Toy Story 2
As the world steps up its excitement for the release of the new Toy Story film - Toy Story 3 - our household has been catching up, and watching Toy Story 2 for the first time since it was released 10 years ago! The film is excellent, much better than I remember it being when I saw it as a kid. It was agreed that all the best children’s films work well for adults and children alike; they work on levels, so that only adults will get some of the jokes, but children will enjoy the plot and the characters and many of the jokes.
The plot is simple, it doesn’t need to be complicated. Woody is ’shelved'the day that Andy goes to cowboy camp, as his arm gets torn. ’Toys don’t last forever'his mother remarks. Before the toys can plot a way to get Woody fixed, he accidentally ends up in a yard sale, and is picked up by a collector, who recognises that Woody is a valuable toy, and will complete his collection of ’Woody’s Round-up'toys to send to a museum in Japan.
The rest of the film is concerned with the rescue effort of the other toys, led of course by Buzz Lightyear. There is a brilliant mixture of funny moments, such as Mrs Potato head packing extra feet and ’angry eyes'for Mr Potato head, and more complicated plot developments. such as the moral dilemma that Woody finds himself in when he realises that the other Toy’s in his ’Round-up gang'will be going back into storage indefinitely unless he agrees to go with them.
The film builds up to an exciting ending, as the toys leave it to the last minute to complete the rescue mission on the baggage conveyor belts at the airport, with two of the characters - I won’t let on which ones! - making a leap of faith from a moving plane. This film really has everything in it.
Comments are closed!