Toy Story 2 - Movie Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

Previously destined for a straight-to-video release, the Toys are back in the long-awaited sequel to 1995's massively successful Toy Story.

Thank God! Almost as good as the original, Toy Story 2 is an unabashed crowd-pleaser to children and adults. With enough (non-offensive) adult humor and plenty of good-natured kid stuff, this film had our tiny audience in stitches from start to finish.

Toy Story 2 picks up right where the original left off. With Andy (Morris) off to "Cowboy Camp," Mom (Metcalf) decides to throw a yard sale, and Woody ends up being stolen by the evil toy magnate Al (Knight), owner of Al's Toy Barn. Turns out Woody (Hanks) is a relic from a 1950's TV show, and he completes an extremely valuable collection which is set to be shipped off to a museum in Japan.

Held prisoner, Woody runs into the rest of the cast of "Woody's Roundup"--his horse Bullseye, prospector Stinky Pete (Grammer), and spunky cowgirl Jessie (Cusack). Turns out they're okay with the Japan trip, and soon, Woody starts to like the idea of moving overseas to be idolized forever. But it's Buzz Lightyear (Allen), to the rescue! With the aid of the usual gang of followers from the original, a massive mission to save Woody is launched.

A huge chunk of Toy Story 2's humor is derived from clever referential jokes to the original, so be sure you've seen it first. Also, the story is tons of fun, but--and believe me, I feel weird about typing these words--it also lacks the depth of the first film. As messages go, the original Toy Story's themes of blind acceptance were more powerful.

Still, Hanks and Allen are incredibly fun, but it's Cusack's Jessie that steals the show as the over-the-top cowgirl. Overall, Toy Story 2 is simply a whole lot of good, clean fun. And there ain't nothing wrong with that.

Coneheads 2? Not quite.

Facts and Figures

Year: 1999

Genre: Animation

Run time: 92 mins

In Theaters: Wednesday 24th November 1999

Box Office Worldwide: $485M

Budget: $90M

Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures

Production compaines: Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Fresh: 163

IMDB: 7.9 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: John Lasseter, Ash Brannon, Lee Unkrich

Producer: Helene Plotkin, Karen Robert Jackson

Screenwriter: Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin, Chris Webb

Starring: Tom Hanks as Woody (voice), Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear (voice), Kelsey Grammer as Stinky Pete the Prospector (voice), Joan Cusack as Jessie, the Yodeling Cowgirl (voice), Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head (voice), Jim Varney as Slinky Dog (voice), Wallace Shawn as Rex the Green Dinosaur (voice), John Ratzenberger as Hamm the Piggy Bank (voice), Annie Potts as Bo Peep (voice), Wayne Knight as Al the Toy Collector (voice), John Morris as Andy (voice), Laurie Metcalf as Andy's Mom (voice), Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head (voice), R. Lee Ermey as Army Sarge (voice), Jodi Benson as Tour Guide Barbie / Barbie on Backpack (voice)

Also starring: Helene Plotkin, Karen Robert Jackson, Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin, Chris Webb