When a greedy toy collector steals Woody (who happens to be an extremely rare collectable from a popular 50’s children’s show,) it’s up to Buzz and co. to come to Woody’s rescue.  However, Woody is torn between watching his beloved Andy grow up and eventually leave him, and the chance to live forever in a toy museum.

CRITIQUE

It’s been said many times before, but it’s still true, Toy Story 2 is one of those rare sequels that is a step above its predecessor.  While the original Toy Story was a fun filled adventure about a toy having to deal with a rival for the affection of the child who owns him, the film didn’t have much depth.  It was very straight forward but it introduced the viewer to the secret world of toys.

Toy Story 2 dives further into that world and examines the emotional lives of children’s playthings.  What happens to those toys that we eventually abandon as we grow up? What happens to toys when they break? What happens to a toy when no one wants to play with it?  With top notch voice acting and a very clever script, Toy Story 2 is an entertaining emotional rollercoaster that shows that children’s entertainment is capable of being sophisticated and still accessible.

THE VIDEO

Although they stress that the film is enhanced, I didn’t notice a difference between the quality of the original DVD and this release. The film still looks beautiful, the transfer is fantastic.

THE AUDIO

The film is presented in DTS 5.1 Surround ES and Dolby 5.1 Surround EX. Both mixes are fantastic.

THE EXTRAS

Disc 1:

Commentary by John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Ash Brannon, and Andrew Stanton: A very good insight into the making of the film.

Disc 2:

Deleted Scenes: Two deleted scenes, one of which is the original way that Woody ended up in the yard sale. It has a funny beginning but doesn’t feel right. The other is the original “crossing of the road,” which was in suburbia instead of the city.

Outtakes: The outtakes that were originally shown during the closing credits. These don’t work as well outside of the credit crawl, but they are still funny.

Who’s the Coolest Toy: The actors talk about which toys from the film they like the best.

The Making of Toy Story 2: A short look at the making of the film, nothing too in depth, but good nevertheless.

John Lasseter profile: Cast and crew talk about director John Lasseter.

Cast of Characters: A look at the cast and the characters that they play.

Design Galleries: A look at all the different character and set designs.

Story: Two pitches for story moments, one featuring Woody’s Nightmare and the other featuring Jessie’s song.

Production featurettes: A series of shorts looking at how the animators created Woody’s past, the different animation tests, and even a scene that was altered for international release.

Sound and Music: a few featurettes looking at the music of the film and includes Randy Newman’s demo of Jessie’s Song. The sound featurettes include a mixing demo of the “crossing the street” sequence.

Publicity: Trailers, interviews with the characters, and posters.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Toy Story 2 is one of those few sequels that is far superior than the original.  It’s funny and has a depth that isn’t found in typical children’s entertainment. And this is a collection that does the film justice.