Ranking All The Pixar Sequels From Worst To Best

The very first Pixar sequel is kind of a miracle.

After the gargantuan success of the first film, Disney was very interested in making a straight-to-DVD sequel, as was their wont in those days. Luckily, Lasseter and the team cooked up something that Disney execs thought looked impressive enough to be worthy of a theatrical release instead. But even then, the production was fraught with last-minute rewrites and a complete restructuring of the film, just a year away from release.

Which only makes it all the more impressive that it's such a great film. Isolating Woody and focusing on his fears of being left behind or lost by Andy works brilliantly, and nicely reverses the dynamic from the first film. While Toy Story used Woody as the straight man to Buzz's wild card, the follow-up digs deeper into the cowboy's paranoia and makes Lightyear the straight man.

The film also makes some bold new additions that pay off in spades. Characters like Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl and Bullseye are still vital parts of the franchise, nearly twenty years later.

Also, the 'When She Loved Me' sequence is a mini-masterpiece that has brought many a grown-up to tears, so bonus points for that.