Kelsey Grammer: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

3. Stinky Pete The Prospector - Toy Story 2 (1999)

PixarPixarIt's hard to believe that Toy Story will be 20 years old next year. What's equally hard to believe is that the second instalment in what is now deemed one of the greatest trilogies ever almost didn't make it into cinemas. Originally envisaged as a direct-to-video project, Toy Story 2 had to be effectively remade from scratch in nine months, after Disney were impressed by initial story reels and gave it a theatrical release date. Fortunately, the film ended up being arguably better than the original, and Grammer deserves at least some credit for that. Toy Story 2 picks up a few years after the events of the first film. Woody (Tom Hanks) is left behind by his owner Andy before a trip to camp after one of his arms becomes damaged. After being mistakenly sold to a collector in a yard sale, Woody discovers that he is a rare collectable, part of a range of merchandise from a long-forgotten children's cowboy show. A group of Andy's toys led by Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) attempt a rescue, running into all kinds of trouble along the way. But Woody is now torn between being Andy's toy for what remains of his childhood, or being adored as a museum piece for all time. Toy Story 2 is a brilliant film which develops the personalities and ideas of the first film as well as broadening out the PIXAR universe. Stinky Pete is a more nuanced character than Sid from the first film; while ostensibly one of the villains of the piece, his motivations are emphathetic, tapping into the recurring theme of the characters' fear of being abandoned or forgotten. Grammer does a great job with the part, beginning as a gentle, warm and fatherly figure before gradually letting the frustrations of his character bubble to the surface and consume everything.
Contributor
Contributor

Freelance copywriter, film buff, community radio presenter. Former host of The Movie Hour podcast (http://www.lionheartradio.com/ and click 'Interviews'), currently presenting on Phonic FM in Exeter (http://www.phonic.fm/). Other loves include theatre, music and test cricket.