Toy Story 2 (1999) ft. Walter Gainer II
- Thomas Duncan
- Jun 4
- 6 min read
Guest:
Walter Gainer II
Founder of Boss Locks Media and Host of The Working While Black Show
Previously On: Training Day (2001), Get Out (2017), Man on Fire (2004), The Incredibles (2004)
Cast:
John Lassiter, Director
Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin, Chris Webb; Writers
Sharon Calahan, Cinematography
Randy Newman, Music
Tom Hanks as Woody
Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear
Joan Cusack as Jessie
Kelsey Grammer as Stinky Pete
Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head
Wallace Shawn as Rex
John Ratzenberger as Hamm
Annie Potts as Bo Peep
Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head
John Morris as Andy Davis
Wayne Knight as Al McWhiggin
Laurie Metcalf as Andy's mother
R. Lee Ermey as Sarge
Joe Ranft as Wheezy
Jodi Benson as Tour Guide Barbie
Jonathan Harris as the Cleaner
Jeff Pidgeon as the aliens
Andrew Stanton as Evil Emperor Zurg
Background:
Toy Story 2 was released on November 24, 1999.
Toy Story 2 was as successful as the first Toy Story film commercially. It became 1999's highest-grossing animated film and #3 overall, earning $245.9 million in the United States and Canada and $511.3 million worldwide – beating both Pixar's previous releases by a significant margin. It became the third-highest-grossing animated film of all time (behind The Lion King and Aladdin).
Critics were overwhelmingly effusive in their praise with many claiming it to be at least equal to the original or surpassing it in quality.
Toy Story 2 would garner one Oscar nomination for original song "When She Loved Me".
The film has since been recognized by the AFI on the following lists:
2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains:
Buzz Lightyear – Nominated Hero
2004: AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
"When She Loved Me" – Nominated
2008: AFI's 10 Top 10:
Nominated Animated Film
Toy Story 2 currently holds a 100% among critics on RT, an 88 score on Metacritic, and 3.9/5 on Letterboxd.
What is this movie about?/Elevator Pitch: What is our value? What role do we play? A lot of themes similar to parents.
Plot Summary: In Toy Story 2, Woody (Tom Hanks) is stolen by a greedy toy collector, Al McWhiggin (Wayne Knight), who plans to sell him to a museum in Japan. While Woody meets new toys—Jessie the cowgirl (Joan Cusack), Bullseye the horse, and Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer)—Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of Andy's toys embark on a daring rescue mission to bring Woody home. However, Woody is tempted by the idea of being preserved forever in the museum, leading to an emotional struggle between loyalty and destiny.
Did You Know:
Upon seeing the film, animator Chuck Jones (director of the Looney Tunes shorts) wrote a letter to Lasseter, calling the film "wonderful" and "beautifully animated", and telling Lasseter he was "advancing the cause of classic animation in a new and effective way." Lasseter, a personal admirer of Jones, has the letter framed in his house.
For the scene where Woody looks at the merchandise from "Woody's Roundup", mock-ups of the toys were shown to Tom Hanks in the recording booth. Hanks' spontaneous reactions to the toys were recorded and used for Woody's dialogue.
When Hamm is flipping through the channels looking for the Al's Toy Barn commercial, all the other stations show clips from shorts and commercials Pixar produced through the years including Luxo Jr. (1986), Red's Dream (1987), Tin Toy (1988), and Knick Knack (1989). There is also a logo for the NeXT computer developed by Pixar's then CEO, Steve Jobs, as well as a few clips of some of Pixar's television commercials they did, and a brief image of Pixar's old logo.
There was some discussion with regard to the song "When She Loved Me" and its place in the film. Randy Newman expressed concern over whether or not young children would be able to sit through the three-minute ballad while both Tim Allen and Tom Hanks admitted to being moved to tears by the scene featuring the song.
When working on the film, someone entered a code called rm *, which, when entered, deletes everything on the computer as quickly as possible. Because of this, the creators of the movie lost ninety percent of the film. The animators tried to get the back-up animation, but it wasn't working. Fortunately, supervising technical director Galyn Susman had recently had a child, so she took a copy of the movie home with her so she could work from home. They covered the extra copy in blankets and drove it back to the studio, and were able to recover most of the film.
When Jessie first meets Woody (Tom Hanks), she exclaims, "Sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln!" Abraham Lincoln's mother was Nancy Hanks, a blood relative of Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks is a direct descendant of an uncle of Nancy Hanks.
Best Performance: Tom Hanks (Woody)/Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin, Chris Webb (Writers)
Best Secondary Performance: Tim Allen (Buzz)/Kelsey Grammer (Stinky Pete)
Most Charismatic Award: Joan Cusack (Jessie)
Best Scene:
Yard Sale
Woody's Roundup
Toy Store
When She Loved Me
Crossing the Road
Woody Decides to Stay
Airport
Favorite Scene: When She Loved Me/Airport/Elevator
Most Indelible Moment: Woody's Roundup/Toy Repairman/Airport
In Memorium:
Joe Don Baker, 89, American actor (known for the movies Walking Tall, Cape Fear (1991), The Living Daylights, and Goldeneye)
Les Dilley, 84, Welsh production designer (worked on Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Abyss) 3x Oscar nominee
Mara Corday, 95, American actress and showgirl (known for the movies Tarantula, Sudden Impact, Pink Cadillac, and The Rookie (1990))
Peter David, 68, American writer (known for his work on X-Factor and creating Spider-Man 2099)
Rick Derringer, 77, American musician (known for the songs "Hang on Sloopy", "Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo", and "Real American")
Ed Gale, 61, American actor (known for roles in Howard the Duck and Chucky)
Best Lines/Funniest Lines:
Woody: Ride like the wind, Bullseye!
Jessie: You never forget kids like Emily, or Andy, but they forget you.
Rex: [Surprised] It's the chicken man!
Buzz Lightyear: That's our guy!
Hamm: I knew there was somethin' I didn't like about that chicken.
Buzz Lightyear: You still worried?
Woody: About Andy? Nah, it will be fun while it lasts.
Buzz Lightyear: I'm proud of you, cowboy.
Woody: Besides, when it all ends I'll have old Buzz Lightyear to keep me company - for infinity and beyond.
Buzz Lightyear: Don't worry, Woody. In just a few hours you'll be sitting around a campfire with Andy making delicious hot Schmoes.
Woody: [lamely] They're called "S'mores", Buzz.
Buzz Lightyear: Yes, yes. Of course.
Stinky Pete the Prospector: All right. Come here. Come on. Let me see that. Oh, it's just a popped seam. Easily repaired! You should consider yourself lucky.
Woody: Lucky? Are you shrink-wrapped? I am missing my ARM!
Buzz Lightyear: Woody, you're not a collector's item, you're a child's plaything. You - are - a *toy*!
Woody: For how much longer? One more rip, and Andy's done with me. And what do I do then, Buzz? Huh? You tell me.
Alien toys: You have saved our lives. We are eternally grateful.
Buzz Lightyear #2: Hang tight everyone, I'm going to let go of the wall.
[the other toys all look up at him shocked]
Slinky Dog: Huh?
Rex: What?
Mr. Potato Head: He wouldn't!
Buzz Lightyear #2: One!
Hamm: He would.
Hamm: Two!
Slinky Dog, Rex, Mr. Potato Head, Hamm: DON'T DO IT, BUZZ!
Buzz Lightyear #2: Three!
[he lets go of the wall and they all land on the elevator, which is coming up the shaft]
Buzz Lightyear #2: To infinity and beyond! Approaching destination. Reengaging gravity.
Stinky Pete the Prospector: Look, we have an eternity to spend at the museum together. Let's not start by pulling fingers, shall we?
Woody: You really ARE Stinky Pete, aren't you?
Woody: You're right, Prospector. I can't stop Andy from growing up... but I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Hamm: All right, nobody look till I get my cork back in.
Hamm: You heard of Kung Fu? Well get ready for pork chop.
Woody: Here's your list of things to do while I'm gone: batteries need to be changed. Toys at the bottom of the chest need to be rotated. Oh, and make sure everyone attends Mr. Spell's seminar on what to do if you or part of you is swallowed.
The Stanley Rubric:
Legacy: 8.33
Impact/Significance: 9
Novelty: 8.17
Classic-ness: 8
Rewatchability: 8
Audience Score: 8.8 (92% Google, 89% RT)
Total: 50.3
Remaining Questions:
How do the cars from the airport get back to the airport?
Does Al sue the airline for losing his toys?
Which toy is your favorite character and why?
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