Andy's mother puts Wheezy in a yard sale, Woody rescues him, but is stolen by a toy collector. Buzz Lightyear and the other toys recognize the thief from a commercial as Al McWhiggin, the greedy owner of a toy shop called Al's Toy Barn. Buzz, Hamm, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, and Rex set out to rescue Woody.
In Al's apartment, Woody learns that he is a valuable collectable based on a 1950s TV show called Woody's Roundup and is set to be sold to a toy museum in Tokyo. The other toys from the show—Jessie, Woody's horse Bullseye, and Stinky Pete—are excited to go, but Woody wants to return home because he is still Andy's toy. Jessie is upset because the museum is only interested in the collection if Woody is in it. Without him, they will be returned to storage. When Woody's arm falls off, his attempt to retrieve it and escape is foiled when the TV suddenly turns on. The next morning, Woody's arm is fixed, and he learns that Jessie was once the beloved toy of a child named Emily who eventually outgrew her and gave her away. Stinky Pete warns him that the same fate awaits him when Andy grows up, whereas he will last forever in the museum. This convinces Woody to stay, and he now believes that all toys eventually get discarded by their owners.
Meanwhile, Buzz and the other toys reach Al's Toy Barn. While searching the store for Woody, Buzz is imprisoned by another Buzz Lightyear action figure with a belt, who believes that he is a real space ranger. The new Buzz joins the other toys, who mistake him as their Buzz and, after discovering Al's plan, they make their way to his apartment. The real Buzz escapes and pursues them. After climbing an elevator, the toys find Woody, and the real Buzz rejoins them and proves that he is Andy's Buzz, but Woody refuses to return home. Buzz reminds Woody of "a toy's true purpose" and warns him that in the museum, he will never be played with by a child again. After seeing a boy play on the TV, Woody changes his mind and asks the Roundup toys to come with him. However, Stinky Pete prevents their escape because he wants to go to Japan, and he prevents Woody from leaving.
Al arrives and takes the Roundup toys with him, forcing both Buzz Lightyears and Andy's toys to follow him. Accompanied by three toy Aliens, they steal a truck and follow Al to an airport, where they enter the baggage handling system and free Woody. Stinky Pete rips Woody's right arm again and tries to mutilate him, but is stuffed into a little girl's Barbie backpack by Andy's toys. They free Bullseye, but Jessie ends up on the plane bound for Japan. Assisted by Buzz and Bullseye, Woody boards the plane and frees Jessie, allowing the toys to go home.
Andy returns home from the camp, accepts Jessie, Bullseye, and the Aliens as his new toys, thinking his mother bought them, and repairs Woody's torn arm. The toys learn from a commercial that Al's business has suffered due to being unable to sell the Roundup toys. Woody tells Buzz that he is not worried about Andy discarding him because, when he does, they will always have each other for company. Meanwhile, Wheezy has been fixed and ends the film with a Sinatra-style version of "You've Got a Friend in Me".
==Cast==
* Tom Hanks as Woody
* Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear
* Joan Cusack as Jessie
* Kelsey Grammer as Stinky Pete
* Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head
* Jim Varney as Slinky Dog
* Wallace Shawn as Rex
* John Ratzenberger as Hamm
* Annie Potts as Bo Peep
* Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head
* Wayne Knight as Al McWhiggin
* John Morris as Andy
* Laurie Metcalf as Andy's Mom
* R. Lee Ermey as Sarge
* Jodi Benson as Barbie
* Jonathan Harris as Geri the Cleaner
* Joe Ranft as Wheezy (speaking voice)
* Robert Goulet as Wheezy (singing voice)
* Jeff Pidgeon as Squeeze Toy Aliens
* Andrew Stanton as Evil Emperor Zurg
==Production==
===Development===
Talk of a sequel to Toy Story began around a month after the film's opening, in December 1995. A few days after the original film's release, Lasseter was traveling with his family and found a young boy clutching a Woody doll at an airport. Lasseter described how the boy's excitement to show it to his father touched him deeply. Lasseter realized that his character no longer belonged to him only, but rather it belonged to others, as well. The memory was a defining factor in the production of Toy Story 2, with Lasseter moved to create a great film for that child and for everyone else who loved the characters.
Ed Catmull, Lasseter, and Ralph Guggenheim visited Joe Roth, successor to recently ousted Jeffrey Katzenberg as chairman of Walt Disney Studios, shortly afterward. Roth was pleased and embraced the idea of a sequel. Disney had recently begun making direct-to-video sequels to its successful features, and Roth wanted to handle the Toy Story sequel this way, as well. Prior releases, such as 1994's Aladdin sequel, The Return of Jafar, had returned an estimated $100 million in profits.
Initially, everything regarding the sequel was uncertain at first: whether stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen would be available and affordable, what the story premise would be, and even whether the film would be computer-animated at Pixar or traditionally at Disney. Lasseter regarded the project as a chance to groom new directing talent, but top choices were already immersed in other projects (Andrew Stanton in A Bug's Life and Pete Docter in early development work for a film that would eventually become Monsters, Inc.). Instead, Lasseter turned to Ash Brannon, a young directing animator on Toy Story whose work he admired. Brannon, a CalArts graduate, joined the Toy Story team in 1993. Walt Disney Studios and Pixar Animation Studios officially announced the sequel in a press release on March 12, 1997.
===Story===
"The story of Toy Story 2 is based a lot on my own experience. I'm a big toy collector and a lot of them are like antiques, or one-of-a-kind toys, or prototypes the toy makers have given me. Well, I have five sons, and when they were little and they loved to come to daddy's work, and come in into daddy's office and they just want to touch and play with everything. And I was sitting there saying 'Oh no, that's uh, you can't play with that one, oh no, play with this one, oh no....' and I found myself just sitting there looking at my self and laughing. Because toys are manufactured, put on this earth, to be played with by a child. That is the core essence of Toy Story. And so I started wondering, what was it like from a toy's point of view to be collected?"
—Director John Lasseter
Lasseter's intention with a sequel was to respect the original film and create that world again. The story originated with Lasseter wondering what a toy would find upsetting, how a toy would feel if they were not played with by a child or, worse, a child growing out of a toy. Brannon suggested the idea of a yard sale where the collector recognizes Woody as a rare artifact. The concept of Woody as a collectible set came from the draft story of A Tin Toy Christmas, an original half-hour special pitched by Pixar to Disney in 1990. The obsessive toy collector known as Al McWhiggin, who had appeared in a draft of Toy Story but was later expunged, was inserted into the film. Lasseter claimed that Al was inspired by himself.
Secondary characters in Woody's set were inspired by 1950s cowboy shows for children, such as Howdy Doody and Hopalong Cassidy. The development of Jessie was kindled by Lasseter's wife, Nancy, who pressed him to include a strong female character in the sequel, one with more substance than Bo Peep. The scope for the original Toy Story was very basic and only extended over two residential homes, whereas Toy Story 2 has been described by Unkrich as "all over the map".
To make the project ready for theaters, Lasseter would need to add 12 minutes or so of material and strengthen what was already there. The extra material would be a challenge, since it could not be mere padding—it would have to feel as if it had always been there, an organic part of the film. With the scheduled delivery date less than a year away, Lasseter called Stanton, Docter, Joe Ranft, and some Disney story people to his house for a weekend. There, he hosted a "story summit," as he called it—a crash exercise that would yield a finished story in just two days.
Back at the office that Monday, Lasseter assembled the company in a screening room and pitched the revised version of Toy Story 2 from beginning to end. Story elements were recycled from the original drafts of Toy Story. The original film's original opening sequence featured a Buzz Lightyear cartoon playing on television, which evolved into the Buzz Lightyear video game that would open Toy Story 2. A deleted scene from Toy Story, featuring Woody having a nightmare involving him being thrown into a trash can, was incorporated in a milder form for depicting Woody's fear of losing Andy. The idea of a squeak-toy penguin with a broken squeaker also resurfaced from an early version of Toy Story.
===Animation===
As the story approached the production stage in early 1997, it was unclear whether Pixar would produce the film, as the entire team of 300 was busy working on A Bug's Life for a 1998 release. The Interactive Products Group, with a staff of 95, had its own animators, art department, and engineers. Under intense time pressure, they had put out two successful CD-ROM titles the previous year: The Toy Story Animated StoryBook and The Toy Story Activity Center. Between the two products, the group had created as much original animation as there was in Toy Story itself. Steve Jobs made the decision to shut down the computer games operation and the staff became the initial core of the Toy Story 2 production team.
Before the switch from direct-to-video to feature film, the Toy Story 2 crew had been on its own, placed in a new building that was well-separated from the rest of the company by railroad tracks. "We were just the small film and we were off playing in our sandbox," co-producer Karen Jackson said. Lasseter looked closely at every shot that had already been animated and called for tweaks throughout. The film reused digital elements from Toy Story but, true to the company's "prevailing culture of perfectionism, […] it reused less of Toy Story than might be expected". Character models received major upgrades internally and shaders went through revisions to bring about subtle improvements. The team did, however, freely borrow models from other productions, such as Geri from Pixar's 1997 short Geri's Game, who became the Cleaner in Toy Story 2. Supervising animator Glenn McQueen inspired the animators to do spectacular work in the short amount of time given, assigning different shots to suit each animators' strengths.
Whilst producing Toy Story, the crew was very careful in creating new locations, working within available technology at that time. By production on Toy Story 2, technology had advanced farther to allow more complicated camera shots than were possible in the first film. In making the sequel, the team at Pixar did not want to stray too far from the first film's look, but the company had developed a lot of new software since the first feature had been completed. To achieve the dust visible after Woody is placed on top of a shelf, the crew was faced with the challenge of animating dust, an incredibly difficult task. After much experimentation, a tiny particle of dust was animated and the computer distributed that image throughout the entire shelf. Over two million dust particles are in place on the shelf in the completed film.
===Controversy and troubled production===
Production problems were evident from the beginning. Disney soon became unhappy with the pace of the work on the film and demanded in June 1997 that Guggenheim be replaced as producer, and Pixar complied. As a result, Karen Jackson and Helene Plotkin, associate producers, moved up into the roles of co-producers. Lasseter would remain fully preoccupied with A Bug's Life until it wrapped in the fall. Once available, he took over directing duties and added Lee Unkrich as co-director. Unkrich, also fresh from supervising editor duties on A Bug's Life, would focus on layout and cinematography, while Brannon would be credited as co-director.
In November 1997, Disney executives Roth and Peter Schneider viewed the film's story reels, with some finished animation, in a screening room at Pixar. They were impressed with the quality of work and became interested in releasing Toy Story 2 in theaters. In addition to the unexpected artistic caliber, there were other reasons that made the case for a theatrical release more compelling. The economics of a direct-to-video Pixar release were not working as well as hoped thanks to the higher salaries of the crew. After negotiations, Jobs and Roth agreed that the split of costs and profits for Toy Story 2 would follow the model of a newly created five-film deal - but Toy Story 2 would not count as one of the five films. Disney had bargained in the contract for five original features, not sequels, thus assuring five sets of new characters for its theme parks and merchandise. Jobs gathered the crew and announced the change in plans for the film on February 5, 1998.
However, many of the creative staff at Pixar were not happy with how the sequel was turning out. Lasseter, upon returning from the European promotion of A Bug's Life, watched the development reels and agreed that it was not working. Pixar met with Disney, telling them that the film would have to be redone. Disney, however, disagreed, and noted that Pixar did not have enough time to remake the film before its established release date. Pixar decided that they simply could not allow the film to be released in its existing state, and asked Lasseter to take over the production. Lasseter agreed, and recruited the first film's creative team to redevelop the story. However, in order to meet Disney's deadline, Pixar had to complete the entire film in nine months.
Unkrich, concerned with the dwindling amount of time remaining, asked Jobs whether the release date could be pushed back. Jobs explained that there was no choice, presumably in reference to the film's licensees and marketing partners, who were getting toys and promotions ready. Brannon focused on development, story and animation, Lasseter was in charge of art, modeling and lighting, and Unkrich oversaw editorial and layout. Since they met daily to discuss their progress with each other (they wanted to ensure they were all progressing in the same direction), the boundaries of their responsibilities overlapped.
As was common with Pixar features, the production became difficult as delivery dates loomed and hours inevitably became longer. Still, Toy Story 2, with its highly compressed production schedule, was especially trying. While hard work and long hours were common to the team by that point (especially so to Lasseter), running flat-out on Toy Story 2 for month after month began to take a toll. The overwork spun out into carpal tunnel syndrome for some animators, and repetitive strain injuries for others. Pixar did not encourage long hours, and, in fact, set limits on how many hours employees could work by approving or disapproving overtime. An employee's self-imposed compulsion to excel, however, often trumped any other constraints, and was especially common to younger employees. In one instance, an animator had forgotten to drop his child off at day care one morning and, in a mental haze, forgot the baby in the back seat of his car in the parking lot. "Although quick action by rescue workers headed off the worst, the incident became a horrible indicator that some on the crew were working too hard," wrote David Price in his 2008 book The Pixar Touch.
===Music===
Toy Story 2: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is the original score soundtrack album to Toy Story 2. Although currently out of print in the U.S., the CD is available in the U.S. as an import and all but one song is available digitally.
Randy Newman wrote two new songs for Toy Story 2 as well as the complete original score:
* "When She Loved Me" – performed by Sarah McLachlan: Used for the flashback montage in which Jessie experiences being loved, forgotten, then abandoned by her owner, Emily. The song was nominated at the Academy Awards in 2000 for Best Original Song, though the award went to Phil Collins for "You'll Be in My Heart" from another Disney animated film Tarzan.
* "Woody's Roundup" – performed by Riders in the Sky: Theme song for the "Woody's Roundup" TV show, and also used in the end-credit music.
The film carried over one song from Toy Story, "You've Got a Friend in Me," sung at different points during the film by Tom Hanks and Robert Goulet.
==Release==
Pixar showed the completed film at CalArts on November 12, 1999, in recognition of the school's ties with Lasseter and more than 40 other alumni who worked on the film. The students were captivated. The film held its official premiere the next day at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles—the same venue as Toy Storys—and was released across the United States on November 24, 1999. The film's initial theatrical and video releases include Luxo Jr., Pixar's first short film released in 1986, starring Pixar's titular mascot. Before Luxo Jr., a message states: "In 1986 Pixar Animation Studios produced their first film. This is why we have a hopping lamp in our logo".
===Video games===
Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue, a video game for the PC, PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast, was released in November 1999. The game featured original cast voices and clips from the film as introductions to levels. Once earned, these clips could be viewed at the player's discretion. Another game was released for the Game Boy Color.
===Home media===
Toy Story 2 was released on VHS and DVD, and as a DVD two-pack with Toy Story on October 17, 2000. That same day, an "Ultimate Toy Box" set was released containing both films and a third disc of bonus materials. The standard VHS, DVD, DVD two-pack, and "Ultimate Toy Box" sets returned to the vault on May 1, 2003. On December 26, 2005, it was again re-released as a "2-Disc Special Edition" alongside the first film's 10th Anniversary Edition, which came out on September 6, 2005. Both editions returned to the vault on January 31, 2009.
The film was available on Blu-ray Disc for the first time in a Special Edition Combo Pack that was released on March 23, 2010, along with the first film. On November 1, 2011, along with the DVD and Blu-ray release of Cars 2, Toy Story 2 and the other two films were released on each Blu-ray/Blu-ray 3-D/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack (4 discs each for the first two films, and 5 for the third film).
===Re-releases===
In 2009, both Toy Story and Toy Story 2 were converted to 3-D for a two-week limited theatrical re-release, which was extended due to its success. Lasseter said, "The Toy Story films and characters will always hold a very special place in our hearts and we're so excited to be bringing this landmark film back for audiences to enjoy in a whole new way, thanks to the latest in 3-D technology. With Toy Story 3 shaping up to be another great adventure for Buzz, Woody and the gang from Andy's room, we thought it would be great to let audiences experience the first two films all over again and in a brand new way".
Translating the films into 3-D involved revisiting the original computer data and virtually placing a second camera into each scene, creating left-eye and right-eye views needed to achieve the perception of depth. Unique to computer animation, Lasseter referred to this process as "digital archaeology". The lead stereographer Bob Whitehill oversaw this process and sought to achieve an effect that impacted the film's emotional storytelling. It took four months to resurrect the old data and get it in working order. Then, adding 3-D to each of the films took six months per film.
The double feature was opened in 1,745 theaters on October 2, 2009, and made $12,491,789 in its opening weekend, finishing in third place at the box office. The features closed on November 5, 2009, with a worldwide gross of $32,284,600. Unlike other countries, the U.K. and Argentina received the films in 3-D as separate releases. Toy Story 2 was released January 22, 2010 in the U.K., and February 18, 2010, in Argentina.
==Reception==
===Critical response===
Toy Story 2 was universally acclaimed by critics. Reviewers found the film to be a sequel that managed to equal or even outshine the original. "Toy Story 2 does what few sequels ever do," The Hollywood Reporter proclaimed. "Instead of essentially remaking an earlier film and deeming it a sequel, the creative team, led by director John Lasseter, delves deeper into their characters while retaining the fun spirit of the original film".
Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 100% of critics gave the film a positive review based on 161 reviews, with an average score of 8.6/10. The film is currently No. 1 on Rotten Tomatoes' list of best rated films. Rotten Tomatoes summarizes the critical consensus as, "Toy Story 2 employs inventive storytelling, gorgeous animation, and a top notch voice cast to deliver another rich moviegoing experience for all ages, one that's arguably even better than its predecessor".
Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 are all Pixar's highest-rated films to date. Toy Story 2 currently holds a 100% approval from critics, and 92% from the community, while the original holds a 96% community rating and the best rated animated film. The film also holds an 88 out of 100 on Metacritic. Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and said in his print review, "I forgot something about toys a long time ago, and Toy Story 2 reminded me". Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said "Toy Story 2 may not have the most original title, but everything else about it is, well, mint in the box". Entertainment Weekly said "It's a great, IQ-flattering entertainment both wonderful and wise".
===Box office===
The film was no less successful than its predecessor in a commercial perspective. It became 1999's highest-grossing animated film, earning $245 million domestically and $485 million worldwide—beating both of Pixar's previous releases by a significant margin. It was the second highest-grossing animated film of all-time, behind Disney's The Lion King (1994). Toy Story 2 opened over the Thanksgiving Day weekend at No. 1 to a three-day tally of $57,388,839 from 3,236 theaters, averaging $17,734 per theater over three days, making $80,102,784 since its Wednesday launch, and staying at No. 1 for the next two weekends. By New Year's Day, it had made more than $200 million in the U.S. alone, and it eventually made $245,852,179 domestically and $239,163,000 overseas for a total worldwide gross of $485,015,179, becoming 1999's third highest grossing film, and far surpassing the original.
===Accolades===
Toy Story 2 received several recognitions, including seven Annie Awards, but none of them were previous nominations. The first went to Pixar for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature. The Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production award was given to John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon. Randy Newman won an Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production. Joan Cusack won the Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Feature Production, while Tim Allen for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an animated feature Production. The last Annie was received by John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Ash Brannon, Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin and Chris Webb for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production.
The film itself also won many awards, including the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Family Film (Internet Only), the Critics Choice Award for Best Animated Film, the Bogey Award, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Along with his other awards, Randy Newman and his song "When She Loved Me" won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. A Satellite Award was given for Outstanding Youth DVD, and a Golden Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media, and one for Best Original Song "When She Loved Me".
====American Film Institute====
* AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains:
** Buzz Lightyear – Nominated Hero
* AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
** "When She Loved Me" – Nominated
* AFI's 10 Top 10 – Nominated Animated Film
Category:Films
Category:Toy Story