Toy Story 2 (1999)
Another adventure with Andy’s toys.
Brief Backstory
After the success of Toy Story, one of the highest rated animated features of all time, a sequel was obviously inevitable. To cap off Disney’s best decade in so many years, Pixar went back to work and started drawing up Toy Story 2, which would further detail out Woody’s origin and bring life to brand new toys to be seen. Like Toy Story itself, Toy Story 2 was again another nearly critically acclaimed instant classic upon release in late 1999.
Story
During a yard sale, Woody ends up being stolen by a money-loving toy collector, Al McWiggin, who only wants Woody as part of his get-rich-quick scheme to sell an entire set of Woody’s Roundup. Buzz and the others launch a rescue him, only be interfered by Emperor Zurg and Stinky Pete, the prospector.
Random Facts
A Super Nintendo is seen in Andy’s room (contrary that a PlayStation 1 would be more commonly seen in something from around late 90s)
Due to Jim Varney’s death in 2000 due to chain smoking, this was the last time he voiced Slinky. Never use tobacco or smoke!
Toy collecting isn’t greedy, but stealing toys and scalping the hell out of them is. It’s already illegal enough trying to sell stolen property.
Originally this was supposed to be direct-to-video much like Simba’s Pride and countless other sequels.
Given the location of where Al’s Toy Barn is by the interstate numbers, it looks like Andy lives in the San Francisco area.
Advancements in CGI made in the late 90s allowed for more realistic fur for Buster unlike Scud in the first movie.
Adapted for a great PlayStation 1 game named Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue, which was ported to the Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast (both of which are butchered ports apparently).
Quite a few similarities exist between Toy Story 1 and 2. Woody loses his arm just like Buzz did. Buzz himself also deals with a rogue Buzz Lightyear, pointing out that they’re toys.
100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Random Opinions
Cowboy Crunchies does not sound appealing for breakfast.
Honestly the low production values of Woody’s Roundup should’ve been evident enough of being cancelled not just because of Sputnik. The entire show is a satire of bad shows from the 1950s (obviously there exist good shows i.e. Huckleberry Hound). Western shows like Gunsmoke and The Rifleman were extremely popular in the 60s, so being a western show isn’t the truth of why Woody’s Roundup would be cancelled though Sputnik was also part of it.
I felt like Stinky Pete was a better villain than Al was and even better than Lotso from Toy Story 3. He was much more manipulative than Lotso.
Doesn’t Wheezy look like Tux, the Linux mascot?
Pros
- The entire Woody’s Roundup showcase is amazing for showing Woody’s past.
- Great voice work by just about everyone who voiced the characters in this.
- Near-perfect mix of comedy and seriousness, common with Pixar movies.
- Movie references thrown in are cleverly inserted instead of just being “oh look it’s *insert movie name here*”
Cons
- I never liked the “when she loved me” sequence.
Rating: 9.5/10 – Amazing
I prefer this over Toy Story 3.
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