Average Rating: 
Rating: - Friendship has never been so funny...
A delightful pack of animation from Pixar Studios, Toy Story & Toy Story 2 are the second best american animations I have ever seen, the first being A Bug's Life (also from Pixar). Using the ability to change and move in a world free of physical restraints, these two animations do an excellent job of creating a unique and hillarious story line that revolves around friendship and the pondering question of whether toys have control over their own actions. With the voices of Tom Hanks (Big, Sleepless in Seattle, Saving Private Ryan) and Tim Allen (Home Improvement, Santa Clause) adding an air of liveliness that doesn't seem possible for men their ages. They both prove that they are still children at heart as they liven the screen with their vibrant and cheerful voices. Toy Story & Toy Story are based around the meaning of friendship and the journeys that they will go through just to help one. Both are excellent videos for children and adults and will have you laughing when necessary. The DVDs are crisp and clean, better than watching it at the theatre even, and have some Special Features, which aren't necessary because the movies are worth it by themselves, that will have you laughing even more and wonder what the graphic artists and writers do in their free time.
Rating: - The best DVD set you can buy. Period.
If you're an "extras" hound like me, "Toy Story & Toy Story 2 - The Ultimate Toy Box" is the promised land. Hands down the best goodies of any DVD to this date. Oh yeah, and you get two excellent movies too! :)I won't spend time on the movies themselves, except to say that they're two of the most entertaining films ever made. Instead, let's focus on why to get the 3-DVD set instead of the 2-DVD set. The third DVD is truly impressive. You'll find fully-animated deleted scenes; funny & interesting interviews with cast, crew, animators, etc.; an absolutly hysterical debate on "Who's the best character?" with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and the whole cast; some very detailed explanations of the techniques used to create the movies; and so much more. I've spent over three hours on Disc 3 alone so far, and there's a lot more to go! There are even cool hidden features. For example, on Disc 3 choose 'Toy Story 2.' Under the 'Story' section, choose 'Jesse's Song.' On the next screen that appears, press the 'Left' arrow key on your remote control & you'll see a question mark. With the question mark highlighted, hit 'Enter' for a outtake with an introduction by the directors. The sound & picture quality on all three discs are the best I've seen on DVD. Helps when the whole movie was CREATED digitally, eh? :) All in all "The Ultimate Toy Box" is the best DVD set around, bar none. Well worth the extra money!
Rating: - Outstanding animation
This is perhaps Disney's best film yet, even managing to top the original, which is certainly a rare feat. Basically it's a children's film for adults, who'll love the many movie references ('Jurassic Park' and 'The Empire Strikes Back' to name but two) and the jokes that go over the kids' heads. Thankfully though, the film also delivers to the kids though too, with plenty of visual jokes as well.There's not one annoying character, each one drawn sympathetically and realistically to help the audience completely forget that they're only watching an animated film. The new characters are great too - especially Jessie (Joan Allen), Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammer) and Mrs Potato Head. More importantly though, 'Toy Story 2' grips its audience with some stunning action pieces (with the camera moving as if Woody and co. were real) and real poignancy. I can think of countless children's films that have been spoiled by an overly schmaltzy ending, but this is genuinely heart-warming, with the story of children outgrowing their toys being startlingly close to children outgrowing their parents. Wisely picking Sarah McLachlan to sing the theme 'When She Loved Me', with her achingly sad vocals, works well. Quite frankly, this is a movie that crosses all boundaries as well as all expectations. One to be watched.
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