Toy Story 2

The second film of the series. Woody's arm tears. Andy leaves him behind from camp and he is forgotten on a shelf. At a yard sale Woody ends up outside by accident. The owner of a toy shop sees him and steals him. The man has a reason. Woody was the hero of a television programme fifty years ago and is the missing piece of a set of four; the collection is to be sold to a museum in Japan. From there the film runs on two lines. Buzz and the others set out to rescue Woody; Woody learns his own past for the first time. The others in the collection are Jessie, her horse and a prospector. Jessie's story is told in a song, and a child leaving her toy in a donation box beside a car is given in two minutes. What the narrative is interested in is not adventure but wearing out: the film says the toys will one day be put down, and has Woody choose to go back knowing it. The airport section is its best constructed action. Baggage belts, an aeroplane and a set of steps. The production had an accident. With the film nearly finished, a command deleted most of the files on the server; a copy was found on the computer of an employee working from home. The film was originally planned to go straight to home video; when its quality was seen it was turned into a cinema release. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer and Wallace Shawn are among the voices. John Lasseter directed. Who it is for: any age; the narrative is more emotional than the first film. Who it is not for: Jessie's section may be heavy for small children.