Plot: What’s it about?
Was it Frank Sinatra that said “You’ve come a long way, baby…”? Probably not. But this rings true when you talk about the status of animation and movies. From the very first cartoon drawings of Mickey Mouse to Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck to the Computer generated creatures of Toy Story and Toy Story 2…animation has certainly arrived. Some five years ago (yes, it’s really been that long) Toy Story hit theaters with a bang. Featuring the voices of then (and still) box-office champions Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, Toy Story was an unprecedented hit. It was a few years later that the same team came out with another movie, but this time featuring different characters. Called “A Bug’s Life”, this focuses on the world of ants and their eternal struggle to make in the “world”. So a sequel was inevitable, and last Holiday season, Toy Story 2 graced the screen. Featuring the same cast, plus a few new members, Toy Story 2 was one of the few sequels that was as good, if not better, than the original movie. Of course, the magic that was a movie is now a DVD (a few, actually) and Disney has taken a cue from their impressive “A Bug’s Life” success to create what could be the best DVD set…ever. The Ultimate Toy Box contains just over nine hours of material that give you everything you could want to know about two of the most successful animated movies of all time. But first…what are these movies all about?
Toy Story starts out in a boys bedroom. We meet the characters of Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Woody (Tom Hanks) and others right off the bat. It’s not long that we discover that Andy (the owner of all the toys) is having a birthday party and is also in the midst of a move to a new house. As a result, the toys are nervous that Andy will get a new toy and one or several of them will not “make the cut” as a toy. As fate would have it, the very last present Andy gets is none other than the newest, coolest toy on the market…Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen)! Buzz has all the gadgets, gizmos and every accessory that you could possibly think of, the only problem is that he doesn’t realize he’s a toy! All the other toys in Andy’s room generally accept Woody as their leader, Woody being Andy’s favorite toy and all. It’s quite a system that they have, staff meetings and special programs throughout the week. It’s clear that this movie isn’t just for the kiddies. Under the threat of being dethroned, Woody and the other toys have to accept that Buzz is now the new, favorite toy of Andy. So all of this is all well and good, right? Well, lest we forget about Sid, the boy next door who loves torture innocent toys just because he has nothing better to do. Woody has become jealous as Buzz’s playtime with Andy increases, so in a sequence of events, Buzz is thrown out the window and both he and Woody end up at the Pizza Planet (essentially, Showbiz or Chuck E Cheese). Now it’s up to the other toys to try and get Buzz back. But what Toy Story shows us is that the outside world can be a very dangerous place.
In Toy Story 2, we see that the gang is still here, along with a lot of other familiar faces (and a few new ones). We see that everything seems to be ok, but in a strange turn of events, Woody is stolen by a toy collector. It turns out that Woody is part of a foursome, and is a very rare, old toy. The other toys are worth a lot, especially as a set, and it’s their dream to finally be out of storage. Along with Woody, we meet Jessie the cowgirl (Joan Cusack), Bullseye the Horse and Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammer) the Prospector. The fact that Woody has been abducted is the driving force behind Toy Story 2. The other characters must travel across town to get Woody and bring him back to where he rightfully belongs. What Woody is undergoing is something he has never been accustomed to, though. Having a bad arm (the stitches came loose), Woody is polished and fixed up good as new and is actually excited about going overseas to be part of a collection. What the film tries to accentuate, though, is that the love of a child, and to be played with as a toy, is more fun than being admired as part of some collection. We learn a lot more about Woody, and see that they put his mug on just about anything…from bubble blowers, to towels to board games. Woody and his “roundup” are it! It’s hard to say, but Toy Story 2, with a larger and more diverse cast, is just as good or better than it’s predecessor.
After watching these films back to back, I have to say that first and foremost, they are very, very clever. Obviously written by some pretty creative folks, once you get past how the movies were made, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 have a little something for everybody. These films appeal to little kids, but some jokes tend to have hidden meanings read into them, and thereby appeal to a much larger audience. Toy Story 2 was financially successful that it’s counterpart, which is a rarity…especially in Hollywood. Disney has pulled out all the stops for this new DVD version of two of the most anticipated titles to hit the format. For those of you who will just watch the movies (over and over…as kids like to do), then a bargain edition of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 is available without any of the supplements. It also features a full-frame version of Toy Story 2 and both have the same audio and video specs. Of course, technology is a wonderful thing, and Toy Story and Toy Story 2 have an added supplement disc that has basically everything you need and/or want to know about the making of the films. Included is an overview of the features (also outlined below in detail), which was another nice touch by Disney. All in all, The Ultimate Toy Box is quite a treat, though it’s for a little older audience, as I don’t know many kids who like to listen to Director’s Commentaries. You will not be disappointed, though! Highly recommended!
Video: How does it look?
Probably boasting something that very few other movies on DVD can…this is a completely digital to digital transfer. Since no cameras were used to film the action (it was all done on a computer…), all of the “film” is in the digital domain, hence giving us one of the best, if not the best images currently available on DVD. The characters, especially the toys, seem to have a 3-D effect that gives the image all that much more realism. The image looked good in theaters, but it looks almost twice as good on home theaters. On top of all this, the images are 16:9 enhanced at a 1.77:1 ratio. Toy Story seems to have a lot of bluish tones to it, as most of the movie takes place in Andy’s room (the walls are painted blue and hence the effect). Toy Story 2 has a lot more “locations”, but the image is not sacrificed in the least. Everything about both the transfers is perfect. There is no edge enhancement, no black level problems, no pixelation and no shimmering at all. Every detail is so precise and fine that I challenge the person to find a flaw with these transfers. Being designed in a computer, the humans that are in the film look a bit odd, but it goes with the whole theme of the movie. I noticed a lot more human activity in the Toy Story 2 than in the original, but it’s not distracting in the least. I trust the point has been made when I say that this is reference quality material for your DVD Player. If you want to convince someone to show them how good a DVD can look, pop in a copy of either Toy Story, Toy Story 2 or even A Bug’s Life…you won’t be disappointed!
Audio: How does it sound?
As much as the video can have an impact on you, so does the audio. Toy Story is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, where Toy Story 2 is presented in a Dolby Digital EX mix (that’s what four years in between movies will do). Either of the movies sound great. Toy Story has it’s moments, most noticeably during the moving van scene where all channels positively radiate sound. The LFE for the movies is always active, more so on Toy Story 2, and you’d be hard pressed to find an error in this soundtrack as well. Dialog on both movies is sharp and clean, and knowing who the voices behind the characters are, makes it fun to listen. In Toy Story 2, a lot of new characters have been added, and I purposely didn’t look to see who they were. It’s kind of fun to try and guess who the new character voices are…well, for me anyway. Toy Story 2’s soundtrack, as hard as it is to believe, sounds as good or even better than the original. Woody’s Roundup (the fictitious show that Woody and the gang were the stars of) theme song is played throughout and is very catchy. The high pitched violins that make up the song stood out as really reminding me of what a really great, ambient soundtrack is like. As much as I can say, the audio of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 stand out as much as the video, however if you don’t have a Home Theater setup, you can’t really take advantage of all these tracks have to offer. Therefore, the video is a bit more appealing (to the eyes, especially) of the two. I can say this…you won’t be disappointed by these audio mixes. As if it weren’t enough, both of these discs are THX certified, adding a new audio and video standard to the movies. Each of the movies has a different THX trailer (once we’ve all seen before, and one is new to DVD as far as I can tell). I won’t tell you which one, but it’s neat to see a new THX trailer on discs. Little stuff for sure, but it’s all indicative of how much effort has been put into these discs.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains a bonus third disc loaded with extras, but the two movie discs also house a number a number of features, including some exclusive to this release.
Disc One: This first disc contains a wealth of supplements, including an excellent documentary titled “The Story Behind Toy Story.” This piece covers the voice talent, various stages of design and animation, as well as the story development and such. I was impressed with this documentary to be sure, as I worried it would be the normal promotional fluff piece and it wasn’t at all. This one clocks in at well over half an hour and is more than worth the time to check it out. You can also watch a multi language reel, which runs portions of the film with different overdubbed dialects. I found this to be humorous and enlightening, as it shows how broad the appeal of this movie is. Two amusing on set interviews with Buzz and Woody are also found here and though Buzz seems to be played by someone else, these are still fun to watch. This disc also includes the full length Buzz Lightyear television commercial, which we can also see pieces of within the film. I was pleased to see this here and you can also watch an introduction on it by the filmmakers. A massive collection of Toy Story Treats are present also, which are short clips which ran before commercial breaks on ABC’s Saturday morning cartoon blocks. These are short and sometimes redundant, but are a lot of fun and I am happy Pixar included them on this disc. Also found in bonus materials here is Pixar’s wonderful animated short, Tin Toy and it is also fun to check out. The final supplements are two alternate audio tracks, both of which are excellent and prove to be worthwhile additions. First is an isolated sound effects track, which is just what is sounds like. This movie uses some cool sound effects and here, you can relax and just take them all in. And since this track is Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, they will sound just as excellent as they do within the movie. The other track is an audio commentary option, which features director John Lasseter along with a number of others. Lasseter dominates this commentary, but the others chime in when it comes to their areas of interest. This one is packed with information and such, but is also a lot of fun to listen to and never becomes dull. You’ll also find the unique THX trailer before the film starts, which is a nice touch.
Disc Two: This disc isn’t as packed as the first one, but you will find some nice supplements have been included. A series of hilarious outtakes can be found here, which is one of the trademark Pixar devices. These are so much fun to watch and as such, I am pleased these were packed onboard the disc. You’ll also find the Pixar animated short Luxo, Jr., which is funny and in the usual Pixar vein. This disc also houses bonus trailers for Monsters, Inc. and Buzz Lightyear Of Star Command: The Adventure Begins. The next supplements are alternate audio options, one is an isolated sound effects track and the other an audio commentary choice. The sound effects track (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX) is a hoot to watch, as this movie has some amazing sound effects to listen to. The commentary track includes director John Lasseter and some other folks and like the commentary found on the first disc, is a lot of fun and very informative. You’ll also be treated to a unique THX trailer before the movie and unlike the one found on the first disc, this one cannot be found in the normal two disc release.
Disc Three: This is one of the most loaded discs I’ve ever seen. In an effort to make this as extensive and easy to follow as possible, I’ve divided the content between the two films. So pick where you’d like to start and let’s begin.
Toy Story
History-
1. History & Development- This is a four minute piece in which we learn the early story behind the film, via some interviews and clips from other Disney films. This is quite short, but it does have a lot of information packed in.
2. Early Test- This was a very early test Pixar used to show Disney how the finished product would look. If you’re a fan of Woody, you’ll love seeing him in rough form and with a harder edge to him.
3. Original Treatments- This area contains two original treatments used to pitch Toy Story, as well as an introduction, in which John Lasseter explains what we’re watching. I found these to be very interesting, as you can see how much changed between these original treatments and the finished Toy Story movie. From small details to who would be the main characters, these offer a look into a whole new world of what might have been.
4. Production Notes- Hmmm…I wonder what these could be? That’s right, you’ll be able to read an extensive selection of production notes, complete with some photos to break up the text assault It might take some time, but there is a lot to be gained by reading these pages of notes.
5. The Cast- This area houses talent files for the voice talents that worked in this film. Not as extensive as I would have liked, but hey, you can’t have your cake and eat it too…
Design-
1. Character Design- In this section you can learn about the design of many of the characters found within the movie. From Woody to Buzz to the Mutant Toys to Andy himself, there’s a lot of the animated cast covered. You can also view an introduction to this area, which is always nice to have. I like this area, as you can follow a character from base design to final look, which I think is very cool. Some are more in depth than others, but I liked them all a lot.
2. Art Design- This section covers all aspects of the art design for the film, which is quite impressive. You can watch a featurette that discusses it in detail, view some of the film’s color script & keys, or even view some terrific concept artwork. I found this area to be very interesting, as the art design is so crucial for this movie. I was pleased to find such care was taken to give it some attention here on this disc. I liked the concept artwork the most, but the other elements were fun to browse also.
3. Environmental Design- Here you can learn about the design of the four major environments within the film, Andy’s Room, Sid’s Room, Pizza Planet, and the Gas Station. Each offers the chance to browse sketches, tests, and finished artwork, as well as take a tour of the location. If you take the tour, you will be treated to audio commentary, which will guide you through how these places were created. Wow! This has to be one of the coolest features in this release, which is a real compliment.
Story-
1. Storyboard Pitch- You can view an introduction to this area, or go straight to a storyboard pitch which deals with the green army men and their recon mission. As the animated storyboards run in one window, another shows a briefing of sorts on how the whole thing should play out in the final film.
2. Editing- This is a brief text supplement, which describes the process in which Toy Story was edited. You can tell it was no walk in the park, but man, it all turned out spectacular in the end.
3. Story Reel- This is an animated pencil sketch of some of the film, complete with rough audio. I was pleased to hear some dialogue that was cut, but this is a total package of fun. I liked this piece a lot, but I wish it was more expansive and covered more of the movie. Still, this is fantastic and more than worth a look.
4. Storyboard To Film- Here you can view the final film sequence against the storyboards, which lets you see what, if anything was changed and what remained the same. I love storyboards, so I was pleased as punch to find some more packed onto this disc. I wish more like it were included, but the car chase scene was a good choice to show off this feature.
5. Abandoned Concepts- You can view three abandoned concepts in this section, as well as an introduction to them. The sequences are shown in animated storyboard form and I think they’re great, as they allow us to see what might have been. Buzz Lightyear Cartoon and Woody’s Shootout cover alternate opening sequences, which Woody’s Nightmare is simply a sequence not included in the final film, obviously since it is found in this section.
Computer Animation-
1. Production Tour- This brief featurette gives us a broad overview of just how the animation process works. I wish it were more in depth, but with all the other supplements, I am not too disappointed in the end.
2. Layout Tricks- Here you can watch how some of the problems are dealt with, some of which I had no idea were even problems. This was very informative and showed once again just how difficult and demanding this animation is. I like how specific this piece is, as he discusses exact problems and then reveals how those issues were solved.
3. Animation Tour- This gives us a peek at how the animation begins and then progresses, in an easy to understand form. This is a short piece, but the overall value is good in my opinion.
4. Character Animation- This is another brief piece on animation, which deals with the basic nuts & bolts behind the movements. It all looks pretty insane to me, but these guys make it look as simple as 1-2-3. From the simple movements to lip synch to facial animation, this covers all the simple issues behind the process.
5. Shaders & Lighting- Here you can view an introduction piece, or choose a piece on shading or lighting. These elements are so vital to the final film and I am pleased they get some attention, even if only a small amount. If you’ve watched the other pieces in this section, then you know what to expect here.
6. Building A Shot- This piece takes us from the storyboards all the way to the final product, including all the levels of animation in between. It is fun to watch as the shots become more layered with each pass, which is nothing short of mind boggling at times.
7. Production Progression- This allows you to jump between three levels of the animation using your angle button, a feature that was also found on A Bug’s Life Collector’s Edition. The stages covered are storyboards, layout, and final scene. I like this feature a lot and wish more scenes were covered in such form. An introduction is also included, if you’d like to check it out.
8. Special Effects- This area houses four smaller sections, which cover various special effects the animators can use to make the visuals more detailed and realistic. These are all very detailed in their process, which allows to view the sequences in various stages of progression. Very cool, one of the more interesting supplements to be found on this disc. The effects covered are rain effects, motion blur & reflections, particle systems, and rendering & compositing.
Music and Sound-
1. Sound Design- You can learn about how the overall sound design was created, as well as many examples of just how the sounds were chosen. I found this to be fun and informative and if you did too, make sure to give the included isolated sound effects track on the first disc a listen. This is much more in depth than I expected, so expect more than traditional fluff with this piece.
2. Randy Newman Demos- Here you’ll find a bio on Newman, as well as a nice selection of musical pieces he did for this film. I liked this feature and was a little surprised to find it included here.
Deleted Animation-
1. Introduction- This is where you’ll hear from the filmmakers on what you’re about to see.
2. Deleted Sequences- This is a selection of two deleted sequences, each of which makes nice additions to this disc. You can also find a series of render bugs from the unfinished animation, which are fun to watch too.
Publicity-
1. Trailers- Here you’ll find a teaser trailer and a theatrical trailer. I love trailers, so of course this was a welcome area indeed.
2. Tv Spots- This is a selection of four television spots, also fun to watch, though not as much as the trailers.
3. Ad Campaign- Here you can browse through eight screens of images, each giving a look into how this movie was sold to the public. If you judge by the box office returns and popularity of the film, I think you can tell these things worked! From posters, ads, even the Academy screener artwork, and all other forms of such, you’ll see it all in this area.
4. Merchandising- In this area, you’ll be able to peruse seven screens of various toys, hats, lunch boxes, and other merchandise with Toy Story tie ins. I like to see these included, especially for future viewers who might not know how vast this stuff was.
Toy Story 2
History-
1. Why A Sequel?- Here various interviews reveal details about how the sequel came about, the success of the original, how it moved from direct to video into a feature film, how close it had to resemble the original, and all sorts of other stuff. I thought this was very interesting indeed and I was pleased to hear some behind the scenes information on how and why this sequel came into creation. All I can say is, I am glad this wasn’t a direct to video title!
2. The Continuing Story Of Toy Story- Here we learn about how some of the elements that were removed from the original were included here, which I found very interesting. These interviews are fun to listen to and you can tell these guys were happy some of these ideas were returned in this sequel. This is something I had wondered about and I am pleased with how the ideas were brought onboard this sequel.
3. John Lasseter Profile- This is a video fueled profile of John Lasseter, which turns out to be an informative and pretty fun piece. We hear from various performers and fellow Pixar workers, all of whom have high praise for Lasseter and his work.
4. Production Notes- A series of notes on the film’s production, which sometimes includes photos to keep your attention. I found a lot of useful information within the text, but it can be hard to read from your television for that long. Still, it is worth the time and effort, if you’re interested.
5. The Cast- You can view pieces on both the voice talent and the characters themselves, which I liked a lot. I am pleased both sides were covered, unlike the cast bios provided for the first film. You can hear the filmmakers discuss their choices, as well as the actors reflect on the roles they & the others play, very cool.
Design-
1. Character Design- Here you view the design formulas for a great number of the characters. All the old favorites are back of course, but even the new guys get a look in this section. Each character is given a selection of design progression shots and a character turnaround, which means the finished piece turns, so you can soak up all the details. Even money says Tour Guide Barbie gets the most attention in this one…
2. Art Design- Here you will find an introduction to the area, as well as a color script and lighting guide. This is very cool and I am glad a specific look was taken for this sequel, as opposed to including the same stuff from the first film.
3. Environmental Design- You can view the process behind Andy’s House, Al’s Toy Barn, Al’s Apartment, Zurg’s Planet, and the Airport. If you viewed the ones included for the first film, then you know what to expect. Here you will find all sorts of progression shots of what the locations were like, from start to finish. You can also take tours of the locations (including potential exteriors and internal sublocations), complete with art director’s commentary.
Story-
1. Woody’s Nightmare- This allows you to flip between storyboard pitch and storyboards only, using your angle button on the remote control. This is quite cool and you can also view an introduction to this feature.
2. Jessie’s Song- This is just like the above, but instead of storyboard pitch, you choose between storyboards only and storyboard to film, which is also cool by me. The introduction returns as well, which is always welcome in my book.
Computer Animation-
1. Production Tour- This is a broad overview of how the film gets from basic storyboards to finished product. Along this tour, we watch as a small portion of the film makes the trip, which allows us to see just how it all works. We hear from someone in each department, which makes it much more interesting I think. I happen to like the fine tuning sections the most, but each area was quite fun to hear about and watch develop.
2. Production Progression- Here we can toggle between four stages of progression (using the angle button on the remote), which allows the whole process to advance right in front of our own eyes. How cool, huh? An introduction is included, but the real stages include story reel, layout, animation, and shading & lighting. I would love to see more sequences in this form, but I suppose one is better than none and they chose a terrific example sequences.
3. Special Effects- This piece covers the small touches the normal animators don’t handle, which is cool to see given some attention. A short sequence is shown in various stages of progression, which are all explained as well. Very cool and a solid addition to this release.
Music and Sound-
1. The Music- In this area we hear about how the songs came about, from the filmmakers, artists, and more. I am not a big music fan, but it was cool to see such detail shown on how/why these artists/songs were chosen.
2. Sound Design- This is much like the piece used for the first film, but of course covers the effects used in this movie. This was a very interesting piece, but again most of this was covered in the previous film’s featurette. One sequences is shown with isolated sound effects, but of course the film’s disc offers the entire film with such isolated form.
3. Mixing Demo- This gives you a chance to hear all the elements of the elevator sequence in isolated form, which is very cool. You can choose to listen to the music, dialogue, sound effects, or even the finished mix of the audio. An introduction is also included, if you want to look into that.
4. Music Video- This is a music video for Woody’s Roundup, which is a lot of fun to watch. The video mixes live action of the artists with relevant clips from the film, with good end results.
5. Jessie’s Song Demo- Here you can hear the original Randy Newman version of this song, which was of course replaced by Sarah McLachlan’s take. Still, it is nice to hear this and I am glad it was included.
Deleted Animation-
1. Introduction- Just as it reads, this is an introduction to the deleted sequences.
2. Deleted Animation- You can view two scenes, Godzilla Rex and Crossing The Road and I liked both a lot. I love deleted scenes and these were a lot of fun to watch, especially Godzilla Rex.
Publicity-
1. Trailers- Here you will find a teaser and theatrical trailer, both of which I think are terrific examples. I thought there would be more, but I am pleased with these two in the end.
2. TV Commercials- A selection of four television commercials, which are fun to watch. These are television spots though, not commercials for the toys or other products.
3. Ad Campaign- A couple screens of various posters and other ads, used to promote this movie of course. I do wish this was more extensive, but I am glad this area was covered at all.
4. Autographed Pictures- A series of publicity shots of various characters, which are then signed in character. A very cool addition and very much in the vein of these films.
The Toy Box-
1. “Who’s The Coolest Toy?”- In this piece, we hear from various performers and such who debate which of the characters is in fact, the coolest. From Don Rickles to Sarah McLachlan, all spill the beans on which toy they like the most. As for myself, I have to side with Wheezy, he’s so cute!
2. Hidden Jokes- Here you can view a guide to the film’s inside jokes, which I happen to think are more fun to find yourself. But maybe you need to settle an argument or just don’t have the time to look, so here is a nice guide to the hidden gags in the film.
3. Woody’s Roundup- In this area you’ll find the music video for the song again, as well as a glimpse into how Woody’s television show was made, design shots on various items featuring Woody & his pals, and a look into the various collectibles shown in the film. The attention to detail is amazing on these items and we even get to see some real versions of some of them, very cool.
4. International Scene- Here is an alternate sequence, which replaces the American flag & music with elements that have international appeal. A nice addition that shows so much thought these folks put into their movies, simply amazing.
That’s all folks, any questions?
