 Originally Posted by bassman
I have to agree with MZ on the Toy Story debate. The first and third are the top dogs of the series. The second felt more like it was rushed and repeated the themes from the first. That's not to say it was a bad film, I still enjoy it, but it's the least of them all.
Personally with the second, I can tell - or rather it makes sense after the fact - that it was originally intended to be a cheap direct-to-DVD cash-in. However Pixar decided they didn't want to do that with their flicks, particularly Toy Story, so they ramped it up into a proper release and a proper flick, so therefore it probably didn't have the same style of production as their other flicks - but they did a hell of a job bringing it up to par, mind you. It could have been cash-in tosh, but they did a ruddy good job of elevating it to their usual standard.
TS1 had a really strong plot - the favourite toy is replaced, the old & new favourite toys fight - leading to them both becoming lost (just before moving day, no less!) - and then they have to find their way back home, and create a friendship together ... and indeed it teaches Andy a lesson to not just disregard an old favourite for the new thing, but to respect them both equally.
TS2 had strong parts, but it didn't quite have the continuous hook - for me at least - Jessie's backstory was utterly heartbreaking, and that sequence always gives me a lump in the throat, the 'collectible' part of the story is a solid idea - but it's not the most emotional, it's very interesting, but it doesn't quite have the personal touch, in my view - another strong idea was the Yard Sale at the beginning, but it's only a small idea that can't be expanded upon much. The central conceit, I suppose, is that toys are to be played with - not packed into a box and put on display in a Japanese museum - but I don't know, it didn't have the same impact as TS1.
*some vague spoilers for Toy Story 3 coming up*
TS3 was equally as strong plotwise to TS1, for me at least (and Bassman,  ) - whereas the first was about replacement and rejection, and indeed being lost, the third is all about "what happens when the toy's best friend out-grows them?" ... it's heartbreaking that the toys are still there, bundled away in a chest, coming up with elaborate ruses to just be touched by their best friend (that sounds dodgy, I know, but you know what I mean  ) let alone played with. Then it's a case of 'do we go into the attic and await Andy having a kid', or do they get thrown out, or do they go to Sunnyside Daycare - where there's an entire world of new kids to play with them and love them. It's like this heavenly place for them, but as it turns out it's hell for them thanks to Lotso's dictatorial regime.
Then they discover Andy never wanted to throw them away so they have to get back (admittedly a bit of a re-tread, but en-mass, of the original's plot here) - however that scene where the toys have to grapple with the ultimate things in life and death is so devestating, and so powerfully realised on screen, that it steals the entire movie. It's a huge theme in and of itself, and it's handled with dexterity and poise and a big old lump in the throat.
Finally it's about growing up and moving on, but also passing onto a new generation - they get to play with Andy one last time, and everyone moves on to something bigger or better and it's a perfect way to round-out the trilogy.
The trilogy starts with a very strong central idea, and it closes with a very strong central idea, but the second's central conceit - while generally solid and interesting - just doesn't have the emotional heft of 1 or 3 - in my view - but that's not to say that TS2 is a bad movie. Not in the slightest. It's just the weakest (relatively speaking) of three great movies.
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