Toy Story 2 (November 24, 1999)

The, sequel to Toy Story, I feel it is superior to the first and actually the best movie in the franchise and I will endeavor to explain why. First off, it is amazing how much Pixar improved in its animation in just 4 years and their second movie, A Bugs Life, being released a year prior in 1998. The opening sequence with Buzz Lightyear on a distant and barren planet trying to defeat the evil emperor Zurg is fantastic (and becomes even better when it is revealed to be a video game. It also showcases buzz’s supposed powers brilliantly. I can see why Disney created a short-lived spin off tv series called, Buzz Lightyear: Star Command. The biggest improvement is that of the animals and the humans. While not perfect, they actually look believable (Buster the dog, for example, has the beginnings of fur and looks adorable as opposed to the monstrous and alien, Scud, that looks) instead of being vaguely defined shapes with plastic movements. The lighting and textures also improved dramatically. The original characters are still great, with Buzz being far more entertaining and bearable this time; It was cool to see Buzz come face to face with a Buzz lightyear toy that still believed he was a toy. It is the new characters of Jessie, Bullseye, and Prospector Pete, however, that really make this movie shine. It is so cool to see the show Woody was merchandise for, “Woody’s roundup” from an era when the wild west was popular. Then it was cancelled once humans began going into space- much like Woody was almost replaced by Buzz, the newest and greatest toy. Jessie in particularly is such an interesting character because she essentially has had the opposite experience to Woody. Her old owner grew up and forgot about her, while Woody is still loved by Andy. This is told through the bittersweet song, “When She Loved Me” which still gets me emotional. She, understandably, mistrusts kids and would rather be on display in a museum than have her heart broken again. Additionally, her romantic relationship with Buzz, was cute and unexpected. I am glad that Woody remained true to Bo Peep and remained his friends with Jessie the cowgirl. Lastly Pete is a great, manipulative villain who wraps lies with a sugarcoating of truth. Woody likely will be ‘abandoned’ by Andy as he grows older but that does not mean he should be bitter towards him or that his life will end after Andy stops playing with him. Woody should cherish his time with Andy while being hopefully for the future as there will always be new kids who need toys. I have thought of my own treatment of toys as I have stopped playing with them. I may have moved past my need for them but that does not mean I have forgotten the valuable memories I made with them. Overall, Toy Story 2 builds off of the solid foundation of the original with the addition of improved graphics, new and interesting characters, and complex themes of love and loss.

Final Ranking: 10/10