In 15 years, Pixar has created not only some of the finest animated motion pictures, but also some of the best films of the last decade and a half. Before the 11th film, Toy Story 3, comes out on June 18, here’s my ranking of Pixar’s first 10 outings.
3. Toy Story 2 (1999)
I still find it hard to believe that Pixar’s third film was a sequel. A studio that has shown so much creativity and inventiveness over the years churned out a sequel third! Of course, I’m sure Michael Eisner was screaming “get me another one of those cowboy and spaceman movies stat,” but it would be another two years after Toy Story 2’s release that the fourth film premiered.
But to call Toy Story 2 a sequel is a misnomer. To me, sequels are rehashes of the original plot with a new setting but still familiar territory. Toy Story 2 really is a continuation of the fantastic world started in Pixar’s first full-length feature. The plot is different. Woody realizes he is a collector’s item and seriously considers abandoning Andy forever for the glitz and the glamour of museum attention. We meet new characters: Jessie, Bullseye, Wheezy, Mrs. Potato Head and the Al of Al’s Toy Barn. And it’s a story full of emotion. “When She Loved Me” tugs at the heartstrings, beautifully sung by Sarah McLachlan. (The song would lose the Oscar race to Tarzan’s “You’ll Be in My Heart.”) Jessie brought energy and depth to the film, first asking the question, “What happens when a toy has run its course?” This question will be central to the plot of Toy Story 3.
Many feel that this film was better than the original. I think that’s mainly because sequels rarely live up to their predecessors. But like I said before, I don’t see this is a sequel, but rather the next chapter in the secret lives of toys. It’s a subsequent chapter worthy of its predecessor, but not one that trumps it. Zurg’s statement that he is Buzz’s father is overdone. The baggage-handling scene is a bit too crazy, and I think it was taken from storyboards of Monsters, Inc. And the fact that they catch the plane at the end is just a bit too much. Overall, a fantastic film, but not enough to say it’s better than the first.
The starkest difference between this film and Toy Story is the collaboration rather than the competition between Woody and Buzz. We can tell that a friendship has truly blossomed in the time between the two movies. What a great life lesson that teaches us! Often, those we see as enemies can teach us a lot about ourselves and eventually become our dearest friends. They can challenge us to grow and strengthen our character. As Buzz puts himself on the line to track down Woody, we know that bond is true and genuine. And there is little doubt that Woody means what he says that he’s not worried about the future because he will always have Buzz “for infinity and beyond."
Previously ranked:
Previously ranked:
4. WALL-E (2008)
5. Finding Nemo (2003)
6. Ratatouille (2007)
7. A Bug’s Life (1998)
8. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
9. The Incredibles (2004)
10. Cars (2006)
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