Where the Toy Story series sets itself apart is not in its animation, which even its first effort is better than many current efforts out today, but in its attention to their characters and stories. I can still remember my uncle taking my sisters and me to a new theater which had stadium seating. At this point stadium seating was a luxury, and not yet the norm. So, as a 11 year old boy I sat and patiently waited for the film to start in some new comfy seats. I can’t remember being entertained that well in a theater before that point. Sure there were other movies I really loved, but this was different. Pixar got it, you didn’t have to dumb down the material, you could even throw a few jokes at the adults. This slick new style of animation only helped everyone be in awe of it.
When Toy Story 2 came out I had much of the same experience, except I was a bit older by this point. I still went with my family, and like the first film everyone enjoyed themselves. By this point I’m sure I was already becoming a surly teenager (or at least I assume so), but still I couldn’t help but love the characters and the world they lived in. Pixar created such a great concept that you almost wanted to run to your closet to make sure your old toys were doing ok. Sure, the normal buddy comedy themes were there, and the story moved in a way you expected, but there was something about the humor and the bright animation that made it feel so fresh.
Now that I have gone sentimental on you about my love of films I saw when I was younger, let us get to the issue at hand, the double feature. If you are lucky enough to see Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in its limited two week engagement, consider yourself lucky. Not because of the 3D, the films already had enough depth and an intriguing story to keep any person adult or child glued to the screen for two hours. No, you should consider yourself lucky that you get to experience a great cinematic experience again. It is hard for me to believe it has been 14 years since the original film, most of the children in the screening I went to weren’t even a glint in their father’s eyes in 1995. Yet, here is another generation that gets to experience two great films. What is so great about that? Sure, they could watch it on DVD, but no matter what anyone says, you cannot replace the memory of a great theater experience. These younger children will remember the time they saw those awesome movies about the talking cowboy with the pull string, and his space cadet friend.
If you go to see Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in their 3D Double feature, do it because they are great movies. Do it because it really is a great way to spend 3 hours of your day, I swear it won’t feel like a waste. If you have children and they have not seen these films, take them I’m sure they’ll have a good time. Don’t worry either, there is a 10 minute intermission in between the films. It gives you plenty of time for bathroom and concession breaks, and if you don’t need to do that, there is fun trivia led by Toy Story characters. Have fun at the movies!
Grade: A+
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Absolutley 110% correct! I loved this. My 6-year old sister was never a fan of the first Toy Story movie that we have at our house (and we dont have the second either) so we didn't watch it much. She saw a commercial for it while watching television and told me that she really wanted to see it. She is way into the 3D thing, which Disney needs to be commended for, the animation and 3D graphics are simply awe-inspiring. It really did not seem like a waste of time to see it. My only complain would be the lateness of the showing we went to (my sis fell asleep the last 30 minutes of TS2, poor thing.) and the cost of the tickets to see it in 3D.
Another thing that I loved was the fact that it helped my sister sleep on her own. She would never sleep in her own bedroom with ballerina bears and such but we went on vacation to Tennesee this weekend and the house we stayed at had a Toy Story cowboy room that she loved! We had a hard time getting her out of there when it was time to go. She loved to play on the life-size Bullseye plush and little Woody dolls that decorate the room.
Such a wonderful movie and I am very glad that I was able to share it with her. Thank you as always, Disney!