What is more important: temporary true love then getting forgotten or an eternity of fame (in a glass display case)? It is the central predicament that Woody (Tom Hanks) faces in “Toy Story 2” (1999) when the film fast forwards a year after the events of the original, and he misses out on the opportunity to go to camp with Andy (John Morris) when his arm begins to rip. He realizes that it is not long before he gets discarded, but instead an unscrupulous toy seller, Al (Wayne Knight), absconds with Woody. It is not all bad because he discovers his famous origins. The other toys decide to rescue Woody with Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) leading the mission, but not without Buzz crossing paths with familiar faces and foes. It is a solid sequel though likely less relatable to all members of the audience and more steered towards the kids.
“Toy Story 2” is back with the characters that you loved the first time around with Woody and Buzz still friends and sharing leadership duty. Woody seems to be back in the lead as Andy’s favorite, but no one seems to mind, and there is no rivalry. It helps that Mr. Potato Head is married to Mrs. Potato Head (Estelle Harris) to divert his energy because in the last movie, he was Woody’s hater in chief. While the toys have romantic relationships, Mrs. Potato Head sounds more like a mother preparing their son for a field trip than a wife. The writers may need to talk to a therapist about that particular Freudian slip.
Writers Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin and Chris Webb are impressive for unearthing fresh toy fears for “Toy Story 2” still rooted in identity. While the toys are no longer competing against each other, time and wear and tear are cruel and unmerciful facts of life. Woody empathizes with the plight of Wheezy (Joe Ranft and Robert Goulet sings), a penguin toy with a broken squeaker. Not learning from the original movie, anytime a toy goes outside, anything can happen, but Woody still tries to rescue Weezy from a garage sale and ends up getting stuck in that predicament. Fortunately, the thief is Al, which means Knight gets to be part of a terrific ensemble cast. What would writers do if Knight did exist? His voice is enough to convey certain traits of a villain who does not hesitate to cross certain lines but is also a bit pathetic. He is a talented actor and can make a human character compete on the same playing ground as the toys.
If Woody helped Buzz understand that he was a toy, not an actual action hero, “Toy Story 2” helps Woody understand that he is a toy and was a national phenomenon with a television show. He meets other toys who are a part of his origin story: Jessie (Joan Cusack and Mary Kay Bergman provided the yodeling), his cowgirl sidekick, the Prospector, Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammar), who appears to still be in perfect condition in his box, and Bullseye the Horse, whose physicality is reminiscent of Looney Tunes. They were collectively known as Woody’s Roundup. Jessie also embodies the cautionary tale of all toys’ future if they belong to a child with a heartbreaking Sarah McLachlan song, “When She Loved Me,” which made the rounds in the real world among people who may have never watched this movie or any movie in the franchise. Basically, Woody does not want to disappoint his original family and betray himself, but he also still loves Andy.
When the toys go to rescue him, Buzz must face himself literally. Did “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) steal this storyline from “Toy Story 2?” It is not like this franchise invented the concept of warring doppelgangers but having an action hero fight himself at different stages of maturity is a rarer part of the story. The movie could have dealt with the pathos of family and friends not being able to distinguish him, but it is played for laughs and resolved easily. There is a scene at an airport with the luggage conveyor belt that feels as if “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” (2011) borrowed it wholesale for its denouement except instead of luggage, they used cars. Also, the story left the tension of old toys entering a toy store and possibly being discarded as defective and discarded or permanently separated from Andy behind. Instead, Buzz’s storylines emphasized spoof humor from “Jurassic Park” (1993), which Knight also appeared in, to “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) complete with a neat Darth Vader riff. The adults get references, not entire evocative story lines, though there is some embedded in Woody’s plight.
On a technical note, it is obvious that the technology advanced in four years because Andy’s mom (Laurie Metcalf) no longer has her hair in a ponytail. Also, Barbie (Jodi Benson, voice of Ariel from “The Little Mermaid”) joins in the fun but only appears briefly. The end of “Toy Story” (1995) teased that Andy would have a dog, and I correctly predicted that Buster would be a good dog. He actually feels like an auspicious precursor to Woody meeting Bullseye because Woody rides Buster like a horse, and Buster is completely in on the act. It is cute how the toys retain their early characteristics even if they are unaware of them. Nature versus nurture.
The action also moves from the suburbs to the city, which means more perils for the toys to face. Kids may relate to these hazards most of all because the world is not built for fragile, smaller sentient beings, and the film details the hazards of using objects not designed for them and highlights the challenges of using something as easy as an automatic door opener because they are not tall enough to trigger the sensor or heavy enough for their weight to hit the door. For the writers to enter the detailed, logistical mindset of a toy beyond the broad existential crisis is brilliant.
If “Toy Story 2” was daring, it was for making the true villain into a fellow toy who is ruthless and willing to use violence, emotional manipulation and human beings to get what they want. At least Sid was a child, but this is toy on toy crime and feels particularly sinister. Even the Darth Vader substitute, Emperor Zurg (Stanton, yes, the writer), is more approachable. In the original movie, the other toys mostly saw Woody as an outcast for such aberrant behavior, and this character gets off relatively easy.
Do I remember seeing “Toy Story 2?” Not clearly though it was vaguely familiar, especially McLachlan’s heartbreaking song. It feels more like a kids movie with a ton of action and spoof adjacent humor. The biggest, unexpected plot twist was Jessie PRIDE having a thing for Buzz. Ok, sure, the cowgirl is not a lesbian. Maybe it is like the CW “Supergirl,” and she has not figured it out yet.
