Toy Story 2 A review by Stephen Sills Rated G (nothing offensive)
"Toy Story 2" is a masterpiece on every level - on its own terms, it is one of the finest films I have ever seen. Crafted with tender care by Disney subsidiary Pixar (who also brought us the original "Toy Story" and last year's "A Bug's Life"), the film personifies great family entertainment, appealing to kids, teens, and adults alike. Unlike so many lesser films that try to throw in mild double entendres and in-jokes to keep the over thirteen set in the crowd awake, however, "Toy Story 2" communicates exclusively to children, all of them, including the one locked up in even the most hardened adult. It fits the old "It's great for kids from ages one to one hundred" cliché' like a glove. I loved this movie - it's so clean, so beautiful, so full of heart and child-like wonder. There is something simultaneously cute, funny, haunting, and sad about seeing the world through the eyes of a toy - and the angle is exploited beautifully.
The film was a lot different than I expected. It's been quite a while since I've seen the original "Toy Story," and I remember little about it beyond that I liked it quite a bit. After almost literal universal acclaim (it is one of the few films to get a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes' tatometer), I expected quite a bit from its sequel, thinking it would simultaneously juggle humor and themes for kids and adults respectively. It ended up being even better than I thought it would be, although in a very different way. Instead of appealing to me as an adult (or, in my case, a teenager), it brought me down to the level of a child. I rarely see such strong feelings of joy, wonder, and sweet innocence projected on the screen, and I couldn't help but get caught up in it. For ninety brief but wonderful minutes, my age changed from fifteen to five.
The story is something of a retread of the original, but it doesn't really matter. Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) is stolen by evil toy store owner Al McWhiggin (voice of Wayne Night) while trying to save a comrade from being purchased during a family garage sale. He is brought back to Al's apartment, and finds himself as the centerpiece of a "Woody's Roundup" memorabilia collection. "Woody's Roundup," as it turns out, was an old black and white television series in which Woody's persona was the star. Al is planning to sell his collection to a Japanese toy museum, but they won't take it without a Woody doll. Now that he has one, he plans to proceed and make a killing.
Woody doesn't like the idea, of course, and immediately makes plans to escape. He is hindered, however, by Jessie (voice of Joan Cusack) and Stinky Pete (voice of Kelsey Grammer), two other members of the collection that have stayed in storage for years waiting for Woody. They don't want to spend any longer packed up in a box, and do everything in their power to convince him to stay.
In the meantime, Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen), with the help of Mr. Potato Head (voice of Don Rickles), Rex (voice of Wallace Shawn), Hamm (voice of John Ratzenberger), and Slinky Dog (voice of Jim Varney) launches a rescue mission.
Woody does his best to explain to his new friends why he has to leave; his owner, Andy (voice of John Morris) needs him. They're always together, and Woody couldn't live with himself if seperated from his best friend. In one of the most beautiful and powerful sequences that I have ever seen, Jessie tells the story of her owner growing up and letting her go for big-girl things like makeup and boys. The story is told in a (for once seamlessly integrated) song that details their special relationship. Jessie's owner took her everywhere, did everything with her - she was the girl's constant companion, her confidant. As the girl grows older, she stars to lose interest and ultimately sticks Jessie under her bed. After years of waiting, Jessie, thinking that their constant companionship is about to resume, is retrieved by her owner, driven by a tire swing that they used to play on years ago, and given to Good Will. The sequence is brilliant, executed with genuineness, subtlety, and grace. It almost moved me to tears.
This brings Woody to the realization that Andy will soon grow old and give him up ("Do you actually think that Andy will take you to college, on his honeymoon?!" asks Jessie). Woody is infuriated at first, and initially refuses to return home when Buzz and company come for him. After much soul-searching, he changes his mind, deciding that, even though he won't be with Andy after he grows up, he wouldn't miss the experience of watching him for anything in the world. What a sweet, wonderful, powerful film.
**** out of **** _________________________________________________________
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