After the huge success of Toy Story we had to wait 5 years for the sequel. Far too often the sequel of a film is not remotely as good as the original. Apart from The Godfather 2 being as good as the Godfather I cannot recall a sequel being as good but we are not in the same territory here. Toy Story 2 was guaranteed a big audience after the first film and it did not let them down.
It took all the characters from the first film and added some new ones. The main change was that Sid did not feature this time but the villain this time was Al who runs Al’s Toy Barn and steals Woody to make a set up of toys from an old TV programme. Thus we also get Stinky Pete (voiced by Kelsey grammar), his cowgirl friend Jessie (Joan Cusack) and his horse Bullseye. The familiar characters of the original include Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz. They are still simply perfect adding even more life to the action. Don Rickles is again Mr Potato Head with Cheers’ John Ratzenberger as Hamm the pig. Jim Varney is back as Slinky Dog (one of those springy toys) as is Annie Potts is Little Bo Peep and wllace Shawn as Rex the dinosaur.
If anything Toy story 2 is even better than the original because it adds so much more. There is more humour firstly with references to the original. I particularly liked it when Buzz Lightyear comes across another Buzz toy fresh from the box. This gives the opportunity to revisit Buzz not accepting he was a toy and the old Buzz asking if he was that annoying. Brilliantly done.
Some of the action sequences simply could not be bettered such as when the toys have to cross a road hiding under traffic cones. This is excellent as is another in the airport luggage area. There is also another sequence where Woody is cleaned up ready for a collector in Japan. It is fantastic, the attention to detail in it enormous.
The villain Al is also well characterised as a lazy slothful greedy slob. Like Sid in the last film he inevitably gets his comeuppance. There is also plenty of pathos as Woody is torn between returning to Andy or becoming part of a collectors display set with Jessie and Stinky Pete. This part is very cleverly done.
Finally don’t switch off until the credits are fully run. There are some ‘out-takes’ running through the end titles and also Barbie giving instructions in the manner of an airline stewardess. Toy Story 2 is an excellent film and one you can watch over and over again.
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If you like this, wait until 'Shrek'....it's scope is far more wide ranging and lacks the sappiness that dogs 'Toy Story 2'. Good review all the same though.
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