Toy Story 2

Toy Story 2 is a 1999 computer animated movie released by Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. It is Pixar's 3rd movie and the first sequel to Pixar's first film Toy Story. In Toy Story 2, Woody is stolen by a greedy toy collector named Al McWhiggin who plans to sell him to Japan and Buzz must lead Andy's toys on a mission to save him. The movie was released in theatres November 24, 1999.

Plot
The film begins with Buzz Lightyear on an adventure, which turns out to be a video game that Buzz and Rex are playing. The game ends with him being pulverized by the Evil Emperor Zurg, much to Rex's dismay. Woody is preparing to leave for Cowboy Camp with his favorite toy, Andy. While playing with Woody, Buzz and all the other toys Andy almost tore Woody's arm off for linking his arms with Buzz, leaving him unable to take his doll to the camp. Woody is placed on the shelf. Later, when Andy returns home from camp, he takes Woody from the shelf, but he sees his torn arm. Andy drops Woody to the floor, then lands in a garbage can that's full of severed toy arms. As he tries to climb out, he was pulled into the can. Back on the shelf, Woody finds out that is was a dream and allusion. He hears coughing. He looks behind a dusty book, where he finds another broken toy, Wheezy the Penguin, and begins to fear he'll soon be thrown away. When Wheezy is set out for a yard sale, Woody manages to rescue him, but ends up in the yard sale himself. He is seen by an obsessive toy collector. He tries to buy Woody from Andy's mother, but she refuses to sell him. After failing to negotiate a sale, the toy collector creates a distraction and steals Woody, causing Buzz to take action. He slides down the gutter into the yard sale, and sees the toy collector getting into his car after packing Woody in the trunk. Buzz manages to get to the car as the toy collector is driving away, but by the time he opens the trunk, Buzz loses his grip from the car and Al escapes. However, a clue is presented to Buzz as the car speeds away: a feather from the toy collector's trunk lands in front of him. When Buzz informs the bad news to the toys, the toys try to investigate the culprit. However, Buzz is trying to type the license plate number that he briefly saw on the toy collector's car to track it and whoever he was, and the rest of the toys, including Etch A Sketch, were having problems doing an identity portrait of the toy thief. When Mr. Potato Head gets fed up with Buzz trying to investigate the number with Mr. Spell and irritably tells the others to "leave Buzz with his toys" the word "toys" caused Buzz to decipher what the license plate said: "Al's Toy Barn" and consequently tell Etch to draw the man in the chicken suit, whom they identify as the Toy Barn's founder, Al McWhiggin. They then locate an Al's Toy Barn commercial to trace a map to the shop. and Buzz, Rex, Potato Head, Slinky Dog and Hamm set out to recuse Woody and bring him home. Woody is taken to Al's apartment, where he is greeted by a yodeling cowgirl named Jessie, an affectionate steed named Bullseye, and a Prospector named Stinky Pete, an unsold toy still in its original box. They reveal to Woody that he is a vintage Sheriff Woody collectible doll and the star of a forgotten children's TV show, Woody's Roundup. Now that Al has a Woody doll, he has a complete collection and intends to sell the toys to a museum in Japan. Woody refuses to go to Japan and abandon Andy. Later, Al arrives and rips off Woody's torn arm by accident, making Woody attempt to recover his arm and then return to Andy which he fails. Al then gets a repairman who fixes Woody's arm. After that, a suddenly depressed Jessie tearfully tells Woody of how she once had an owner that loved her, but eventually outgrew and abandoned Jessie at a charity toy drive. The Prospector warns Woody that he faces the same fate as Andy ages. Woody agrees to go with the "Roundup Gang" to the museum. Buzz and his friends search for Al at Al's Toy Barn. After Buzz orders his friends to split up and look for Al. He discovers a aisle full of newer Buzz Lightyear and gets in a scuffle with a Utility Belt Buzz Lightyear, who, like Buzz in the first movie, does not realize he is a toy. The real Buzz then ends up being tied up and repackaged in a box and set on the shelf for sell by the Deluded Buzz who then sets off with the other toys for Al's apartment, genuinely believing that he is attempting to rescue a hostage from his arch-enemy, Emperor Zurg. The real Buzz breaks free and follows them to the apartment, but while leaving the store, he accidentally frees an Emperor Zurg toy, who follows to destroy him. When the toys reach the apartment, Woody tells them he does not want to be rescued and intends to go with his new friends to Japan, since he is now a "collector's item". After the original Buzz arrives, in an ironic reversal of a scene from the first movie, he reminds Woody "you're a child's plaything. You... are... a TOY!". Woody (figuratively and literally) turns his back on Buzz, and Buzz's group leaves without him. However, Woody soon has a change of heart and, after calling Buzz and the group back, invites the "Roundup Gang" to come home to Andy with him. Jessie and Bullseye agree, but the Prospector traps them in the room, saying that the museum trip is his first chance (since he was never sold) and won't have Woody or anyone else mess it up for him. Al returns and packs the Roundup Gang, and the rest of the toys give chase, but are interrupted by the sudden appearance of an Emperor Zurg toy. The Utility Belt Buzz battles him, and in a showdown mimicking a similar scene from The Empire Strikes Back, Zurg reveals himself to be Buzz's father, shortly before his defeat at Rex's hands. The other toys resume the rescue mission and find an unattended vehicle, a Pizza Planet delivery truck, and drive it to the airport. The second Buzz remains behind with Zurg, playing father and son games. On the way to the airport, Mr. Potato Head saves the three Aliens in the car.After arriving at the airport, Buzz and Slinky rush after the suitcase while the rest goes after the another but identical case (which, however, turns out to be camera flashes). After Slinky's feet stick on a case and is pulled away, Buzz manages to open the case, which, in turn, the Prospector punches him right in the face (due to Buzz's helmet being left open). Outraged, Woody wrestles the Prospector, but the Prospector has other plans though and he tears open Woody's arm again using his pickax, even though this time, it still works. He threatens Woody to rip him into pieces if he doesn't join him to plane departure. However, Buzz and his group come to Woody's rescue by blinding the Prospector with camera flashes. They stick the Prospector in a little girl's backpack so he can "learn the true meaning of playtime". The Prospector is terrified to learn that the little girl likes to draw on all of her toys. Bullseye is out from the suitcase, but Jessie finds herself in trouble and remains trapped in the suitcase. Woody and Buzz ride Bullseye in order to rescue her from being taken to the museum on her own. Woody manages to find Jessie inside the plane, but just when they're about to escape, the door closes and the plane heads for the runway. Woody finds another way out of the plane, through a small hatch which leads down to the landing gear wheel, and as they are doing so, he slips on tar. Jessie catches him before he could be run over by the wheels upon the ground, and Woody's hat is flown away. Buzz and Bullseye appear in time and catch it. When the plane is at the main runway, Woody knows that time is running out. In true "Woody's Roundup" style, he uses his pull string to perfectly stick on wheel's bolt and to swing him and Jessie down to safety on Bullseye's back - just seconds before the plane takes off. Their mission accomplished, the toys now make their way home. At home, Jessie and Bullseye are adopted into Andy's toy family and Buzz becomes a bit smitten for her. Woody's ripped arm is repaired by Andy himself. The events of the airplane's cargo hold have a terrible (and hilarious) consequence for Al. After Hamm fails at the Buzz Lightyear video game, he flips through the channels and sees Al in an Al's Toy Barn commercial, crying since he lost his precious luggage and the money he was going to get for it, which is why in the commercial he is selling everything for as Al says in the chicken suit, "For a Buck, Buck, Buck". While Al is crying, Hamm says a somewhat humorous remark about Al and his scheme. Meanwhile, Mrs. Potato Head adopts the Aliens, much to her husband's dismay and a fixed Wheezy sings "You've Got A Friend In Me", and Buzz asks Woody if he was still worried about Andy giving him up. Woody replies that he isn't worried anymore, and that when it is all over, he will have Buzz to keep him company, for "infinity and beyond".

Characters

 * Main Characters
 * Sheriff Woody
 * Buzz Lightyear
 * Jessie (First Appearance)
 * Bullseye (First Appearance)
 * Mr. Potato Head
 * Slinky Dog
 * Rex
 * Hamm
 * Supporting Characters
 * Three Squeeze Toy Aliens
 * Tour Guide Barbie (Single Appearance)
 * Utility Belt Buzz Lightyear (Single Appearance)
 * Villains
 * Stinky Pete (Single Appearance)
 * Al McWhiggin (Single Appearance)
 * Emperor Zurg (First Appearance; Redeemed)
 * Evil Dr. Porkchop (First Appearance)
 * Other Characters
 * Bo Peep
 * Mrs. Potato Head (First Appearance)
 * Andy Davis
 * Andy's Mom
 * Molly Davis
 * Sarge
 * Barbie (First Appearance)
 * The Cleaner (Single Appearance)
 * Wheezy (First Appearance)
 * Lenny
 * Mr. Shark (Final Appearance)
 * Mr. Spell (Final Appearance)
 * Roly Poly Clown (Final Appearance)
 * Robot
 * Rocky Gibraltar
 * Barrel of Monkeys
 * Etch A Sketch
 * Snake
 * RC Car
 * Emily (Single Appearance)
 * Buster (First Appearance)

Cast

 * Tom Hanks as Sheriff Woody
 * Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear (credited) and Utility Belt Buzz Lightyear (un credited)
 * Joan Cusack as Jessie
 * Kelsey Grammer as Stinky Pete
 * Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head
 * Jim Varney as Slinky Dog
 * Wallace Shawn as rex
 * John Ratzenberger as Hamm
 * Annie Potts as Bo Peep
 * Wayne Knight as Al McWhiggin
 * John Morris as Andy Davis
 * Laurie Metcalf as Ms. Davis
 * Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head
 * R. Lee Ermey as Sarge
 * Jodi Benson as Barbie
 * Jonathan Harris as The Cleaner
 * Joe Ranft as Wheezy and Heimlich
 * Robert Goulet as Wheezy (singing)
 * Dave Foley as Flik
 * Andrew Stanton as Emperor Zurg
 * Jeff Pidgeon as Aliens

Songs

 * Woody's Roundup Theme Song
 * When She Loved Me
 * You've Got a Friend in Me
 * Wipe Out

Trivia

 * This is Pixar's third movie.
 * This is the first film Pixar sequel
 * This Toy Story production marks the first appearance of Jessie, Bullseye, Buster, Mrs. Potato Head, Wheezy and Zurg.
 * Buster, Mrs. Potato Head, Zurg and Al were all mentioned in the first movie.
 * Rex was playing Buzz Lightyear: Attack on Zurg on a Super Nintendo Entertainment System, which is probably a reference to how the video game based on the first Toy Story movie. was released on it.
 * In some US prints, when Buzz gives his speech, it had the US flag with "The Star-Spangled Banner" playing in the background. In some non-US prints, it had a globe with fireworks with "The Star-Spangled Banner" replaced with a generic fanfare. In the Blu-ray version, the flag is now always replaced with the globe, but "The Star-Spangled Banner" is still played in the background.
 * The toy car that Jessie rides to help Buster is the same as her previous owner Emily's as seen in her flashback, sans the wood side paneling.
 * The car that Andy's toys ride to navigate Al's Toy Barn is seen earlier as a Hot Wheels-sized car being pulled out of Andy's toy box by the Green Army Men in their search for Woody's hat.
 * Stinky Pete's words foreshadow various things that happen in the next movie Toy Story 3. His last words, "Children destroy toys. You'll be ruined, forgotten, spending eternity rotting in some landfill" happen to almost come true because the young children at Sunnyside Daycare do nearly destroy the toys and the toys are thrown into a landfill (from which they escape) at the climax of Toy Story 3. However, it could be noted that Stinky Pete didn't think Andy would take Woody to college, but it is shown in Toy Story 3 that he planned to. Stinky Pete also says, "Do you think Andy will take you to college?" In Toy Story 3, Andy does intend to bring Woody to college, and ultimately gave him to Bonnie Anderson.
 * During the nightmare, when Woody's thrown into a trash, some of the severed arms belong to Rocky Gibraltar, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Emperor Zurg, Mr. Potato Head, a baby doll and a robot.
 * In the scene where Hamm is threatening Stinky Pete with his kung fu, Pork Chop, is the only dialogue exchanged directly between actors John Ratzenberger (Hamm) and Kelsey Grammer (Pete), both of which are most well known for playing Cliff Clavin and Frasier Crane, respectively, on the 80s TV series Cheers. Another main character of Cheers was Woody Boyd, played by Woody Harrelson. Ironically, in A Bug's Life, Ratzenberger (as P.T. Flea) exchanged much more dialogue with David Hyde Pierce (as Slim), who plays Frasier Crane's brother Niles in Frasier's spin-off series. In the Season 9 episode of Frasier, "Cheerful Goodbyes", several actors from Cheers reprise their roles, which results in all three of them together for the majority of the episode.
 * In the Cheers episode "One Hugs, the Other Doesn't", Frasier's first wife, Nanny G., is played by Emma Thompson. But 12 years later in the Frasier episode "Caught in the Act", she is played by Laurie Metcalf since Thompson had been cast as Nanny McPhee.
 * In the Frasier episodes "Momma Mia" and "Don Juan In Hell: Part Two", Frasier and Niles' mother and a look-a-like of their mother are played by Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks' wife.

Time Line
Toy Story 2 is set sometime after the first Toy Story movie.

Continuity References to Toy Story

 * The Buzz Lightyear: Attack on Zurg opening states that Buzz is in the Gamma Quadrant of Sector 4, which is where Buzz said he was stationed when Potato Head asked him where he was from. Also, after Buzz lands, he looks around exactly the same way he did when he "landed" on Andy's bed (breathing included) and has almost the same dialogue when talking into his wrist communicator.
 * When Woody fights Jessie on the desk, Jessie did an attack, pulling the thumb, which is the same one when Woody and Buzz were fighting in the Dinoco Gas Station beneath Andy's mom's car from Toy Story.
 * When the toys arrive at the Buzz Lightyear aisle, before they meet Utility Belt Buzz, Tour Guide Barbie mentions 1995 as the year when retailers didn't order enough Buzz Lightyear dolls to meet demand. A reference to the year the original movie was released.
 * Toy Story 2 intentionally reuses scenes from the original Toy Story, with many of Buzz and Woody's roles switched. The prime example of this being when Buzz is trying to convince Woody he's not a collector's item by saying "You are a TOY!" as Woody did at the Dinoco gas station.
 * Woody's "oof" when he falls off of Buster is the same sound he makes when the bowling ball from the closet falls on his head in the first Toy Story.
 * Sid Phillips is mentioned.
 * A red toolbox identical to the one Sid owned in Toy Story (minus the Binford logo) appears at the yard sale.
 * Woody losing his arm is similar to when Buzz lost his (although Buzz lost his left, and Woody lost his right).
 * Buzz inspecting the Utility Belt Buzz is done in the same fashion as when Woody first inspected Buzz in the first film.
 * When Zurg is fighting Utility Belt Buzz and smashing the buttons on his chest, it's done in the same way Woody was fighting Buzz, skipping the line "Buzz... Buzz... Buzz Lightyear to the rescue."
 * When Jessie was fighting Woody, she had him in the same position Buzz had him when they fought at the gas station.
 * The Pizza Planet delivery truck Woody and Buzz hitched a ride on in Toy Story was used again in Toy Story 2 by Buzz and the rest of Andy's toys to get to the airport to save Woody (Pizza Planet's trademark aliens were also seen in the car).
 * When Andy's toys are leaving, Buzz gives Utility Belt Buzz the same Vulcan salute he gave Woody.
 * Buzz opens the helmet of Utility Belt Buzz, who gasps for air, similar to when Woody opened Buzz's helmet in the first film.
 * Utility Belt Buzz also tackles Woody and says "Watch yourself!" after entering Al's room much like Buzz did when he first met Woody and noticed the other toys coming.
 * When Mr. Potato Head tries to open the window and falls out, his arms is a nod to Toy Story when he tries to lift a "weight", his arms fall off.
 * Stinky Pete says that once the astronauts arrived, children only wanted to play with space toys. Woody says he knows how that feels. He is referring to his jealousy towards Buzz in the first film.
 * Both films end with a final dialogue between Woody and Buzz if they are worried about something.

Pixar Culture

 * When the Barbie backpack containing Stinky Pete arrives on the conveyor belt, the announcer in the background announces the arrival of a flight named LassetAir Flight A113. The LassetAir part is a reference to director John Lasseter, and A113 is the Easter egg that has appeared in several Pixar films to date. However, in the DVD version, the part is misinterpreted by the subtitles as Atlantic Air Flight 810.
 * The movie has referecens to A Bug's Life
 * Flik and Heimlich from A Bug's Life can be seen close-up in one of the outtakes, returning the favor, after Woody made a cameo in in one of the outtakes for A Bug's Life.
 * Heimlich can also be seen in the actual movie, when he is crawling on a branch just before Buzz Lightyear cuts through.
 * Also in the same scene, the bug bar from A Bug's Life is also visible.

Cultural References

 * The Barbies sing, "How low can you go?" in the scene where they are doing the limbo, which is a line taken from the song "Born to Hand Jive" from Grease.
 * The scene where Rex is seen running in a side-view mirror is an homage to the movie Jurassic Park.
 * There are Star Wars references
 * When Zurg tells The second Buzz that he is Buzz's father, they the scene The Empire Strikes Back where parody Darth Vader tells Luke Skywalker he's his father in.
 * When video-game Buzz is breathing through his helmet, it is the same sound as Darth Vader's.
 * In Zurg's fortress in the video game, lightsaber waving sounds can be heard when Buzz moves his hand through the hologram. In addition, X-Wing laser sounds are heard when Buzz deflects the lasers with the platform. Also, when Buzz steps on the platforms before they fall, the rythm and the notes of the main theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey can be heard.
 * Zurg's robots that appear in Buzz Lightyear: Attack on Zurg have the well known cylon scanner from Battlestar Galactica.
 * When Woody is trying to get his arm back from Al without waking him up is similar to when Indiana Jones from Raiders of the Lost Ark is trying to get the idol without triggering any darts.

Production
Toy Story 2 was not originally intended for release in theaters. Disney asked Pixar to make a direct-to-video sequel for the original Toy Story with a 60 minute running time, to be released in the fall of 1998. When Disney executives saw how impressive the in-work imagery for the sequel was, they decided to make it a theatrical movie, and the plot was reworked to be more epic and cinematic in scope. The duration of the movie was extended to just over 90 minutes. Immediately after the release of A Bug's Life and less than a year before scheduled release of Toy Story 2, Pixar decided that the plot was too predictable, the humor fell flat, and the film overall could not be released in theaters in its current state. Pixar decided to redo the film after redeveloping the plotline, and to start over with voice acting and animation. Disney did not think this was the right decision, but allowed Pixar to attempt to redo the movie. In a bid to save Toy Story 2, the Pixar employees spent the next 9 months working shifts exceeding 10 hours, 6 days per week desperately scrambling to complete the production on time. Edwin Catmull, president of Pixar, later disclosed that a full 30% of Pixar's staff at all levels of the hierarchy suffered some sort of repetitive stress injury during the final 9 months of production. The film ultimately was finished on time and was released in theaters to record-breaking box office performance and universal critical acclaim, making it one of the only movie sequels in the history of cinema to match or exceed the original film in quality. John Lasseter and Edwin Catmull announced to the Pixar team that although they were extremely proud of the crew's performance and dedication, they would never make a movie that way again, and would leave plenty of time between the beginning of production and release in the future. The crews received a few weeks to recover from the hectic nightmare before starting on Pixar's next feature, a Pete Docter film that would become Monsters, Inc. Pixar and Disney had a five-film co-production deal and Pixar felt that with its change in status, Toy Story 2 should count as one of the pictures in the deal. Disney, however, felt that since the production of Toy Story 2 was negotiated outside of the five-picture deal, it should not count. This issue became a particularly sore spot for Pixar, leading to a falling out between Pixar CEO Steve Jobs and Disney CEO Michael Eisner, concluding in Pixar's 2004 announcement that it would not extend its deal with Disney and would instead seek other distribution partners. With Eisner's departure and Pixar's ultimate purchase by Disney, however, these problems have been overcome.

Box Office Result
Toy Story 2 made over $245.9 million in its initial US theatrical run according to Box Office Mojo, far surpassing the original, and in fact, every other animated movie to that date except for The Lion King, though both were later eclipsed by another Pixar movie, Finding Nemo. Worldwide, Toy Story 2 grossed $485 million.