TOY STORY 2 (1999)
By: Steve BiodrowskiDate: Saturday, November 27, 1999
TOY STORY was one of the best overrated movies ever made. To be honest, the screenplay wasn't all that wonderful: the plot mechanics were loose; the lead character, Woody, was really a selfish, unsympathetic protagonist, and the film didn't really kick into gear until its last half. Yet in spite of this, the film was a hit because the computer-generated animation, contemporary story, and whiz-bang action sequences gave a new kind of zing to feature length animation, helping to separate the film from traditional Disney animated fare, making it stand out like something altogether new.
The sequel, TOY STORY 2, is everything that it's predecessor was cracked up to be. It has all the strengths of the original film and few of the weaknesses. This time the rescue plot is set up quickly in the opening scenes, helping to drive the story forward from the very beginning; and Woody, having learned his lesson in the first film, is no longer the insecure neurotic jealous of Buzz Lightyear. Also, the villain is a considerable improvement this time over the toy-torturing kid of the original; this time we are treated to an adult toy collector who hopes to make a fortune by completing a rare set with the acquisition of Woody.
As in the first film, the CGI has plusses and minuses. The technique works wonderfully for rendering the story's fantasy element. The hard-edged computer look is suited for the mechanical quality of the toys; the familiar toys are instantly recognizable while at the same time just unreal enough to exist believably in the fantasy world of the film. The slightly mechanical nature of the movement is actually a plus, because we are watching things that are supposed to be, well mechanical. On the other hand, using CGI for the 'real' world as well (i.e., the human characters) is no more effective than the first time out. The technique fails to make the vital distinction between the 'toy world' and the 'human world'--both look equally unreal, and it hurts to have human characters who look and move as mechanically as the toys.
Fortunately, the humans aren't on screen much, so this minor flaw is easily forgotten. Instead, the camera remains mostly six inches off the floor, right at toy level, and the results are delightful. The pacing is quick. The action is imaginative, funny, and exciting. The clever jokes and homages aimed at adults are often a scream. (Best example: the nervous T-Rex racing after a toy car, seen in the rearview mirror that reads 'Objects are closer than they appear,' a la JURASSIC PARK.)
A couple of elements seem slightly obligatory, like the inclusion of songs. Disney has long had success with animated musicals, so perhaps they don't want to tamper with the formula (at least, not since THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER avoided songs entirely). But the musical number here seems a bit contrived, its insertion awkward. The sequence itself (a toy's recollection of its owner growing older and abandoning it) is actually quite good, but Randy Newman's melody and lyrics hits all the obvious emotional buttons with the same lack of subtlety that characterizes the work of Bill Conti. A wordless musical interlude could have conveyed the same feeling much better, just through the power of the imagery.
Fortunately, this is a minor point in the middle of a film that has so much to offer. The returning voice cast (including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Jim Varney, and Wallace Shawn) are all in fine form here. In fact, Allen gets to do a double role in a sense, as the Buzz we know from the previous film, and as a new model suffering from the familiar delusion that he is in fact an astronaut equipped with lasers and anti-gravity devices. Also, the newcomers are quite good. Wayne Knight hits the right manic note as the unscrupulous toy dealer. Kelsey Grammar is effectively sympathetic and duplicitous. And Joan Cusack rings some emotional life out of her sad, abandoned toy.
The film's premise even manages to sound a touching note. Woody is faced with the choice of remaining a plaything or becoming a museum piece--of bringing joy to a child who plays with him or being admired from inside a glass case. The theme seems perfectly apropos in a time when collectibles have become such a hot item, when toys are purchased by adults as collectors items, when the potential profits of collecting have driven up prices and turned the process into a money-making business. People who want an item for its enjoyment value now have to compete with those who want to turn a quick buck on a resale, and that takes some of the fun away. Needless to say, the film comes down squarely on the side of play over profit--not a profound point, perhaps, but one made with sincere emotional impact. After you see this film, you will never want to abandon a toy again.
There have been many attempts to stretch the boundaries of animation the last few years. Mostly, this has resulted in films that are either heavy-handed or seriously compromised, straining to be different while falling back into the same old habits. Only SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, AND UNCUT managed to do something truly different with the medium in America, and the Japanese import PRINCESS MONONOKE showed how weak are American attempts at infusing the form with serious drama. TOY STORY 2, obviously, isn't that big a break with tradition, but it has an effortless quality about its entertainment value. This is a film truly deserving of an appellation too often misused to apologize for weak films; that is, this is a genuine film for the whole family. It's at once immediately accessible to young children and immensely amusing to parents, not to mention exciting enough to hold the attention of young adults. And without straining it manages to work in a little bit of a message as well. Credit John Lasseter and his collaborators at Pixar with knowing the secret of animation: forget about the established formula for the medium, and just use it as a tool to make great films.
A Buena Vista Pictures Release of a Walt Disney Pictures Presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios Film, 11/24/99. Directed by John Lasseter; co directors, Lee Unrich & Ash Brannon. Written by Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin, Chris Webb, from an original story by Lasseter, Pete Docter, Brannon, & Stanton. Editors: Edie Bleiman, David Ian Salter, Lee Unkrich. Music: Randy Newman. Rated G. Running time: 92 minutes. Voices: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, Wayne Knight, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey, Jonathan Harris.
