The Movie
Has it really been almost a week since my last published story extolling the virtues of Pixar? Well, the renowned animation studio proved that their revolutionary hit Toy Story was no fluke, using the ensuing four years to craft a sequel every bit as dramatically taut and even more technically ambitious. Toy Story 2 took a step closer to photo-realism in its imagery, owing to both its design and execution.
The story expanded to include new characters--most notably Jessie the cowgirl (Joan Cusack)--as we are shown the elaborate history of Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks). Al. a nefarious dealer has stolen the rare Woody toy and plans to sell him and his long-lost crew to a Japanese museum, and so his best buddy Buzz (Tim Allen) leads a rescue mission against impossible odds.
This follow-up adventure gave fans the chance to see the two main heroes in action, ridin' horses and blasting through space, but beneath the abundant new thrills, laughs and surprises is a bittersweet tale of inevitable change: When children grow up, do they have any need for their once-beloved toys? Substitute the word "parents" for "toys" in that last sentence and you'll see why this movie resonates so profoundly with audiences young and old alike.
The Picture
Despite a tad more ringing in the sky and elsewhere (the Toy Story Blu-ray exhibited virtually none), Toy Story 2 is another magnificent high-definition disc. The precision of the digital rendering seems revealed as if for the first time with textures galore, the weave in the carpet outside evil Al's apartment building being a pause-worthy standout. More of the virtual surfaces have apparently been polished to a mirror finish, as reflections are everywhere: more work for the animators, more detail for us. The vibrant palette is distinct from the original, too, with more nighttime and shadowy scenes, again rife with natural-looking picture information filling the 1.78:1 frame.
The Sound
As with its predecessor, hard surrounds and an active subwoofer mark the superlative audio of Toy Story 2. Those rear speakers have their work cut out for them, as everything from big, loud car crashes to subtle environmental flavor are dynamically mixed into this full 360-degree spread. Directionality is also remarkable in this hectic fantasy world. Check out the opening sequence with Buzz's mission to Emperor Zurg's hidden fortress to experience the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 ES at its most extreme, and Sarah McLachlan's central, Oscar-nominated song to feel it at its most tender.
The Extras
Despite multiple impressive editions past, Toy Story 2 now includes new supplements worth watching. "Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: International Space Station" (three-and-a-half minutes) is fun and educational, while "Paths to Pixar - Technical Artists" (four minutes) interviews top behind-the-scenes talent. Three more "Studio Stories" (one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half minutes each) recount sometimes amusing, sometimes sobering insider tales with basic animated accompaniment.
"Pixar's Zoetrope" (two minutes) explains an amazing tool created to convey the essence of animation to us civilians, now on display at two of the Disney parks. And "Celebrating Our Friend Joe Ranft" is a heartfelt tribute to the studio's late resident storytelling expert and all-around good guy. All of these features are in high definition.
Almost all of the Classic DVD Bonus Features are here as well, starting with the audio commentary by director John Lasseter, co-directors Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon, and co-writer Andrew Stanton. There's lots more, all in standard definition: "Making Toy Story 2" (eight minutes), a three-minute John Lasseter Profile, plus deleted scenes and extensive looks at the design, production, music/sound and publicity.
Disc One also includes a one-minute video (with subtitles in three different languages) promoting DisneyFile Digital Copy, a feature which Toy Story 2 does not offer, although I wish it did. Disc Two is a standard definition DVD copy of the movie with all of the new bonus content plus the archived audio commentary.
Final Thoughts
Toy Story 2 is an organic extension of the first while giving us brand-new food for thought, a few firm tugs at the heartstrings and plenty of entertainment. Its landmark computer animation is just about as good as Blu-ray gets, with superb audio to complement it perfectly. The bar is set pretty high for Toy Story 3....
Special Offer: For a limited time, Amazon is offering an additional $10 discount if you buy both Toy Story and Toy Story 2 on Blu-ray at the same time ($39.98 with free shipping for films on Blu-ray Disc). You'll also get up to $8.50 in Movie Cash toward seeing Toy Story 3 in theaters for each disc you buy (Movie Cash code is inside the disc packaging).
Product Details
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