Toy Story 2

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⭐ 10/10

The best Toy Story, although that might be because I have seen this movie a million times and know all the words. It's been a long time since I've seen it, and I forgot how incredible it is. Better yet, my boy loved it! The first movie he has ever asked to watch again, and that's huge.

I could go scene by scene, but I think the best use of this review is to talk about how impressive it is that the followed up an amazing movie with another amazing movie, one that has more to say! The bad guy here is a collector, who wants toys not for playing with, but to lock up and admire. That's relevant for the collector economy we still have, and spoke to me as an adult who is always worried about the lifespan of the things he owns. Things are meant to be used, toys meant to be played with, its a simple idea but completely timeless. Not only that, but some of the toys want to be collectables, since a child's love doesn't last forever they would rather just live forever, be loved but not played with. It's a genius extension on the existential themes of the first movie, toys as these ephemeral things. The third movie gets into that even more, and I just love the arc these three movies take us through. More on the third later.

Woody's roundup gang is a fun addition, and Ezra was delighted by them. Buzz has this whole thing with Zerg that is funny and rewarding for Rex. So many scenes that I was excited to remember and enjoyed even more with adult eyes. Jessie's song always made me sad as a kid, but as an adult it rips my heart out and stomps all over it. Ezra always wants to listen to it and it chokes me up every time. Again, its such a perfect extension of what Woody and Buzz go through in the first movie.

Okay I'll stop there, I don't want to just be like "remember this scene, and this scene, and this scene". Because every scene is great, has something to say, is well animated, well voice-acted. A perfect movie as far as I'm concerned, in what is probably a perfect trilogy. Shout out to Geri, my favourite chess player and toy fixer.

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