 ***PLEASE NOTE: A Blu-ray 3D disc is only compatible with 3D Blu-ray players.*** --- The Complete 3D Toy Story Collection --- (All 3-3D-Movies in the 3-Disc Collector's Set) Tagline: Some of the best from Disney (Pixar) in unforgettable 3D. Immerse yourself in a whole new dimension of Toy Story fun as you bring the 3D experience home in astonishign Disney Blu-ray 3D! Enjoy all three Toy Story movies like never before in this 3-disc Collector's Set! Storyline: While Andy is away at summer camp Woody has been toynapped by Al McWiggin, a greedy collector and proprietor of "Al's Toy Barn"! In this all-out rescue mission, Buzz and his friends Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex and Hamm springs into action to rescue Woody from winding up as a museum piece. They must find a way to save him before he gets sold in Japan forever and they'll never see him again! Written by Anthony Pereyra Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Kenneth Brown on March 20, 2010 -- It shouldn't have worked. An animated sequel? Releasing in theaters? It was unheard of, and many braced themselves for the worst. The trailers were amusing, sure, but with so many new characters and returning favorites being crammed under one roof, everyone began murmuring. Would the wizards of Pixar, somewhat disappointed with A Bug's Life's middling reception, simply retread old ground? Could the studio that birthed Buzz and Woody really strike cinematic gold twice in just four years? Would audiences care? As it turns out, the answer to all three questions was a resounding "yes." Toy Story 2 not only left a lingering mark in theaters with an astounding $80 million dollar opening weekend (in 1999 no less), it went on to make $500 million at the worldwide box office, receive enormous critical praise, earn a devoted home video fanbase, and effectively hurtle Pixar toward the 21st century. Oh, did I forget to mention it also turned out to be a fantastic movie? One that outclasses its rightfully acclaimed 1995 predecessor in every way and remains one of Pixar's best films to date? Since we last left them, Buzz (voiced by Tim Allen) and Woody (Tom Hanks) have become good friends, and Andy (John Morris) has continued to give them equal affection. Together, the pair lead their devoted family of toys -- piggie bank Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Slinky Dog (Jim Varney), tiny-limbed Rex (Wallace Shawn), Bo Peep (Annie Potts), Sarge (R. Lee Ermey) and his Green Army, and dozens of others -- over any obstacle. Until, that is, a torn arm leaves Woody stranded in the dusty wasteland of Andy's top shelf. While his fellow toys try to talk him down, Woody realizes an old friend, Wheezy the Squeaky Penguin (Joe Ranft), is about to meet his fate at a yard sale. Hurrying outside to rescue his doomed pal, the dutiful cowboy is spotted and stolen by a greedy toy collector (Wayne Knight) desperate to complete an invaluable four-figure collection. When he arrives at the man's apartment though, he slowly begins to grow fond of Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl (Joan Cusack), Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer), and Bullseye the Faithful Steed, three cowboy-themed dolls who tell Woody he was fashioned after a famous marionette on a once-popular '50s TV series; one that produced a limited run of increasingly rare dolls before it was canceled. As Woody struggles to choose between immortality in a museum with his new family and his waning loyalty to Andy, Buzz mounts a daring rescue, leads his fellow toys toward the collector's store, and encounters far more trouble than he bargained for. Once again, Pixar scores an animated trifecta with a charming cast of delightful characters, exceptional voice performances, and a masterclass script that offers spirited humor and absorbing parallel storylines. Dropping three new toys and a slew of additional characters, all of which demand significant screentime, into a world that was already overflowing with worthy personalities could have ended in failure. But by separating Buzz and Woody and catapulting them in two, entirely different directions, writer/director John Lasseter, co-writers Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton, and the rest of the Pixar team make it an exceedingly accessible two-pronged tale of friendship and loyalty. They effectively tinker with themes that were seemingly exhausted in the original Toy Story, and only repeat themselves when the material absolutely demands it. (And even then, Lasseter and his cohorts find exciting new ways to tackle old ideas.) Jessie, Pete, and Bullseye quickly earn equal standing with their long-established castmates, and lend a sense of maturity and resonance to a film that could have easily been an action-oriented, Buzz-focused roller coaster ride. To that end, Hanks, Allen, and their impassioned brethren inject urgency and sincerity into their performances, tackling their plastic heroes as if they were full-fledged, meticulously developed human beings. Even ten years later, it isn't often that an animated film's characters live and breathe as believably as Andy and Al's toys. Still, the sequel's greatest feat is that it surpasses its forefather. Each theme is more completely dissected and offers more rewarding revelations, every toy is given a more complex role to embrace, both plotlines are as weighty and meaningful as the original film's singular tale, and everything -- the laughs, the drama, the emotions, the joy, the tears (Jessie's song always rips me apart) -- pierces deeper, hits harder, and leaves a more lasting mark. There will always be those who place Toy Story above Toy Story 2, but for me the pair represent a near-flawless evolution of character, story, and animation, as well as a powerful, two-part testament to Pixar and mastermind John Lasseter's filmmaking prowess. Toy Story 2 could have simply been a direct-to-video aside (at one point, Disney even saw it as nothing more than a secondary project). It could have been an uninventive rehash or, worse, a derivative cash-in designed to fill Toys R' Us aisles with action figures and Happy Meals with cheap promotions. But Lasseter had grander plans, all of which his Pixar team brought together into one cohesive whole. It remains one of the few animated sequels to make a box office splash, one of the fewer animated sequels to rise above its first film, and the lone animated sequel to deserve a followup like the one scheduled for theatrical release this June. It's just that good. Toy Story 2 is one of those rare sequels that bests its predecessor; a particularly astonishing feat for an animated film. Lasseter tweaks old favorites to perfection while introducing a cast of wonderful new characters, delivers an even richer adventure, and serves up unforgettable scene after unforgettable scene. (If the wizards at Pixar manage to accomplish the same thing with Toy Story 3, I'll be utterly speechless.) Disney's Blu-ray release is just as strong as the film itself, granting fans of the now-classic series a gorgeous video transfer, a thrilling DTS-HD Master Audio track, and a solid supplemental package. Sure, some more special features would have been nice, but I can barely muster a complaint. Toy Story 2 belongs on every filmfan's shelves and in every animation lover's heart. Cast Notes: Tom Hanks (Woody [voice]), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear [voice]), Joan Cusack (Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl [voice]), Kelsey Grammer (Stinky Pete the Prospector [voice]), Don Rickles (Mr. Potato Head [voice]), Jim Varney (Slinky Dog [voice]), Wallace Shawn (Rex the Green Dinosaur [voice]), John Ratzenberger (Hamm the Piggy Bank [voice]), Annie Potts (Bo Peep [voice]), Wayne Knight (Al the Toy Collector [voice]), John Morris (Andy [voice]), Laurie Metcalf (Andy's Mom [voice]), Estelle Harris (Mrs. Potato Head [voice]), R. Lee Ermey (Army Sarge [voice]), Jodi Benson (Tour Guide Barbie / Barbie on Backpack [voice]). IMDb Rating (07/25/14): 7.9/10 from 290,093 users IMDb Rating (12/16/11): 8.0/10 from 160,994 users Top 250: #252
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