Toy Story 2 (1999)

From the studio that brought many lovable animated films to our homes, Toy Story 2 has to be right at the top of the list for their unforgettable story including the two stars of the first film, as well as their memorable gang of toy friends, plus some new characters whom the kids will love just the same.

In the second film of the world favorite trilogy, the story starts out with Andy preparing to go to cowboy camp with Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks). In the midst of his excitement, Andy accidentally tears Woody's arm, leaving Woody at home on a dusty shelf while he goes to cowboy camp. Feeling abandoned and forlorn, Woody still has his toy friends who try to cheer him up in light of his unfortunate incident. However, Woody gets stolen by a desperate and covetous toy collector while trying to save Wheezy the penguin from being sold at a yard sale. His best friend Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), who witnessed the rescue attempt and kidnapping, is determined to save Woody from a much feared fate and get him back home in time for Andy's arrival. He is willing to go the distance in order to save his friend's life while also keeping Andy happy but he can't do it alone, so some of the other toys come along for their next big adventure. Imprisoned by the toy collector who wants to sell Woody as part of a set from the once famous TV show called Woody's Roundup, Woody meets the other toys that co-starred in his eponymously titled show in the early days of television. He meets Jessie the cowgirl (voiced by Joan Cusack), Stinky Pete the Prospector (voiced by Kelsey Grammer) and a horse named Bullseye who are all ecstatic to see him. Once spending time with his new friends, Woody learns that they just want to feel loved and be part of a unit for once because they have been abandoned by their previous owners, who were kids that eventually grew up and didn't want them anymore. Woody starts to get that lingering feeling of portent too after what happened to him before cowboy camp, and decides to come along with the others on a flight to a museum in Japan. Will Buzz and the others come to the rescue in time to convince Woody that Andy still loves him and he's making a terrible mistake, or will Woody succumb to his current feeling of being rejected and ultimately become a prisoner behind a pane of glass for the rest of his life?

First of all this is one of the best movies for children to see because of not only the message that it sends but also the unforgettable characters that continue to inspire us all. The colors and movement of the toys and other characters brings out such an elated feeling to even those who have already grown out of playing with toys. The toys all have such distinctive personalities and backgrounds much like real people, yet they all strive toward one goal and that is to be needed and played with. I commend the story for creating and bringing to life more characters that show a more profound truth of the inevitable events that affect many toys and their owners. Whereas in the last story it was more about the jealousy and new friendship of Woody and Buzz, this film affects every singe one of the toys and touches upon a vastly known truth about the ways of life.

This film sends a very strong moral to kids about loyalty to others, and the will to help someone who is in trouble. Buzz is a considered a good friend because he did everything in his power to rescue Woody while keeping in mind the safety of others and how Andy would feel if Woody was lost forever. If only all kids would realize that from early childhood, neighborhoods would be much safer and there would be less fighting between kids and an increase in the amount of teamwork, justice and kindness. You could also say that the abandonment of toys by older kids can be related to how children treat their parents. When they are small and needy, they rely on their parents to help them do something that is still difficult for them. But as they grow up and year by year learn how to take care of themselves more efficiently, they start to in a way abandon their parents and spend more time doing what they want to do with their friends. It may seem like they are drifting away, but everyone has to grow up one day or another and soon they will be full-grown adults going off to college and pursuing their own goals and dreams in life. The toys are an abstract version of adults in this film, and you can see that by how hard they try to keep Andy happy in return for him to have a jolly good playtime with them all. You could say that this is just a silly story about toys, although that isn't entirely the case because the characters portrayed on-screen, transcend what their appearance may be and deliver to kids a funny, heartfelt and significant story that can crack the hard shell of anyone's hard-boiled soul and make them see what the terms "friend" and "family" really mean.

Overall, it's a film sequel that masquerades it's true colors by continuing to appeal to a much younger audience, which I have to say is a very clever move by the one and only Pixar. Their films are always thought-provoking and coax us to see what matters most in our short yet meaningful lives. No reason to fret, everyone! We all grow up but we never forget the people and the little moments in life that define us and make our stories unforgettable, whether they are good or bad. Toy Story 2 is a stepping stone for us to remember our past and how it will affect the future generation. This movie is an absolute must-see for anyone who is either a Toy Story fan or someone looking for an entertaining story with a good message for both young and old.