Saw Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D.
Thoughts:
The original: my God, this is a great damn movie. It still holds up. It's as important a movie in animation history as Snow White, and it's far more than its technical achievements; it was made by people who legitimately gave a fuck about what they were doing.
The animation still looks solid 14 years later (except the humans -- more on them in a bit). There's some legitimately neat stuff with the lighting, particularly in the sequence in Sid's house when it's raining outside. The toys' movements are gorgeous too; the Army Men and Sid's misfit toys really stand out.
The story's pure genre, but perfectly executed, the cast does its job well, and every single toy just oozes charm and personality. This is a movie made by people who love animation and who understand animation, and who did something that had never been done before.
And let's talk script. I didn't realize Joss Whedon co-wrote it, but it makes a hell of a lot of sense; I can pretty much guarantee "You are a sad, strange little man" is one of his. (And really, Claire Saunders is pretty much going through the same identity crisis in Dollhouse that Buzz Lightyear went through in Toy Story.)
And the continuity. I love the little bits that become important later -- Sid taking a magnifying glass to Woody, and leaving a match in his pocket. And touches like the string of Christmas lights falling to the ground so you don't ask "Why didn't Woody just use them to climb down?"
This is the best use of 3D I've ever seen in a movie, and it just so happens to be in a movie that wasn't actually designed for it. I think that's for a couple of reasons. One is that the sense of scale is so vital to the mood of the movie; the other is that there are scenes where every corner is jam-packed with tiny details that are now much more eye-catching.
All in all: not a flawless movie, but there's no such thing. It's a damn fine movie, and it's just as good from a 27-year-old's perspective as a 12-year-old's.
On to the sequel:
I'd never seen it in its entirety before tonight; I caught the last half hour on the Disney Channel once.
The technical improvements are clear from the get-go. The textures are more detailed, everywhere from the rugs to Woody's pants to Slinky Dog's ears. And the fur on Andy's dog looks a whole lot better than on Sid's dog in the first movie. (And Jesus Christ, where did Andy get an SNES that can produce graphics like those?)
And the humans...well, most of them still aren't very good, but they're a whole lot more detailed than in the first movie. Humans are hard to do, and in both movies on the whole they come out looking much more plastic than the toys. I'd say there are two major exceptions: Sid's little sister is really the only expressive human in the first movie, and Wayne Knight's character in the sequel is just fantastic. (And the cleaner isn't too bad either, I guess. But all the other humans look like Sims.)
It's interesting watching the technological advances, but it's certainly evolutionary where the first movie was revolutionary.
The second movie has a weaker script but stronger themes; the idea that you grow up and things change, and the sense of love and loss, encapsulate the bittersweetness of life in a way that few children's cartoons dare (and most of the ones I can think of off the top of my head are ALSO Pixar movies). Maybe "dare" is the wrong word -- most people making children's entertainment (and entertainment in general, but I think especially children's entertainment) just don't give a fuck. There are so many kids' movies that are just cynical cash-ins. And so many whose "comedy" relies on pop culture references. The Toy Story movies have a timeless quality, and that's why they still hold up so well. The only gag I can think of that's a reference to another movie is the Star Wars bit -- and that's a reference to a movie that is itself a timeless classic, so the joke still works 10 years later.
(Well, okay, there's a Home Improvement ref in the first movie, and I think I saw a Watchmen ref in the second, though IIRC the sign said Pyramid Travel, not Pyramid Deliveries. But those are more Easter Eggs for eagle-eyed viewers than jokes that the movies actually rely on.)
All in all, I guess I'm not saying anything terribly original here; I'm just observing that Pixar makes pretty damn good movies, and that the reason they do is because they actually care about the quality of the product they're making. But damn, the Toy Story movies are fun in 3D; go see them if you get a chance. (I think they're only here for another week, then they're swapping out for Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D. Which I would also like to see!)
Hoping Toy Story 3 comes out well -- Pixar hasn't really made a bad movie yet, and 2 did a pretty good job of creating a different tone and making itself distinct from the original. We'll see what happens.
