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TOY STORY I & II Appreciation Thread

post #1 of 56
10/1/09 at 9:14pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry, don't start threads too often, so I don't know if this already exists somewhere...

I was just wondering if anyone else was planning on catching the Toy Story Double Feature in theaters over the next 2 weeks (it opens tomorrow)?

I have never seen a theatrical film in 3D before. It's ironic that 2 "old" movies should get me to break my streak, but I just can't pass up the opportunity to see these on the big screen one more time--with my kids, of course, who are as nuts for Woody & Buzz as I am.

Call me a sentimental fool, but these are honestly some of my favorite films of all time; being a mother of toddlers I've watched them many times but I'm still not tired of them. The themes & humor are universally appealing, the voice-actor work is top-notch, and the story of both films is pitch-perfect. I admit to being slightly interested to see how the "older-style" Pixar animation will look when translated to 3D.

Sorry if I'm the only one interested, and I know these films already get a lot of love around here; just curious what everyone else thinks.
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post #2 of 56
10/1/09 at 9:16pm
The wife has strongly, STRONGLY hinted to me that it would be in my best interest to take her to see this double feature this weekend. I'm pretty happy to oblige her, and I'm pretty excited to see these in 3D.
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post #3 of 56
10/1/09 at 9:41pm
So, tomorrow afternoon, my in-laws' 15 year old dog, one that my wife grew up with, is getting put to sleep. Second we saw this thread, we both turned to each other and almost simultaneously said "We have to do this tomorrow night."

Thanks for the reminder, Ady. Tomorrow night won't suck nearly as much thanks to this.
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post #4 of 56
10/1/09 at 11:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin Clark View Post
So, tomorrow afternoon, my in-laws' 15 year old dog, one that my wife grew up with, is getting put to sleep. Second we saw this thread, we both turned to each other and almost simultaneously said "We have to do this tomorrow night."

Thanks for the reminder, Ady. Tomorrow night won't suck nearly as much thanks to this.
Justin, I'm so sorry. Please give your wife and her folks my sympathies.

Honestly? I don't care how much of a wimp it makes me sound like. I've mentioned it here before, and I'll repeat it again - I've never cried harder in my life during a movie than I did during Jessie the Cowgirl's song "When She Loved Me" about the little girl who owned her. And I had just turned 36. So.... yeah. Maybe I'll try to convince my boyfriend to see them this weekend, that would be great.

Thanks for this thread, Ady - it's never a bad idea to be reminded of something so cool rolling it's way around.
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post #5 of 56
10/1/09 at 11:26pm
"When She Loved Me" is absolutely heartbreaking. Jesus, that shot of Jessie peeking through the hole in the box as the car drives away kills me every time.
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post #6 of 56
10/1/09 at 11:40pm
Got my tickets for Saturday morning. Love these films so much.
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post #7 of 56
10/1/09 at 11:45pm
What with their recent output, it might be safe to say that Pixar has outdone themselves, but holy hell, Toy Story II is a fucking masterpiece. And the original Toy Story, the first CGI film 13 years ago, is still better than everything else not done by Pixar.
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post #8 of 56
10/2/09 at 12:28am
The Drafthouse is showing these in 4k. Yes. Please.
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post #9 of 56
10/2/09 at 5:23pm
I still like Toy Story I better than II--I feel that like subtext of mortality (and, for that matter, the foolishness of religion) is more subtle in that one, and therefore more powerful. Plus, Buzz and Woody as rivals is more entertaining than them as friends.

II is still a great flick, though. Here's hoping that III is worthy of the first two, providing us with the first truly unblemished Hollywood movie trilogy.
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post #10 of 56
10/2/09 at 5:26pm
But it's admirable how Pixar didn't try to find some contrived way of making Buzz and Woody enemies again in II. And having Buzz and Woody essentially switch roles in the sequel -- Woody not realizing he's foremost a toy and Buzz having to remind him of that -- is a great twist.
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post #11 of 56
10/2/09 at 5:38pm
I have a 4 year old so what else would I be doing this weekend but going to see this.

And TS2 > TS1. I don't even think it's close actually. But TS1 is still pretty great.
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post #12 of 56
10/2/09 at 5:58pm
I've never seen Toy Story 2. Maybe now is a good time to catch up.
Has anyone seen any ads for this? Other than maybe one trailer, I haven't heard a thing. Wonder why they aren't marketing like crazy for this.
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post #13 of 56
10/2/09 at 5:59pm
It's been a trailer in front of the last few kids movies I saw. And posters in the theater. But yeah, I think I only saw 1 TV ad. It's only two weeks so I doubt there's a big marketing campaign.
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post #14 of 56
10/2/09 at 6:39pm
This is a great idea for a thread, Ady.

I don't know if I'll make the screenings, but I love these movies. Toy Story has always struck me as the funniest and most heart-warming Existentialist film I've ever seen, and its sequel is a classic (all the more remarkable for having been crafted, essentially, over a period of roughly 9 months).
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post #15 of 56
10/2/09 at 6:49pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, hard to believe Toy Story 2 was thisclose to being a direct-to-DVD feature. What might have been...

Truth to tell, I actually think the script for TS1 has more "pop" and has much better one-liners (perhaps, as a recovering Whedonite, I'm simply enjoying his influence). However, the themes & pathos of the toys' situations are much more powerfully portrayed in the second film (plus the humor there is much more referential--particularly the Buzz Lightyear opening sequence). So, quality of animation aside, I can't really pick one of these films over the other; they're both terrific in their own way.

"When She Loved Me," as many have said, is quite the tear-jerking moment (as a girl myself, and especially as a mother of girls, I often look at their toys and lament the day when soon they'll become "tweens" and outgrow their childhood fantasies).

However, another moment that's not so obviously a tear-jerker is my favorite in the series; the very end of the first film when Woody & Buzz soar through the air together after escaping the rocket, eventually landing in the van. To me, that's always been a beautiful visual metaphor for the power of friendship, and the joy in discovering each other's strengths. It never fails to make my heart race, and once in a while I even tear up a bit watching it (of course, being pregnant, I'll cry at the drop of a hat somedays).
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post #16 of 56
10/2/09 at 7:28pm
I love everyone who's going to see the double-feature this weekend. I saw it last Saturday and it was like I had just seen them a week before that. Even in terms of animation, the first Toy Story still doesn't look bad. But then you see Toy Story 2 and your brain tries to comprehend how a movie that looks so good is ten years old.
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post #17 of 56
10/2/09 at 7:46pm
How's the 3D? I haven't seen much coverage on how far they've gone with the conversion. Does anyone know if Pixar actually re-rendered the whole thing for the second eye?

ETA: Apparently so. Intriguing.
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post #18 of 56
10/2/09 at 7:57pm
Are kids who've seen these movies a hundred times on DVD able to sit still through them back-to-back in the theater?
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post #19 of 56
10/2/09 at 8:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hammerhead View Post
How's the 3D? I haven't seen much coverage on how far they've gone with the conversion. Does anyone know if Pixar actually re-rendered the whole thing for the second eye?

ETA: Apparently so. Intriguing.
One Pixar movie that should be converted is Finding Nemo. All that underwater stuff would work really well that way.
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post #20 of 56
10/2/09 at 9:28pm
Are the shorts that play before the movies 3-D as well? Or did they cut them for time purposes?
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post #21 of 56
10/2/09 at 11:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
But it's admirable how Pixar didn't try to find some contrived way of making Buzz and Woody enemies again in II.
Oh, absolutely. It's a natural and logical character progression, it's just their relationship is a little more fun in the first movie. Of course, you could argue that they're actually kept apart for most of II, and when they are together they clash a fair bit too.

Maybe I'm a grumpy old sourpuss, but I do feel like "When She Loved Me" is a teensy bit too heavy-handed...mostly because Sarah McLaughlin tends to make me break out in hives. I honestly think that sequence would have been better if Randy Newman had sung it--I wouldn't have felt quite as much as if Pixar was waving onions under my nose and screaming "CRY NOW! NOW IS THE TIME YOU CRY!" Plus, as I say, I found the themes and ideas of the series pretty affecting and poignant without needing them to be spelled out like that.

But I'm nitpicking here. Choosing between I and II is like choosing between chocolate and blowjobs. Hey, why isn't that on the poster?
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post #22 of 56
10/3/09 at 3:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Prankster View Post
Maybe I'm a grumpy old sourpuss, but I do feel like "When She Loved Me" is a teensy bit too heavy-handed...mostly because Sarah McLaughlin tends to make me break out in hives. I honestly think that sequence would have been better if Randy Newman had sung it--I wouldn't have felt quite as much as if Pixar was waving onions under my nose and screaming "CRY NOW! NOW IS THE TIME YOU CRY!" Plus, as I say, I found the themes and ideas of the series pretty affecting and poignant without needing them to be spelled out like that.
You're not a sourpuss but Newman singing that track would have ruined it, if you ask me.
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post #23 of 56
10/3/09 at 6:35am
Have you heard the temp track of Newman croaking the song? Getting real singers is one of the best improvements in 2.
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post #24 of 56
10/3/09 at 10:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexus-7 View Post
You're not a sourpuss but Newman singing that track would have ruined it, if you ask me.
Absolutely. A song like that calls for a sweet, sad voice like Sarah MacLachlan. You can't have someone like Randy Newman rasping such a pretty and sad song. Plus, it's supposed to be the story of a female doll being cast aside by the little girl who owned her, so it's a very female slanted portion of the story. Granted, I understand that Prankster isn't objecting to the song so much as he is to Sarah MacLachlan singing it. That opinion aside, if it wasn't Sarah MacLachlan, it would have to be another female singer who fit that kind of singing style. The song absolutely calls for a woman singing it.
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post #25 of 56
10/3/09 at 10:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexus-7 View Post
You're not a sourpuss but Newman singing that track would have ruined it, if you ask me.
Newman ruined many things in Toy Story by singing, really. His score is fantastic, but the songs just absolutely kill moments that should've been score only. "You've Got A Friend In Me" is the one exception, but it's used far more effectively in Toy Story 2 on the TV.

Back to the subject at hand, though.....this was a wonderful way to spend three hours. Loved that, despite Disney's depressing slate of kids entertainment before hand, there were maybe 20 kids total in a crowded audience. The rest were college kids and full grown adults. All of whom ate this up with a spoon. Even the intermission was well done.

And God did I ever need the catharsis.
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post #26 of 56
10/3/09 at 10:42am
Newman singing the songs in the first film was one of those idiosyncratic touches that made it stand out from other animated movies of the time. I'm not sure having him sing the main song in 2 would've worked, but I do think that that bit came dangerously close to being cloying in a way the rest of those films weren't.

All this talk about the first two makes me a touch nervous about the third - this is kind of like the animation equivalent of deciding to make the third Godfather film.
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post #27 of 56
10/3/09 at 11:21am
There's a new trailer in front of the double feature. Your nervousness is unfounded.

There's a shot of a dejected Woody looking over the landscape of High School Graduate Andy's room before he moves out that's as heartbreaking as anything in the When She Loved Me sequence.
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post #28 of 56
10/3/09 at 11:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarleyQuinn22 View Post
"When She Loved Me" is absolutely heartbreaking. Jesus, that shot of Jessie peeking through the hole in the box as the car drives away kills me every time.
According to the "The Pixar Story" documentary on the Wall-E DVD (highly recommended viewing), Hanks and Allen pretty much both broke down like the rest of us the first time they saw that scene with the song in place.

With this renewed focus on the Toy Stories, this would be a great time for Pixar fans who haven't seen it to track down this documentary. I watched it about a month ago, and learned a lot. There's a good bit of detail on the Toy Story 2 situation. There was one mad dash of a double all-nighter weekend that resulted in the film actually happening the way they wanted it to.

Anyway, yeah, I have my ticket to see this with friends tomorrow night at 7pm. Really excited to see it. I watched TS2 recently, but I haven't seen TS1 in a good while.

Oh, and Lee Unkrich has been collecting reports from people on Twitter (twitter.com/leeunkrich) of a few theaters that failed to run the TS3 trailer with this duo. If that happens to you, let them/him know! They're taking action ASAP, it sounds like.
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post #29 of 56
10/3/09 at 11:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fritz Chrome View Post

All this talk about the first two makes me a touch nervous about the third - this is kind of like the animation equivalent of deciding to make the third Godfather film.
Aren't they planning on making a third one eventually? I thought I read something about it, could be wrong. Man they should transfer the Incredibles into 3d that would be cool. Has anyone seen Toy Story 3d yet? I'm curious to see if it is any good, the 3d that is. The last 3d animated title I saw as Ice Age 3, and both the film and the 3d effects were terrible. I didn't expect to much from the actual story, but the underwhelming 3d effects surprised me.
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post #30 of 56
10/3/09 at 11:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by El Gray View Post
Hanks and Allen pretty much both broke down like the rest of us the first time they saw that scene with the song in place.
Awww! But not unexpected. That song and scene is a killer. Just to torture myself, I watched it again the other night on You Tube, and just boo-hoo'ed all over again.

I'd like to see that Pixar documentary, I think I will try to track that down.
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post #31 of 56
10/3/09 at 12:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nabster View Post
Aren't they planning on making a third one eventually? I thought I read something about it, could be wrong. Man they should transfer the Incredibles into 3d that would be cool. Has anyone seen Toy Story 3d yet? I'm curious to see if it is any good, the 3d that is. The last 3d animated title I saw as Ice Age 3, and both the film and the 3d effects were terrible. I didn't expect to much from the actual story, but the underwhelming 3d effects surprised me.
It's in final production now, amigo. There's a trailer running with this double feature. Comes out next summer.
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post #32 of 56
10/3/09 at 4:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fritz Chrome View Post
Newman singing the songs in the first film was one of those idiosyncratic touches that made it stand out from other animated movies of the time.
I've never liked the song that plays over Buzz's attempt to fly in Sid's house. At first it's too on-the-nose, like Buzz should be singing it himself as an internal monologue, and then it wraps up with some irrelevant lyric about sailing. I'd love to see that sequence play without the music.
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post #33 of 56
10/3/09 at 7:18pm
Just to say:

The TOY STORY 3 trailer's magical. And I got the biggest gut laugh I've had in a while when Buzz... well.
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post #34 of 56
10/3/09 at 7:21pm
Al infinito y alla?
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post #35 of 56
10/3/09 at 7:30pm
Hehehehe... I was trying not to spoil for those who haven't seen it, but yeah.
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post #36 of 56
10/3/09 at 10:49pm
Thread Starter 
Any word on when the new trailer hits the Internet? (I'm going to the double-feature on Monday regardless, but I'm impatient for new Toy Story stuff!)

ETA: Plus, these stories El Gray is telling of people not getting the TS3 trailer in front of their double-feature is making me anstier. I didn't see the TS3 teaser when I went to UP this summer.
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post #37 of 56
10/3/09 at 11:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hammerhead View Post
I've never liked the song that plays over Buzz's attempt to fly in Sid's house. At first it's too on-the-nose, like Buzz should be singing it himself as an internal monologue, and then it wraps up with some irrelevant lyric about sailing. I'd love to see that sequence play without the music.
The lyric is "I will go sailing no more", which fits in with the idea of Buzz finding out he's not able to fly.
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post #38 of 56
10/3/09 at 11:41pm
Took my little girl to see these this afternoon. Now, I'm the biggest Pixar mark in all the universe, that's for certain. But having said that, it was pure magic. Jessie's back story still makes me melt like a 12-year-old girl, and Hanks and Allen are still pitch perfect.

The 3D was handled flawlessly (especially in TS2), and I'd forgotten how much better these are on the big screen (even in the age of the big LCD home setup). I recommend seeing this with loved ones as soon as possible. And do it soon, because it's only going to be playing for two weeks as far as I understand.
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post #39 of 56
10/4/09 at 5:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
The lyric is "I will go sailing no more", which fits in with the idea of Buzz finding out he's not able to fly.
Okay, one can 'sail' through the air. But why not 'soar' instead? It's a weird, half-baked, half-song.

Hey, has anyone else picked up the new Buzz toy? The wingtips light up and everything. It's a very impressive piece of work.
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post #40 of 56
10/4/09 at 12:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hammerhead View Post
Okay, one can 'sail' through the air. But why not 'soar' instead? It's a weird, half-baked, half-song.
Because "soar" didn't sound right? Because he wanted a more melancholy word? Or maybe he just thought "sail" instead of "soar"?

It's not the greatest song ever, but it does have a purpose, and I don't get what hangs you up so much about it.
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post #41 of 56
10/4/09 at 12:45pm
The verse part suggests the ship being sailed in that song is a spaceship anyway.
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post #42 of 56
10/4/09 at 1:54pm
This kinda kills me, because Disney, in all their wisdom, split up the double feature for the UK release. Toy Story (which is one of two Pixars I've not seen) opened this weekend, but TS2 doesn't open until January.

The only good bit about this is that I get to have a TS1/Up double feature sometime in the next two weeks.
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post #43 of 56
10/4/09 at 2:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fritz Chrome View Post
The verse part suggests the ship being sailed in that song is a spaceship anyway.
Then what does he need wings for? This gnaws at me, people. But let's move on.
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post #44 of 56
10/4/09 at 4:39pm
Saw this today starting at 10am. Good stuff.
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post #45 of 56
10/4/09 at 8:29pm
Why don't they make 3D glasses that are more appropriate for young kids?
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post #46 of 56
10/4/09 at 10:43pm
Just got back from this today, and we both loved it. The 3D was really great - it was beautifully done, without being headache-inducing. The TS3 trailer is excellent, and it was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon.

And I still sobbed during that damn song.
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post #47 of 56
10/4/09 at 10:51pm
I wish they did this here in Oz. These films are like a warm hug from old friends.
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post #48 of 56
10/5/09 at 12:03am
Just got home from it, and had a great evening with these old favorites. The 3D certainly wasn't overdone, but it shone in a couple of spots, for sure (the awesome Star Command intro to TS2, and the "discarded Woody" sequence with the aces).

Not a huge crowd at our theater, at all, but I guess it's a school night, and this showing lasted 'til after 10pm.

The slideshow and Toy Story Treats during the intermission were...well... TREATS. I didn't want to leave to hit the bathroom, but I did run during the last 2 minutes (the counter in the corner of the screen is a great idea!)

I even noticed a few new details in both films!
1) Sid has a military-looking "Improvised Interrogation Manual" in his room near the toolbox.
2) the headline on the '60s newspaper about Sputnik also has a story about how scientists have decided Americans aren't eating enough FAT. HA!
3) the first time Andy falls asleep w/ Buzz instead of Woody, you can see a bit of his glow-in-the-dark ability just above the covers. Don't think I'd ever noticed that before.

Thumbs up, all around. Can't wait for TS3.
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post #49 of 56
10/5/09 at 10:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by El Gray View Post
The slideshow and Toy Story Treats during the intermission were...well... TREATS. I didn't want to leave to hit the bathroom, but I did run during the last 2 minutes (the counter in the corner of the screen is a great idea!)
I can't believe I forgot to mention how great that was! I'm really glad we used the bathroom before the movie started - we sat there during intermission answering all the questions to ourselves like a pair of big kids. And I loved the counter in the corner - intermissions can seem like forever, this made it much easier to get an accurate sense of how much time was left.
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post #50 of 56
10/5/09 at 7:33pm
I never put it together that Buzz and Woody each lost an arm.
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