Toy Story & Toy Story 2 (2 Pack)

List Price : $39.99

My first son was just 2 1/2 years old when I got him the Toy Story / Toy Story 2 combo pack. I know this for sure because at the top of the Amazon Toy Story / Toy Story 2 combo pack product page it says, "You purchased this item on November 28, 2001." Wow...how time flies.

So it was to my surprise that when my son, now 11, stayed home from school with a cold this past week, I found him watching Toy Story. He had just put the DVD in the player, so I sat with him for a second before I headed off to work. Then the second turned into a few minutes; then a few minutes turned into a nostalgic hour; which of course turned into, "What a great, classic movie, Dad; Let's watch Toy Story 2!" So I obliged. (I hope my boss isn't reading this.)

I'd forgotten what classics Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are. So on the cusp of the release of Toy Story 3 in June 2010, I thought that I'd be sure to let all of my Amazon friends know that if you've not seen these movies, not only do they deserve a viewing before Toy Story 3 comes out, they deserve to be added to your movie collection. Perhaps I may be biased because of the strong emotional attachment that I found that I had to these movies earlier this week, but I say that these two movies truly are collectors' items.

Like I was watching them for the first time earlier this week, I was laughing out loud, holding in the sobs and just plain enjoying perhaps the best animated movies ever to come out of Disney.

The first is about Andy's (6 - 8 years old?) toys and what happens when Andy introduces his new Buzz Lightyear to the group of toys that he grew up with. But the toys better be sure to stay out of the hands of Andy's next door neighbor Sid, because Sid's idea of fun is toy torture! Then in Toy Story 2 it's spring cleanup time, and the toys better hide if they don't want to end up in the yard sale; especially if you're a rare toy and there are greedy toy collectors that would just love to have...er..I mean...sell you.

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are magic together in both movies and they are joined by a cast of many many A-list voice talents...Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head is my favorite (ya hockey puck!).

And one more note, if you've ever seen the Buzz Lightyear Disney Channel spinoff but not the movies, don't be dissuaded by the spinoff because it was silly in comparison; the movies are head and shoulders above the spinoff in acting, animation and storywise.

See Toy Story and Toy Story 2 before 3 comes out...with or without some kids!

Toy Story & Toy Story 2 (2 Pack) Overview

Toy Story
There is greatness in film that can be discussed, dissected, and talked about late into the night. Then there is genius that is right in front of our faces--we smile at the spell it puts us into and are refreshed, and nary a word needs to be spoken. This kind of entertainment is what they used to call "movie magic," and there is loads of it in this irresistible computer animation feature. Just a picture of these bright toys on the cover of Toy Story looks intriguing, reawakening the kid in us. Filmmaker John Lasseter's shorts (namely Knickknack and Tin Toy, which can be found on the Pixar video Tiny Toy Stories) illustrate not only a technical brilliance but also a great sense of humor--one in which the pun is always intended. Lasseter thinks of himself as a storyteller first and an animator second, much like another film innovator, Walt Disney.

Lasseter's story is universal and magical: what do toys do when they're not played with? Cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), Andy's favorite bedroom toy, tries to calm the other toys (some original, some classic) during a wrenching time of year--the birthday party, when newer toys may replace them. Sure enough, Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) is the new toy that takes over the throne. Buzz has a crucial flaw, though--he believes he's the real Buzz Lightyear, not a toy. Bright and cheerful, Toy Story is much more than a 90-minute commercial for the inevitable bonanza of Woody and Buzz toys. Lasseter further scores with perfect voice casting, including Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head and Wallace Shawn as a meek dinosaur. The director-animator won a special Oscar for "the development and inspired application of techniques that have made possible the first feature-length computer-animated film." In other words, the movie is great. --Doug Thomas

Toy Story 2
John Lasseter and his gang of high-tech creators at Pixar create another entertainment for the ages. Like the few great movie sequels, Toy Story 2 comments on why the first one was so wonderful while finding a fresh angle worthy of a new film. The craze of toy collecting becomes the focus here, as we find out Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is not only a beloved toy to Andy but also a rare doll from a popular '60s children's show. When a greedy collector takes Woody, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) launches a rescue mission with Andy's other toys. To say more would be a crime because this is one of the most creative and smile-inducing films since, well, the first Toy Story.

Although the toys look the same as in the 1994 feature, Pixar shows how much technology has advanced: the human characters look more human, backgrounds are superior, and two action sequences that book-end the film are dazzling. And it's a hoot for kids and adults. The film is packed with spoofs, easily accessible in-jokes, and inspired voice casting (with newcomer Joan Cusack especially a delight as Cowgirl Jessie). But as the Pixar canon of films illustrates, the filmmakers are storytellers first. Woody's heart-tugging predicament can easily be translated into the eternal debate of living a good life versus living forever. Toy Story 2 also achieved something in the U.S. two other outstanding 1999 animated features (The Iron Giant, Princess Mononoke) could not: it became a huge box-office hit. --Doug Thomas






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