TOY STORY, TOY STORY 2 (1995, 1999, Blu-ray released March 23, 2010 – MSRP $39.99 each)
It’s hard to believe it’s been fifteen years since the first Toy Story film was released! The quality of computer animation has come a long way since then but the writing, the craftsmanship on display in both the original film and its sequel are without equal. These are brilliant films, presented here in brilliant, near-perfect Blu-ray editions.
I have to say, I was pretty taken aback by Toy Story when I popped the new Blu-ray disc in. And not in a good way. I forgot how long ago this film was made and boy, have Pixar and computer generated animation come a long way since then. The film looks shockingly simplistic and plain when compared with snazzy, modern CGI fare like Up! and Monsters Vs. Aliens. It has all the visual flare of a low budget television production. But that was the best the technology could deliver, way back in 1995. And in some ways, if you’re able to get by the dated visuals, they really draw attention to how well put together the film is. With a perfectly tight script, more character development than your average Hollywood drama and thoughtful, nuanced direction, Toy Story still shines.
And just when you think you’ve found the most well crafted computer animated film from the 90s, along comes the sequel, Toy Story 2. This thing manages to do just about everything better than its predecessor. The writing is tighter. The characters more well rounded. The animation is leaps and bounds beyond the first film. And even the music, I dare to say, is better this time around! I can safely say that along with The Dark Knight and The Wrath of Khan, Toy Story 2 numbers among the very few sequels that outshine the originals. It’s a remarkable film that, I’m hoping, will only be outdone by its sequel, Toy Story 3, coming this June 18th to theatres.
Speaking of outdoing predecessors, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 have never, ever looked this good on home video. These new Blu-ray editions of the films are perfect and dwarf the DVD versions in just about every way. They look spectacular! I mean, it’s no big shock that they look so good, seeing as how the original digital files were transferred directly to disc, digital-to-digital. But still, you’ll find yourself breathless, lost in the reference-quality video presentation on display here. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks, on the other hand, are a total revelation. They sound every bit as incredible as the films look on Blu – perfect!
Both discs offer a totally robust bonus feature package that will impress most everyone who decides to invest in these new Blu-ray editions of the films. BUT – and this is a big but – those fans who are completists and who already own the Toy Story: Ultimate Toy Box DVD set should not look to these discs as a replacement. There’s a ton of content here, both old and new, but not everything from the Toy Box is present so don’t ditch those old DVDs quite yet. Everyone else will marvel at the bountiful collection of extras – wonderful commentary tracks, deleted scenes, animated “Studio Stories, featurettes on everything from design to story to production” – with all new content presented in HD. The disc sets are rounded out by DVDs of the feature films and “Sneak Peeks” of the story and characters of the upcomingToy Story 3!
For a full and complete list of special features, read our previous post here: Toy Story 1 and 2 Coming to Blu-ray in March
I love both of these videos. I remember watching them curled up on the sofa in my living room.
[...] film with nothing new added aside from the handsome box. So, if you’ve already got the 3-disc Toy Story and Toy Story 2 and the 4-disc Toy Story 3, there’s not much to see here. But if you’ve been holding [...]