What followed was an intense and back-breaking effort to not only finish A Bug's Life but to reshape and extend Toy Story 2 in time for its release in 1999. With the bulk of the company working on A Bug's Life, the film remained a small-scale side project for some time - until Disney's enthusiasm for early rushes in November 1997 led to it getting a theatrical release. Toy Story 2 was originally conceived as a straight-to-video project. But as I stated in my review of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the context under which a film was created cannot in and of itself determine whether the film is good or bad: "arguments and constant pressure can produce great creativity, while bonhomie and relaxation can lead to disaster." This is, admittedly, very difficult in the internet age, where the amount of information we have to process is inversely proportional to the time which we have to process it before forming opinions. I have continually stressed in my reviews the importance of not judging a film by its reputation - whether it comes to us with a bulging entourage of awards, or dragging behind it the stench of negative press. But here we are, with a sequel which both improves on and compliments the first film, and which is a masterpiece of animation in its own right. But when you take into account both the tortuous production saga before its release and the series' role as the jewel in PIXAR's crown, the idea of it being as good if not maybe better than Toy Story shifts from the impressive towards the inconceivable. This in itself makes it impressive that Toy Story 2 ever got made at all the original was such a high water mark in animation that it would not have been considered foolish if PIXAR had put up their hands and said "we can't top this". Any sequel worth its salt would have to do both. In making a sequel to Toy Story, John Lasseter and his PIXAR team could neither just reproduce the same graphical quality with a different story, nor retell the same story with better production values, a la Evil Dead 2. It is even harder to do this when the film in question is not only groundbreaking as a children's film, but also a key pillar in the history of digital animation. But when Woody discovers that he's actually a valuable collectible from a once-popular television show called "Woody's Roundup" and is reunited with his horse Bullseye, Jessie the yodeling cowgirl (Joan Cusack) and his faithful sidekick, Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer), he doesn't want to leave.ĭolby Stereo, Dolby EX, Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Digital, Surround, SDDSĬreating a sequel to a successful and beloved film is hard enough at the best of times. 'Toy Story 2' is an unforgettable adventure with a beautiful soul.Woody (Tom Hanks) is stolen from his home by toy dealer Al McWhiggin (Wayne Knight), leaving Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of the gang to try to rescue him. It's already been a decade since, but I wonder whether they'll make a sequel and what the fate of our toy friends will be once Andy has grown up. The sequel being a huge hit just proves how timeless the characters are and I want to see 'Toy Story' again just to follow the whole story. There's a beautiful song by Sarah Mclachlan that dictates Jessie's pain. Potatohead and the cute Hamm, and their attempts to rescue Woody and bring him back home. But I must add that I loved Buzz's gang that includes the hilarious Rex and the lovable Slinky, the resourceful Mr. Hanks and Allen are back as Woody and Buzz and Joan Cusack is a treat as the vivacious Jessie. The actors do a fine job lending their voice. The story too takes a new turn that presents the dilemma of whether one should live an eternal life of wealth and security or an unpredictable life that at least promises a few years of love. The animation is superb and looks refreshing. There are the charming characters from the old one and some wonderful new characters that include the energetic Jessie the Yodelling Cowgirl, the hot barbies and Woody's faithful and hyper steed. This one is a sheer delightful adventure and it's not one that is only limited to entertaining children. Pixar has produced numerous gems since the first 'Toy Story'. Thus, it would be unfair to compare that with 'Toy Story 2'. It's been about a decade since I last saw 'Toy Story'.
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