Review of Toy Story 2 (1999) by Kevin P — 09 Oct 2017

Strengths: As a sequel, this couldn't be as innovate as the original. Considering the high esteem Toy Story is held in, it's incredible that the sequel managed to be just as good, if not better. Somehow, they improved on the animation, story, characters and just about everything, which is practically inconceivable. The animation is breathtaking, building a bigger world than the original. It all looks fantastic and better than some of what we're getting almost twenty years later. Again, the voice cast is all kinds of great, led by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. One thing a lot of sequels do is introduce new characters, which can be hit or miss. Well, they all hit in this film. Jessie (Joan Cusack) is one of my favorite characters in the franchise and the voice work on her is among the best. Plus, there's the incredible backstory we're given for her, which results in one of the most emotional moments in animated film history. I thought the natural progression of the story moving into what happens to toys when their owners get older was perfect. Jessie's story perfectly sets up what Woody decides to do, as well as what the eventual third film focused on.

Weaknesses: I honestly can't think of any.

Overall: One of the hardest things to do is create a sequel to a great film. There's so much riding on living up to the original, yet Toy Story 2 knocks it out of the park by being another phenomenal movie. This is my favorite of the incredible trilogy. Actually, it's my favorite Disney movie ever.