Toy Story 2
Director: John Lasseter
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Jim Varnay, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Annie Potts Wayne Knight, John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammar John Morris, Laurie Metcalf.
Woody (Tom Hanks) is stolen from his home by toy dealer Al (Wayne Knight), and it is up to Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of the gang to try to rescue their lost friend. When Woody is unexpectedly reunited with his horse Bullseye, his faithful sidekick, Jessie the yodeling cowgirl (Joan Cusack) and Stinky Pete, the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer), he discovers that he's not just a toy…he’s a valuable collectible from a once-popular television show entitled "Woody's Roundup". Now Woody must face a difficult choice between following his heart and going back home to Andy…or joining his new friends at a museum to be loved behind glass forever.
Identity is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is it illustrated more perfectly than in the characters of Woody and Jessie, and the choices they face as the story unfolds.
For Woody, his identity at the beginning of the film is clearly established. He is Andy’s favorite toy, and as such, Woody will always be there for Andy. This identity is tested in two ways for Woody. When Woody is searching for his cowboy hat at the beginning of the film, he is worried that he won’t be able to go to Cowboy Camp with Andy if he can’t find his hat. Bo Peep tells Woody to look at the name written on the sole of his boot…Andy. She tells Woody that the child who wrote that name there will take Woody with him, with or without his hat. When an accident during playtime leaves Woody’s with a broken arm, he doesn’t go with Andy to Cowboy Camp after all…instead, Woody is put on the shelf with the other old and broken toys. Woody’s fear that he is no longer Andy’s favorite toy is manifested when he has a nightmare, and his beloved friend throws him away because he is broken.
When Woody is stolen by Al, he faces a difficult choice when he discovers that he is not just Andy’s favorite toy…he is also the star of a television show titled “Woody’s Roundup”. Jessie and the Prospector tell Woody that Al abducted him, because Woody is a rare and valuable toy, and Al needs him to be the centerpiece in his collection of Woody memorabilia that will be displayed in a museum in Japan. The only condition is for the plan to succeed, Woody must be part of the collection. When the gentleman comes to restore Woody, he paints over Andy’s name and he restores Woody’s arm…and although he looks like new again, all traces of Woody being Andy’s beloved toy are now gone.
While Jessie’s story is almost identical to Woody’s, her fear runs much deeper. Jessie had a beautiful, idyllic childhood with her child, Emily. She was Emily’s favorite toy, and they shared many happy memories together. As Emily grew up though, she slowly abandoned her little-girl dreams of horses and cowgirls and found a new passion for makeup and rockstars, instead. Jessie lay alone and forgotten under Emily’s bed, watching her grow up, until one day, Emily found Jessie hiding under the bed, and left her in a donation box on the side of the road. Jessie’s pain stems from the fact that she was not only forgotten by her little girl…she was abandoned by her. When Woody tells Jessie that he needs to go home to Andy, rather than going with them to the museum, Jessie is angry with Woody because she believes that the toys being displayed in the museum could be her chance to find that love again that she had with Emily. If Woody leaves, however, Jessie and the others will return to the dark, lonely storage box and she will be abandoned all over again…and this thought terrifies Jessie. Woody offers Jessie and Bullseye the horse another alternative…that they can come home with him and be loved and cared for by Andy forever.
Loyalty is another strong theme in this film, and it is beautifully illustrated in the characters of Woody and Buzz. When Woody is kidnapped by Al, Buzz vows to rescue his friend. He tells the other toys “Woody once risked his life to save me…I couldn’t call myself his friend if I wasn’t willing to do the same for him. When the toys find Woody, it is Buzz who reminds Woody of the words Woody once told him…that he is a toy and that the most important thing that a toy can do is be there for their child. And it is Buzz who comes back to save Woody when Stinky Pete traps him.
When Woody meets Jessie and the Prospector, he is tempted by the idea of joining them at the museum and being loved forever. He is astounded to discover that he is a famous TV character, and not just a child’s toy. The Prospector tells Woody that Andy is growing up and soon, he will go to college and get married and leave his childhood – and Woody – behind. He tells Woody that he can go back to Andy and risk being a forgotten childhood memory…or he can join them and last forever. While initially, Woody is dazzled by the thought of being the star of Woody’s Roundup forever, and even tells his friends that he wants to stay with his Roundup Gang when they come to save him, in the end, Woody’s loyalty is to Andy always and forever. When he sees the Woody’s Roundup commercial, he sees himself with the child and when he rubs the paint from his boot, Woody remembers who he really is and remembers his true purpose – which is to be there for Andy no matter what. But Woody also shows his loyalty to Jessie and Bullseye the horse by inviting them to come home with him to Andy rather than abandoning them to a live a lonely life in storage.
Although Toy Story 2 is 22 yrs old, and one of the first films created by Pixar, it still holds up as being the second chapter of one of Pixar’s best animated films to date. The animation is absolutely stunning, and the story is both humorous and heartfelt. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2021 Keriane Kellogg
Director: John Lasseter
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Jim Varnay, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Annie Potts Wayne Knight, John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammar John Morris, Laurie Metcalf.
Woody (Tom Hanks) is stolen from his home by toy dealer Al (Wayne Knight), and it is up to Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of the gang to try to rescue their lost friend. When Woody is unexpectedly reunited with his horse Bullseye, his faithful sidekick, Jessie the yodeling cowgirl (Joan Cusack) and Stinky Pete, the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer), he discovers that he's not just a toy…he’s a valuable collectible from a once-popular television show entitled "Woody's Roundup". Now Woody must face a difficult choice between following his heart and going back home to Andy…or joining his new friends at a museum to be loved behind glass forever.
Identity is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is it illustrated more perfectly than in the characters of Woody and Jessie, and the choices they face as the story unfolds.
For Woody, his identity at the beginning of the film is clearly established. He is Andy’s favorite toy, and as such, Woody will always be there for Andy. This identity is tested in two ways for Woody. When Woody is searching for his cowboy hat at the beginning of the film, he is worried that he won’t be able to go to Cowboy Camp with Andy if he can’t find his hat. Bo Peep tells Woody to look at the name written on the sole of his boot…Andy. She tells Woody that the child who wrote that name there will take Woody with him, with or without his hat. When an accident during playtime leaves Woody’s with a broken arm, he doesn’t go with Andy to Cowboy Camp after all…instead, Woody is put on the shelf with the other old and broken toys. Woody’s fear that he is no longer Andy’s favorite toy is manifested when he has a nightmare, and his beloved friend throws him away because he is broken.
When Woody is stolen by Al, he faces a difficult choice when he discovers that he is not just Andy’s favorite toy…he is also the star of a television show titled “Woody’s Roundup”. Jessie and the Prospector tell Woody that Al abducted him, because Woody is a rare and valuable toy, and Al needs him to be the centerpiece in his collection of Woody memorabilia that will be displayed in a museum in Japan. The only condition is for the plan to succeed, Woody must be part of the collection. When the gentleman comes to restore Woody, he paints over Andy’s name and he restores Woody’s arm…and although he looks like new again, all traces of Woody being Andy’s beloved toy are now gone.
While Jessie’s story is almost identical to Woody’s, her fear runs much deeper. Jessie had a beautiful, idyllic childhood with her child, Emily. She was Emily’s favorite toy, and they shared many happy memories together. As Emily grew up though, she slowly abandoned her little-girl dreams of horses and cowgirls and found a new passion for makeup and rockstars, instead. Jessie lay alone and forgotten under Emily’s bed, watching her grow up, until one day, Emily found Jessie hiding under the bed, and left her in a donation box on the side of the road. Jessie’s pain stems from the fact that she was not only forgotten by her little girl…she was abandoned by her. When Woody tells Jessie that he needs to go home to Andy, rather than going with them to the museum, Jessie is angry with Woody because she believes that the toys being displayed in the museum could be her chance to find that love again that she had with Emily. If Woody leaves, however, Jessie and the others will return to the dark, lonely storage box and she will be abandoned all over again…and this thought terrifies Jessie. Woody offers Jessie and Bullseye the horse another alternative…that they can come home with him and be loved and cared for by Andy forever.
Loyalty is another strong theme in this film, and it is beautifully illustrated in the characters of Woody and Buzz. When Woody is kidnapped by Al, Buzz vows to rescue his friend. He tells the other toys “Woody once risked his life to save me…I couldn’t call myself his friend if I wasn’t willing to do the same for him. When the toys find Woody, it is Buzz who reminds Woody of the words Woody once told him…that he is a toy and that the most important thing that a toy can do is be there for their child. And it is Buzz who comes back to save Woody when Stinky Pete traps him.
When Woody meets Jessie and the Prospector, he is tempted by the idea of joining them at the museum and being loved forever. He is astounded to discover that he is a famous TV character, and not just a child’s toy. The Prospector tells Woody that Andy is growing up and soon, he will go to college and get married and leave his childhood – and Woody – behind. He tells Woody that he can go back to Andy and risk being a forgotten childhood memory…or he can join them and last forever. While initially, Woody is dazzled by the thought of being the star of Woody’s Roundup forever, and even tells his friends that he wants to stay with his Roundup Gang when they come to save him, in the end, Woody’s loyalty is to Andy always and forever. When he sees the Woody’s Roundup commercial, he sees himself with the child and when he rubs the paint from his boot, Woody remembers who he really is and remembers his true purpose – which is to be there for Andy no matter what. But Woody also shows his loyalty to Jessie and Bullseye the horse by inviting them to come home with him to Andy rather than abandoning them to a live a lonely life in storage.
Although Toy Story 2 is 22 yrs old, and one of the first films created by Pixar, it still holds up as being the second chapter of one of Pixar’s best animated films to date. The animation is absolutely stunning, and the story is both humorous and heartfelt. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2021 Keriane Kellogg