TOY STORY 2 (1999)

Relearning The Meaning Of Friendship

I realized when doing research about TOY STORY 2 that I haven’t seen the movie more than once. As a fan of the STAR WARS franchise, I remember being absolutely over-the-moon when watching it for the first time as a young child because of the multiple references this entry makes to that saga, but that fact made me realize how unprepared I was for this article’s contents. Everything here is based on the opinion of someone who grew up loving the original TOY STORY, but I don’t claim to know these characters inside and out. With that, let’s dive in to see how much Sheriff Woody Pride changed between this franchise's first and second entries.

Similar to the first movie, Sheriff Woody Pride and the toys are busy in their owner Andy’s room to kick things off. This time, Woody is devastated because he can’t find his signature hat. All the toys are helping him search to quell his fear of Andy leaving him behind and going to the seemingly annual cowboy camp without him if he doesn’t have his hat. Luckily, Slinky Dog finds Woody’s hat and gives everyone a warning that Andy’s dog, Buster, is on his way into the room. Everyone scatters and Woody hides, only for the audience to realize that Buster and Woody are on great terms and play together. In stark contrast to TOY STORY, Woody and the toys have a less hierarchical class structure and everyone is treated as equals for the most part.

Andy comes up to grab Woody and depart for their anticipated camp experience but in his pre-game playtime, Woody’s arm rips. Disheartened, Andy decides to leave Woody behind and his mom tells him that “toys don’t last forever,” putting Woody up on the top shelf in his room. The rest of the toys stare in horror at Woody getting shelved and try engaging with him only to realize that his depression causes him to isolate. Woody dreams of Andy discarding him and wakes with a start. Upon a quick examination of a soft sound, Woody finds his friend Wheezy on the shelf with him. After his squeaker was broken, Andy’s mom put Wheezy on the shelf to be forgotten. A major difference right off the bat is that this sequel is setting a more realistic environment where the mom is actively parenting and not only caring for her child’s feelings by hiding broken toys to avoid heartbreak. While scouting toys for her yard sale, Andy’s mom grabs Wheezy which kicks the movie’s main plot into gear.

Determined to leave no toy behind, Woody sets out to rescue Wheezy from the yard sale, risking himself—not out of selfishness, but genuine empathy. Woody has clearly grown after the events of the first movie and genuinely cares about his friends’ well-being and prioritizes helping them. Unfortunately for Woody, he is toynapped by Al, a toy salesman who discovers Woody is a rare collectible to be sold and displayed. Coming to Al’s condo, Woody meets a peculiar-looking group—Bullseye the Horse, Jessie the Cowgirl, and “Stinky” Pete the Prospector. They all greet him with enthusiasm and show him how important he is to their group as he is the star of Woody’s Roundup, a line of toys, collectibles, and a show, centered around their characters. Al has a readily available shrine dedicated to Woody and clearly views him as valuable, setting up an appointment with a mysterious man referred to as “The Cleaner” to have Woody’s arm fixed to mint condition.

As Woody acclimates to his situation, he finds himself enjoying Jessie and Bullseye’s company but makes it clear that he fully intends to return to Andy, which angers Jessie. Not wanting to disappoint Jessie and being manipulated by Pete, Woody learns about her abandonment by her owner Emily. The plasticine sheriff is sympathetic and it causes him to contemplate his own relationship with Andy and the possible abandonment he faces in the future as he gets older.

While the first TOY STORY sees Woody wrestling with his relationship with Andy by dealing with being de-prioritized and forced to share the boy’s attention with Buzz Lightyear and their friends, this movie sees the conflict made more personal for Woody as he deals with a choice between living behind glass at the Konishi Toy Museum in Japan alongside his Roundup crew or returning to Andy with his friends knowing that it won’t last forever. As he deals with his internal conflict, Buzz and a small gang of Woody’s friends show up to save him from Al’s clutches. Woody decides to stay with Jessie and the others, leaving Buzz to do my job for me and give a biting testimony, reminding Woody that he’s the one who told Buzz that he’s a toy and affirming that “life’s only worth living if you’re bein’ loved by a kid.”

After hearing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” being sung by his character in Woody’s Roundup, Woody remembers how much Buzz, Bo Peep, and his friends mean to him and decides to go home to Andy. Pete reveals himself to be a sneaky, gaslighting saboteur who tried to manipulate Woody into choosing the museum and blocks him from his escape. Al shows up to take them to the airport since he’s in a rush to collect his blank check from the museum for his collectibles, trapping Woody in a suitcase. When Buzz finally catches up to Woody’s suitcase, Pete pulls out his pickaxe and rips his arm as a threat for Woody to either come with the Roundup crew to the museum or be ripped apart on the luggage conveyor belt. Saved in the nick of time by his friends, Woody joins the rescue squad and recruits Bullseye to help him save Jessie during a tense airplane escape involving a drop hatch and leap of faith using Woody’s pull-string.

Once home, Woody contemplates the future while looking out at Andy and his family, telling Buzz that he’s okay with Andy growing up and will enjoy it as long as it lasts. TOY STORY 2 ends with the toys playing together and incorporating Jessie and Bullseye into their family. Reflecting on the journey that Woody has so far in the TOY STORY franchise, he learned a hard lesson about the value of friendship in the first one. In the sequel, Woody’s ego is stroked discovering his (literal) value as a collectible alongside the Roundup crew, but that bliss wanes and Sheriff remembers the power of friendship and loyalty this time…but also the importance of appreciating the time you have with loved ones while they’re in your life. It’s an impactful and mature lesson for TOY STORY 2 and one that not only young audiences would watch, but mature audiences can appreciate.