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Click above to purchase "Toy Story 2-Pack" at amazon.com
Toy Story 2-Pack
review by Zach B.
Rated G
Studio: Disney
Running Time:
Toy Story: 76 Minutes
With the voices of: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Wallace
Shawn, Jim Varney, Annie Potts, Joan Cusack (Toy Story 2),
Kelsey Grammar (Toy Story 2), Wayne Knight (Toy Story 2),
Jodi Benson (Toy Story 2)
Directed by John Lasseter (Toy Story 1 and 2)
Retail Price: $39.99
Features: Outtakes, "Tin Toy" and "Luxo Jr." shorts,
"Monsters Inc." sneak preview
Specs: 1.77:1 Anamorphic Widescreen (Toy Story 1 and
2), 1.33:1 Recomposed Full Frame (Toy Story 2), English
Dolby Digital 5.1 (Toy Story), French 5.1 Dolby Digital (Toy
Story) English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (Toy Story 2), English
Captions, Chapter Search
In Thanksgiving 1995, Pixar, a computer animation studio
known for such award winning and nominated shorts such as
"Tin Toy" (a somewhat basis for "Toy Story") and "Luxo Jr."
(I love all their shorts, but I can't resist the snowglobe
opus "KnickKnack"), put out not only the biggest film of the
year with a domestic gross of about 190 million dollars, but
an instant classic and different kind of animated film. The
film of course was "Toy Story", and invited us to meet a
cast of wonderful characters and admire detailed and
beautiful computer animation, which made this movie a whole
new kind of expierence for audiences everywhere.
"Toy Story" begins with Woody, the leader and favorite
toy of a young boy named Andy. The toys live their lives
together, coming alive and talking when their owner is not
around. However, something really shakes them when it's
Andy's birthday, and they all worry about new toys coming to
join them. Nothing major comes to pass, except when a really
cool new toy, Buzz Lightyear, joins them. Buzz has no
recollection of being toy, and actually thinks he is an
outerspace hero. The toys instantly take a shine to him, and
makes our cowboy friend Woody really jealous. Buzz then
becomes Andy's favorite toy, making Woody seem like a
distant second. So Woody attempts a scheme against Buzz
which backfires, and puts their whole fates in complete
jeporady. They go to the food/amusment park "Pizza Planet",
and both end up at Andy's neighbor's house, the mean Sid,
from there. Sid likes to torture toys, and the duo must get
out alive and make it back to Andy... hopefully before the
moving trucks drive away.
I was first on line to see the movie when it opened in
theaters, and since it's debut, "Toy Story" was an instant
classic for all ages. Randy Newman provided some good songs
and a beautiful musical score, while John Lassetter and his
Pixar team created a whole universe with an excellent story,
sharp dialogue and well developed characters. His vision
comes to full life here, and the A list voice cast is
sensational. Tom Hanks provides the voice of Woody, while
Tim Allen is the naive space ranger Buzz Lightyear. John
Ratsenberger from "Cheers", Don Rickles, Annie Potts, the
late Jim Varney and Wallace Shawn make up some more of the
cast. A movie like this doesn't get any better... or does
it?
That's where "Toy Story 2" comes into play. Originally
planned as a direct to video sequel, the film turned out to
be so good the Disney suits had them add more to it and
release it in theaters. There were three versions of the
movie: One that lasted a little over an hour, one that
lasted about 75 minutes, and finally, the theatrical one,
which had more story and more characters crammed into a
little over 90 minutes.
"Toy Story 2" picks up right where the first one ended.
The toys are settled into Andy's new house, everyone knows
their place and they all get along really well. However,
trouble begins to brew when Andy's mom holds a Yard Sale,
and a little squeek penguin toy named Wheezy gets placed in
a box to be bought, Woody goes out to rescue him. It is a
succesful mission, but a greedy toy collector named Al
notices Woody in the sale. When Andy's mom tells him he's
not for sale, he goes out and takes Woody. It's up to Buzz
and some of the other toys to get Woody back before Andy
comes home from a summer camp. While Woody is with Al, Woody
learns he is a really rare toy and from a "Howdy Doody" like
show from the past, and Woody meets up with other, rare toys
from the same show. While Woody decides about his future, to
stay or leave, the other toys are well on their way to find
him with some exciting and often really hilarious events. By
the time the grand finale is reached, you'll be so impressed
at what Pixar has done and by the end of the movie, you'll
feel the impossible has been made possible.
Though I enjoyed the first "Toy Story" a lot, I found
"Toy Story 2" to be far superior to what already was a
cinematic achievment and movie landmark. The animation,
which looked great to begin with is even more detailed and
colorful. I thought the script was well written and the
story more enjoyable than the first, and the whole creative
process behind it amazing, plus the voice actors do another
job well done, with the whole original cast returning and
some nice performances from Joan Cusack and Kelsey Grammar.
What also makes "Toy Story 2" such a marvel is the fact that
it's no longer confied to a specific area, it's all over the
place. The original "Toy Story" was pretty much kept to
Andy's house, Sid's house, Pizza planet and a few scenes
outdoors. "Toy Story 2" is all over the place. The outside
roads with cars, "Al's Toy Barn" toy store, the elevator
shaft, outside Al's apartment, Al's apartment, it goes on
and on and on.
Both of these movies are incredible and never get boring
no matter how many times you watch them. While I say you
should go with
The
Ultimate Toy Box, families who don't really care so much
for extras have a great deal here.
So many of us were really, really impressed with "A Bug's
Life" and the wonderful digital to digital transfer, and
both movies in this package use this same transfer method.
Each properly framed at 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen, what
you get is probably the cleanest, sharpest, dazzling picture
to ever grace the DVD format. Everything is simply perfect
and dead on. Blacks are solid, colors don't smear but are
really bright and colorful, detail is amazing. I can rave on
and on about this transfer. Simply put, it ranks as one of
the best transfers ever. You also may be happy to learn that
these are "properly framed" (as I mentioned). "Toy Story 2"
is fine, but when the original "Toy Story" was in theaters,
it was presented in 1.85:1. The aspect ratio was changed on
the laserdisc and for this DVD, so you are definently seeing
more. I did find a flaw in "Toy Story 2", though: there is
some really slight shimmer now and then. Still, it's all jaw
dropping and great eye candy. Also, "Toy Story 2" features a
recomposed full frame version of the film, similar to the "A
Bug's Life" release. Pixar has moved some objects around,
cropped some shots, but you usually don't lose too much of
the picture and sometimes see more of the actual frame.
Again, wonderful transfers. Bravo Pixar!
Just as impressive are the sound mixes for each movie.
These are truly, and I mean truly creative tracks. "Toy
Story" is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital, and wow, you'll
really feel like you are part of their world. With Randy
Newman's wonderful music, the whole Pizza Planet scene and
especially the finale, this mix doesn't let you catch your
breath. While "Toy Story" far exceeded what anyone could
dream for, "Toy Story 2" pushes it even further. "Toy Story
2" is 5.1 Dolby Digital EX, and I found surrounds to be more
plentiful, wider and more dynamic. You can feel the tension
with Woody at the yard sale, when Buzz and Zurg battle it
out in the elevator shaft and of course, that excellent
opening scene is perfect to show off how breahtaking and
exciting the sound can be.
Toy
Story: The Ultimate Toy Box really has all the goodies
(I really think everyone should go with that option), but
for this two pack, you simply get the pretty amusing
Outtakes, the brilliant award winning and award
nominated shorts Tin Toy and Luxo Jr., plus a
great teaser for Pixar's next film, Monsters Inc.
Looks fantastic!
If you don't like extras, then this is the version for
you. While supplements are lacking, the picture and audio
are spellbinding. Still, this is a great deal. You can score
two wonderful movies in the same package for a retail of
forty dollars. Online you can probably get them for cheaper.
These movies deserve to be in your DVD collection, so just
get them!
 , (4.5/5 Toy Story 1, 5/5 Toy Story 2, NOT
included in final score)
(5/5)
(5/5)
 (1.5/5)
 (4/5,
NOT an average)
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