Toy Story 2 (1999)

Coming up with a worthy follow-up to a great film: not an easy task. Almost inevitably, a sequel is lesser than the original (a few exceptions notwithstanding). But the sequel to acclaimed 'Toy Story'? It is as good, if not better than the first one. 

Well done, Pixar.

Buzz has now completely settled in among the other toys in Andy's room. But when Andy goes off to cowboy camp, Woody's heroic rescue mission to save a toy from a yard sale goes awry when he is stolen by a fanatic toy collector. Now Buzz, Rex, Slinky and Mr Potato Head mount a daring rescue in order to bring Woody back home. Meanwhile, Woody discovers he used to have a television series and he is brought together with the other characters from that show. Apparently he is a rare toy and the collector now wants to sell them all to a museum in Japan for top dollar. Will Woody go back to Andy or settle in with the new cast in a museum? 

The coolest thing here is that they expand on the characters a lot. They are all given more depth and the gamut of emotions is run. Or something along those lines. Now Buzz gets to be the one who wants to bring Woody back, which makes sense since they have become close friends and the roles are now somewhat reversed. But it is Woody's journey and his confrontation with the other toys from the Roundup Gang that really is the heart of the story. Especially Jessie is great, as she gets a whole lot of backstory that makes you understand why she is how she is. That she is voice by the wonderful Joan Cusack also helps a lot. The same goes for the more calculating Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammer). 

This film also upped the spectacle, with the outside world featuring much more prominently this time around. The opening sequence with Buzz and Zurg is great and a fun sendup to Star Wars (see if you can spot all the sounds and references they use throughout this segment). There are a few chase scenes that are pretty tense, so kudos to the craftsmanship of the animators. Next to this, the jokes are also hilarious and I daresay this one is even funnier than the first one. 

What also has been improved upon, is the animation quality. This might seem obvious, but it isn't. The world looks just that bit more vibrant, the colours feel more alive and it's all just more smooth overall. 

What else is there to say? This is one of those cases where the sequel actually surpasses the original by expanding and building further on the world already established. That makes for a wonderful experience that anyone can thoroughly enjoy.