Toy Story 2 Movie Review

Previously destined for a straight-to-video release, the Toys are back in the long-awaited sequel to 1995’s massively successful Toy Story.

Thank God! Almost as good as the original, Toy Story 2 is an unabashed crowd-pleaser to children and adults. With enough (non-offensive) adult humor and plenty of good-natured kid stuff, this film had our tiny audience in stitches from start to finish.

Toy Story 2 picks up right where the original left off. With Andy (Morris) off to “Cowboy Camp,” Mom (Metcalf) decides to throw a yard sale, and Woody ends up being stolen by the evil toy magnate Al (Knight), owner of Al’s Toy Barn. Turns out Woody (Hanks) is a relic from a 1950’s TV show, and he completes an extremely valuable collection which is set to be shipped off to a museum in Japan.

Held prisoner, Woody runs into the rest of the cast of “Woody’s Roundup”--his horse Bullseye, prospector Stinky Pete (Grammer), and spunky cowgirl Jessie (Cusack). Turns out they’re okay with the Japan trip, and soon, Woody starts to like the idea of moving overseas to be idolized forever. But it’s Buzz Lightyear (Allen), to the rescue! With the aid of the usual gang of followers from the original, a massive mission to save Woody is launched.

A huge chunk of Toy Story 2’s humor is derived from clever referential jokes to the original, so be sure you’ve seen it first. Also, the story is tons of fun, but--and believe me, I feel weird about typing these words--it also lacks the depth of the first film. As messages go, the original Toy Story’s themes of blind acceptance were more powerful.

Still, Hanks and Allen are incredibly fun, but it’s Cusack’s Jessie that steals the show as the over-the-top cowgirl. Overall, Toy Story 2 is simply a whole lot of good, clean fun. And there ain’t nothing wrong with that.

Coneheads 2? Not quite.