TS2: Sneak Preview

By RICHARD CORLISS

Al the rapacious toy collector is leaning over the old man repairing the torn arm of a small cloth figure. "So how long is this gonna take?" Al shouts. And the gnomish artisan snaps back with a rage born in loving care, "You can't! Push! Art!"

Steve Jobs can. Though he has no more to do with the creation of Pixar movies than, say, Time Warner chairman Gerald Levin had to do with The Matrix, he is a whiz at cajoling, nudging and cheering on John Lasseter and the other gentle geniuses in the Pixar cave to get stuff done. So with a great push, Toy Story 2 will be ready for its Nov. 24 release. It's nearly completed now, and judging by a sneak peek last week, we'd say it looks like high-comic computer art.

Kids and retailers of all ages will fondly remember Sheriff Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and his battery-powered pal Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), who together saved a lot of other toys from a fate worse than yard sales. This time hero Woody is the victim--kidnapped by Al to complete a set of classic '50s toys. Turns out Woody, or the marionette that inspired him, was once famous. He starred in his own TV show. He generated spin-off merchandise like radios, yo-yos, ukuleles. Heck, he was on the cover of TIME.

He also has a family beyond the plastic dinosaur, the piggy bank, the Slinky dog and his other amigos back home in Andy's bedroom. Jessie the Yodelin' Cowgirl and Stinky Pete the prospector and a horse named Bullseye--they all want Woody to stay with them. Could life be better for a cloth toy who, in the original film, thought no one wanted him? Now everybody does. Way too much.

To put it cynically, a movie sequel is just an attempt to extend the franchise created by a hit. And in this case, a franchise that sold millions of toys. When Buzz says dewily, "Life's only worth livin' if you've been loved by a kid," he is voicing either the sweetest sentiment ever or the canniest slogan for Toys "R" Us.

But somewhere beyond the profit motive ought to be the impulse to spread joy. The TS2 directors have that impulse and share it recklessly. Building on the first film's wit and goodwill, they've created vivid new creatures, including one--the pert, hyperventilating Jessie--who is a real doll (batteries not necessary).

It's all enough to make you forget the sales pitch. And the characters are so alive that if someone asks you, "Isn't Toy Story 2 a computer-generated cartoon?" you may say, "You know, I never noticed. I was too busy having a great time."

--By Richard Corliss