Written by: Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin, Chris Webb
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don Rickles, Jim Varney
Rating: [4.5/5]
Fully established in all of its wonder, the foundation laid about the existence of these toys allows for the opportunity to further embolden and deepen the themes. Something every sequel has the opportunity to do. With a change of environment and more heartbreak displayed what Toy Story 2 sought to bring to the narrative journey and that continues the train of not only entertainment but greatness from the team who have put this together.
Now fully living in unison with all of the toys, Woody (Tom Hanks) suffers a rip on his arm and when accidentally placed at a garage sale gets taken by toy collector Al McWhiggin (Wayne Knight). As the rest of the toys seek to rescue and bring Woody back, the cowboy learns he’s a character of a larger popular show and exists as quite the collectible toy.
With Buzz (Tim Allen) fully acknowledging he’s now a toy and Andy (John Morris) still having plenty of love for both of his main toys, the last feature left off in quite a heartwarming place. It explored its themes in such succinct ways, which leaves this sequel in a place where it must innovate in some way. In order to do that the team behind this film decides to not only crank up the emotional moments the feature has to offer but also give a bit of a side quest to the other toys as Woody deals with yet another internal crisis.
When at Al McWhiggin’s home, Woody gets introduced to three new characters in Jessie (Joan Cusack), Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer), and Bullseye, all part of Woody’s Roundup a television program about their toys. Something Woody had no idea of and shows they have a different value in another space. All Woody has experienced in his existence is having Andy play with him and although he came close to irrelevance when Buzz arrived, he narrowly escaped it. Jessie, on the other hand, did not have the same luxury when her beloved human grew out of her toy phase in a montage that would make even the most hardened individual incredibly emotional. Here we have this reality pop up for Woody once again about the harsh truth that humans can toss away toys at any time. This gives Jessie and Stinky Pete the hope to be kept as collectibles where at least they can be revered as they stand behind some glass at a museum. Not every toy has the opportunity to live that life rather than sitting in some dumpster and this choice sits right before Woody.
While the cowboy toy goes through this emotional journey the rest of the gang gets into shenanigans to rescue their friend, which comes with its hijinx and provides the silly entertainment that will draw in the kids. Their adventures in a particular toy store add in the wild card of some different toys that mix things up in the story and it all works. Once again, each of these toys brings their personalities to the table and helps make these moments incredibly fun to watch as we switch between these scenes and the very pensive ones with Woody back at Al McWhiggin’s home. When they all get united once again, we get what may be my favorite scene in the feature, which involves what transpires with checked luggage at an airport. Now, I have no idea if what we see is the reality of what those conveyor belts do behind the scenes, but it provides an exhilarating sequence, which then inspires a similar sequence in the beloved Monster, Inc released a few years later. This film comes full of set pieces that challenge these characters once again showing the difficulty in navigating the larger human world for these toys.
With the addition of new characters, they had the opportunity to add new voice cast members and they did a great job with Joan Cusack and Kelsey Grammer as they played Jessie and Stinky Pete respectively. Cusack captures the zaniness and wild nature of Jessie so well, which helped her become an instant favorite in all of her scenes. Jessie as a character suffered so much trauma from her experience with her human owner and Cusack truly makes us feel it all with this toy as she reckons with what the next step in her life could be. Grammer, on the other hand, brings this jovial nature to Stinky Pete that can change on a dime and genuinely has an impact on the way we view this narrative and how it plays out. All of the returning cast members do a splendid job once again, especially Tom Hanks, who continues to knock it out of the park as Woody as the poor toy continues to go through existential crises when he just wants to play with Andy and hang out with his toy family.
Existing as the middle child of two perfect films around it, Toy Story 2 still has plenty to adore in its story. With the introduction of Jessie and Stinky Pete, we allow Woody to go through yet another emotional journey. We receive a strong balance between the two storylines which allows their further integration into something incredibly enjoyable. Once again, the animation looks astounding, which hits its heights in moments where Woody gets mended sitting atop the list of satisfying moments to watch. These characters get yet another journey and we can just sit back and enjoy.
Films with Josh 
