Family Movie Night: TOY STORY 2

Welcome to another installment of FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT, where we give our recommendation on a family-friendly film to enjoy. This week we review the sweet and heartfelt animated sequel...TOY STORY 2.


Toy Story 2 is my favourite film in the trilogy of movies, perhaps because of the fact that it came out at just the right time for me, and was the first of the series that I actually saw. I have always felt that this film tugs on your heart strings the most in ways that so many animated movies don't. This film has the most gut-wrenching scene to come out of Pixar in my opinion (that's saying something), where Jessie remembers her previous owner leaving her behind.

The plot progresses from Woody being accidentally sold to a toy collector, the kind who wants to have his toys kept in their boxes and in pristine condition. Toy Story 2 has a strong plot and strong characters where Woody has to choose which life he wants, with Andy or with fellow toys, Stinky Pete and his friends Jessie and Bullseye. Of course in the end he does return to Andy, bringing along Jessie and Bullseye.

To be honest, the only problem I have with this film is the fact that the animation hasn't aged well in comparison to other 3D animated features nowadays, which may feel like a nitpick but rewatching definitely made me notice this more than I thought.

Furthermore, the cast of this film (as most Pixar films) is stellar, including the likes of Tom Hanks, John Ratzenburger, Tim Allen, Kelsey Grammar and Joan Cusack. This means the voice acting is impeccable throughout, and I wish I could see more of Joan Cusack as she is a very talented actress.

Perhaps the main reason I find this film better than the other two is that it felt like more of an adventure, where the toys were genuinely pushed out of their comfort zones and developed as characters through their journey. I think the score is also fantastic (obviously rounded out by "You've Got a Friend in Me"), and this film will be fondly remembered as one of Pixars best for a long time. So gather up the family and give Toy Story 2 a watch.

Chris's Score: 9/10

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