One of the rare sequels that's better than the original (even rarer that it was a computer-animated kids' movie), we welcomed Woody and the gang back into our homes and hearts with Toy Story 2. Yeah, that was kind of sappy, but then again, sometimes we need a little sap - like the montage during the Sarah McLachlan ballad "When She Loved Me." It actually made grownups cry. Over a toy. In Toy Story 2, Woody gets kidnapped by an obsessive toy collector and learns about his true origins. This sequel wasn't just content to wow us with what was then state-of-the-art CGI visuals and a truly comic, slam-bang script; it introduced existential angst to a children's movie, giving us further reason to care for these essentially inanimate playthings. Probably the biggest miracle of all was that Toy Story 2 proved more profound and entertaining than its groundbreaking original - a sort of cartoon Godfather: Part II, if you will. Continuing the tradition of one-upping the movie that came before, Toy Story 3 might have even outdone this entry in the heart-tugging moments without venturing into schmaltz territory, especially that epic ending, but Toy Story 2 taught audiences to expect more from their sequels, even cartoon ones. If only Pixar had heeded their own advice when they made Cars 2.
Michael Perone has written for The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore City Paper, The Island Ear (now titled Long Island Press), and The Long Island Voice, a short-lived spinoff of The Village Voice. He currently works as an Editor in Manhattan. And he still thinks Michael Keaton was the best Batman.
