Rating: Summary: Real Family Fun Review: As the mother of two preschoolers, I have had to endure dumb tapes in the house just so I can get a few chores completed before sundown. I've seen talking babies, cute animals of every species, heroic youngsters of all ethnicities and the prize goes to the toys. This tape is GREAT! It is better than the original and that was superb. Buzz and Woody handle the issue of their own identities as toys. They also venture out of the neighborhood to a toy store. The plot is rich and there is a coherent pattern of events but both of my children have been able to pick up the story at any given point and watch straight through. More importantly, I love this tape and would willingly watch it with them. The graphics are incredible. The vocal talents are brilliant. The plot is sweet and poignant. The jokes are actually funny to all members of the family and no person should be the least bit embarrassed to watch this cartoon.
Rating: Summary: Two Outstanding Movies in an Oustanding DVD Review: I only buy great DVDs that really give me something extra for my money, and this is the best set I've bought yet, perhaps even the best set of DVDs ever made. Great movies, the best possible conversion, and more extras than you could ever hope to explore - this is worthy of your time and money!The Movies - If you missed one of both of these films, you've missed perhaps the best animated movies ever made. I can't possibly describe these wonderfully detailed plots and characters, but I will tell you that both films contain adult themes of loss and growing old, and are deeply moving. To see toys that we have all played with come to life - Mr Potato Head, Speak 'n Spell, Hot Wheels, Barbies, piggy banks, and one precious "operation" performed by little green plastic Army Men - this is pure movie magic. Kids are not required to watch these movies! Even granparents can relate. The original was the first completely computer-animated film, but it's effects are by no means primative - they are jaw-dropping. The sequel is more satisfying and engrossing than the first. There are actually moments in the sequel were the human beings look absolutely real. Of course, because of their subject matter, any child is guaranteed to watch these movies over and over. The DVDs - No other DVD can possibily match the visual conversion in this box set. Because the original movies were made entirely with computers, the animators simply had the entire film recreated specifically for the DVD medium. There are absolutely no scratches, no specks of dust, no artifacting, nothing wrong at all. I would dare say that it is physically impossible for a movie shot on film to look this good on DVD. The sound is wonderful as well, some of the best soundtracks in animation: crisp, full sound fx combined with nostalgic music and hilarious acting by Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and a cast of other familiar voices. The Extras - Hours and hours of extras. The directors and writers give you a guided tour of every aspect of both both films - the character design, the virtual sets, test shoots, deleted scenes, previews, old Pixar short films, even "outakes" and "interviews" with the animated characters themselves. Wonderful stuff that will tell you more than you ever wanted to know! It's worth it - get this box set!
Rating: Summary: Which Toy Story pack should I buy? Review: To be honest, as of writing this, I haven't watched the DVD movie by itself. I have been watching the extras instead (and there are a log). One of my favorite is the audio commentery option. The people who made the movie(s) talk about the movie and the scenes that you are watching, and it often put a whole new perspective on that scene. One part that I didn't like in TS2, was the Jessies song part. But when it was explained by the producers, I was able to accept it more. This is the edition for those who enjoy the behind the scenes look, the back stories, rejected stories that went into producing them. We also learn about the philosophies of these people at Pixar, which seemed to be similar to my philosophy. (perhaps that is why I love PIXAR movies over its Disney affliate). If you are deciding to buy this version or the regular two CD Version, ask your self this question. Do I just want to see the movie, or Do I want an in-depth examination on what went into this movie? The ultimate toy box is the in depth review. My one dissappointment was the Monster Inc preview. Granted, it was enjoyable, but I hoped it would be a litte longer.
Rating: Summary: A non-technical review of a great movie package Review: EXCELLENT! If you are a fan of the movies, or enjoy fantastic story-telling and need a break from Hollywood's penchant for special effects without scrips, get your copy of this movie package. The stories are suitable for all ages, not just the kids. Adults will enjoy revisiting not only the toys they played with as children, but a joy that we all knew as children - making inanimate toys come to life. This time, though, it's not imagination providing the action, it's the wizards at Pixar. In addition to wonderful characters, characterizations, and great stories, the movies feature some of the best music Randy Newman has ever done. If you don't get even a little bit misty during "When She Loved Me," in Toy Story 2, it's time to seriously reacquaint yourself with the child within. Finally, because it's DVD, you're copy will be jam-packed with all sorts of additional information, dialogue, and making-of features. Watch the movies, and then play the "outtakes." They are a hoot! Good job to all concerned in the making of this DVD boxed set.
Rating: Summary: Ultimate DVD Review: Make no mistake about it ... Pixar and Disney set a new standard for computer animated movies with the release of the funny and popular Toy Story in 1995. As if to tempt fate, they released Toy Story 2 in 1999, to greater and funnier claim. Now, they have set the standard for DVD releases with their release of the "Ultimate Toy Box: Toy Story and Toy Story 2". I have spent at least three hours of my weekend browsing through the endless streams of information the folks at Pixar developed for us on this stunning release, and that is just on the supplmental disk. Not to mention the bevy of bonuses found on both movies, this release makes for an enjoyable time all around. With interviews, behind the scene vignettes, special effects, and outtakes, you will spend every minute entirely entertained with Woody and the gang. The cost of the DVD is well worth what you get. I highly recommend adding this treasure to your DVD library while you can!
Rating: Summary: Not A Dull #2!! Review: Alot of times sequels to movies are really bad, however this is not the case with Toy Story 2!!! Being a Toy Story fan myself, I felt that this movie was a must-see for me. Lots of interesting characters and plenty of humor made this movie an instant winner. Children and adults of all ages will enjoy it!
Rating: Summary: The Best DVD Release EVER Review: The Ultimate Toy Box is simply the single greatest DVD release ever. "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" are revolutionary in that they are among just a handful of full-length computer animated feature films, with the former being the first ever. The two Disney/Pixar collaborations are two of the most enjoyable films of any kind, animated or live-action. They possess many heartwarming qualities in the stories they tell. Themes of friendship, vulnerability, and accepting your place in life are timeless, and these themes work better in these two films which is just a bunch of computerized characters and sets than in just about every live action film. Now as good as simply owning both films together in a box set would be, Pixar is not happy to settle for just that. This DVD set is simply amazing. The video quality of the two films (both direct digital transfers) seems to define the word "perfection". There are no imperfections on the movie at all. The Dolby 5.1 digital surround sound is enwrapping, but not overwhelming and again is the flawless suitable audio presentation for the films. Beyond the movies, Pixar has included an endless supply of supplemental features to allow the viewer to follow the progress of the two films, from storyboards to character and set design to initial animation to lighting and shading to mixing all the elements together (voices, music, sound effects) for the final product. On disc one ("Toy Story") included are 52 brief "Toy Story Treats" which are animated snippets which aired on Saturday mornings upon the original film's release. There is also a 3-minute multi-language reel which showcases the scene of Buzz's introduction to his counterparts in 30 different languages. Also included is the entire "Buzz Lightyear" commercial partially seen in the movie, two brief "on-set" interviews with Buzz and Woody, and an extensive look at the making-of the first entirely computer-animated film in "The Story Behind Toy Story". We also are presented with Pixar's earlier computer work in two animated shorts: "Luxo Jr." (the studio's Oscar-nominated first short from 1986) (Disc 2) and "Tin Toy" (Oscar-winning 1988 short) (Disc 1). There are French 5.1 tracks for both movies in addition to a 5.1 surround track with the sound-effects only for both films. A track of audio commentary from the filmmakers appears for each films as well. In addition, the "Toy Story 2" disc contains the film's hilarious outtakes, a sneak peek at the upcoming Disney/Pixar collaboration "Monsters Inc." Then there's an entire third disc devoted entirely to the supplemental features. The disc is separated into two separate sections for the two separate movies. For "Toy Story" the extras cover the History of the film (original plans, early animation tests), the Story itself (storyboards, story reels), Music and Sound Design (featuring 7 original Randy Newman song demos, some of which make their way into the film in some way), the Publicity for the film (2 trailers, 4 TV ads, plus a bunch of poster art, print ads, and merchandising photos), the Computer Animation techniques, Deleted Animation (two scenes with introduction), Abandoned Concepts, and more. For "Toy Story 2", there is a lot of similar material but of course just for the sequel. The History section answers the question "Why a Sequel?", in addition to discussing the Development of the concepts, there are also sections on Music & Sound Design (including music videos and another Randy Newman song demo), Computer Animation, Deleted Animation, Abandoned Concepts, Story, The Toy Box (with information on "Woody's Roundup" and the fake memorabilia surrounding the show-within-a-movie), and Publicity (with trailers, TV ads, poster art, and character autographs). There is also a featurette on the talented voice cast, plus a segment on "Who's the Coolest Toy?". The biggest of the very minor complaints I have with the set is the lack of time-coding the supplemental features (for instance, when you start watching a featurette you have no idea how long it might be). I could go on and on listing all the specifics of the supplemental features, but it's irrelevant. Let me just say that The Ultimate Toy Box is the ultimate presentation of two of the greatest films of all time. Through a slew of fascinating extras, unsurpassed audio and video quality, and two classic stories with human-like characters who just happen to be toys, The Ultimate Toy Box succeeds on every level possible. You would be doing yourself a great disservice by passing up on the Ultimate Toy Box 3-Disc DVD set. Check it out, you certainly will not regret it.
Rating: Summary: Finally another movie in which a daring rescue is required Review: This is the sequel to Toy Story that children and adults can enjoy together. Woody has to go to cowboy camp with Andy but can't find his hat. Later on he finds it and Andy starts playing with the toys for 5 minutes imitating them and Andy accidentally rips Woody's right arm and because of that Woody can't go to camp. Woody is shelved and has a dream that Andy comes home from camp early and throws him in the trash. Then Woody is kidnapped and taken to Al's Toy Barn. Woody is repaired and made as good as new after his arm fully falls off. All the other toys start a search for Woody and later on they see many copies of Buzz, Woody, etc. and Tour Guide Barbie takes them on a tour. Andy is surprised when all the toys come home and Woody's arm is fixed. He has new toys. Three Barbie dolls wearing magenta, green and cyan dance to the "Wipeout" song and another toy performs a new version of "You've Got a Friend in Me." This movie, and Muzzy II are two movies which require a daring rescue.
Rating: Summary: The best DVD box set created to date! Simply amazing. Review: If you're thinking of getting the Toy Story movies on DVD, then spend the extra money and get the box set over the 2-disc set. You wont be sorry. The box itself is pretty amazing - with a silver background that has sketches of the characters, and a big plastic protective cover with the color versions of Woody and Buzz. The plastic slides over the main silver box where the individual DVD cases are stored, and matches the sketch drawings. Very slick. The box set includes 3 DVDs: Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and a special third DVD jam-packed with so many extras from both movies, that it took me 2 hours to get through it all! You'll be amazed at all the work that went into creating the two features. It's fun to look through stuff like early sketches of Woody, interview clips with the stars who provided the voices (Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, etc), storyboards, trailers, publicity posters, outtakes, deleted scenes, and much much more. Did you know that the first draft for Toy Story was in 1991? Me either! Lots of little fun facts in there as well. Pixar really takes DVD technology seriously, and it shows with The Ultimate Toy Story Box set. This has become my new "show off" DVD, which I use to demonstrate the power of DVD technology to friends who are still using VCRs. I strongly recommend this to anyone who is a big fan of the Toy Story movies. The picture quality is wonderful. If you also love getting tons of extra features on DVD for your hard earned money, then you'll be in total heaven with this set.
Rating: Summary: An very cool sequel to the smart comic Toy Story. Review: Toy Story 2 is the best movies of 1999 and without a doubt, also one of the best susprises. The plot:Woody(Voiced by Tom Hanks) is thrill to go cowboy camping with Andy, but andy decide to not bring woody. Woody is heartbroking about it. Then andy`s mother bring a broken toy out of andy`s room for a yard sale. Andy resuce the toy from the yard sale. But stange evil collector(Voiced by Wayne Knight) stole Woody, because he`s a rare toy popular from the fifties. Then woody meets from his never seen partners from the fifties from a short but popular show. Then Buzz Lightyear(Voiced by Tim Allen) and his pals are set up to recuse Woody. Before woody and his new friends are going to japan. Grade A Plus, visual animation computer effects is great.A sequel really live up to the original Toy Story. A great VACF film. Grade:A.
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