To Infinity.....And Beyond

Toy Story 2 is a wonderfully animated story from Walt Disney that will give your child total enjoyment. I enjoyed it too! I recorded Toy Story 2 for my 2 ½ year old son Spencer. In the space of a week we must have watched it at least 10 times or more. Spencer absolutely loves it and I must admit that I haven’t tired of it yet either.

Toy Story 2 is the sequel to Toy Story and has some wonderful actors providing the voices. I did not see Toy Story so I cannot compare the sequel to it, I just know it is an excellent movie. Following is a list of characters.

TOYS

Woody: Cowboy---voice by Tom Hanks
Jesse: Cowgirl---voice by Joan Cusack
Stinky Pete: Prospector---voice by Kelsey Grammer
Buzz Lightyear: Space Toy---Tim Allen
Rex: Tyrannosaurus---Wallace Shaw
Hamm: Piggy Bank---John Ratzenberger
Slinky: Slinky Dachshund Dog---Jim Varney
Potato: Mr. Potato Head---Don Rickles
Mrs. Potato Head---Estelle Harris
Bo Peep: Bo Peep Doll---Annie Potts
Wheezy: Squeaky Penguin---Joe Rants
Bullseye: Horse
Emperor Zurg: Buzz’s archenemy---Andrew Stanton
Barbie: All different styles---Jodi Benson
Sarge: Combat man---R. Ice Carney
Aliens: Jeff Pidgeon

HUMANS

Andy: John Morris
Al: Wayne Knight

Toy Story 2 is about toys that are alive (except when humans are around). Woody, Buzz, Rex, Hamm, Slinky, Potato, Bo Peep and Wheezy are owned by a little boy named Andy. Woody is his favorite toy.

The story begins with Woody getting ready to go with Andy to cowboy camp. Before Andy leaves for camp he decides to play with Woody and the others. In the process Woody’s arm gets torn and he is put on a shelf in Andy’s room, the worst thing that can happen to a toy. Woody has a nightmare about Andy not wanting him anymore because he is broken. When he wakes up startled he hears a noise on the shelf with him. Woody looks behind a book and there sits Wheezy. Wheezy had been shelved because his squeaker had gone bad.

While on the shelf Woody can see down into the front yard and notices Andy’s mom putting up a yard sale sign. Woody warns all the other toys about the yard sale so they can all scatter and hide. He then goes inanimate while mom is in the room finding items for the yard sale. Mom finds Wheezy on the shelf and puts him in her 25 cent box.

Once mom leaves the room Woody is frantic to save Wheezy. He whistles for Andy’s dachshund dog and rides him down to the yard. All the other toys don’t know what is happening. They think Woody is committing suicide by putting himself in the yard sale. Buzz grabs a pair of binoculars and then Buzz and all the other toys watch from the window to see what is happening. They see that Woody is lifting Wheezy out of the sale box and realize that Woody is on a rescue mission. Woody puts Wheezy under the dog’s collar and hops on. They head back towards the house.

On the way to the house Wheezy starts to fall. Woody helps him get secure and in the process falls off the dog’s back. A little girl sees him and takes him to her mom. The little girl’s mom tosses Woody on to a table. Woody has a string in his back that makes him talk when he is being “just a toy.” As Woody lands on the table his string has been pulled by accident. A man at the next table hears Woody “talking” and goes ballistic. The man is Al of Al’s Toy Barn and he wants Woody for his personal collection. Andy’s mom refuses to sell Woody to the man and locks Woody in her cash box. Al distracts mom’s attention and steals Woody out of the cash box.

Buzz and the other toys see all of this happening. Buzz jumps out of the window and tries to catch up with Al’s car. Buzz is unable to catch the car but he does get the man’s license plate (it is a personalized plate.) Buzz and the other toys figure out that the man is Al of Al’s Toy Barn (they see his commercials all the time.) They then decide to mount a rescue.

While Buzz and the others are making their rescue plans Woody explores his new surroundings in Al’s apartment once Al leaves. Woody is looking for a way out when he hit from behind by a horse. The horse is Bullseye. He then meets Jesse and the Prospector. They are happy to see him and call him by name. Woody is really freaked out by all this and asks Jesse and the Prospector how they know his name. Jesse and the Prospector proceed to clue Woody in. Woody was the star of a show called Wood’s roundup that included Bullseye, Jesse and the Prospector. He is a collector’s item and there were many, many items made with his picture on it. Woody is flabbergasted to say the least. Woody then learns that since Al now has him for his collection they are all destined for a museum in Japan. Woody refuses to go. Jesse and the Prospector try to convince him to go because they do not want to go into storage again.

I will now leave you at this point. Watch the movie and find out what kind of dangers and adventures Buzz and the others encounter as they set off on their rescue mission. Will the rescue be successful? Will Woody decide to go the museum or go back home to Andy? How will it all end?

Toy Story 2 is well worth watching and I guarantee you and your child will enjoy it. It is full of humor, drama, action and adventure. Some of the humor is more older child/adult oriented but doesn’t detract from toddler enjoyment. I thought the animation and graphics were absolutely wonderful and lifelike.

Toy Story 2 is a wonderful story of friendship, loyalty and courage. Chalk up another one for Disney.