What can I say about this film?  Spectacular.  Hilarious.  Touching.  Better than the first one.  

Toy Story 2 continues the story of a group of toys belonging to a kid named Andy, most importantly Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and Cowboy Woody (Tom Hanks).  The first movie focuses on the rivalry between Buzz and Woody, which eventually solidified into a beautiful friendship.  The second film cleverly builds on the first film with a more entertaining premise, a more thrilling climax, and even more in-jokes. 

Rather than a sinister kid named Sid  (Oh, hey! Sinister + Kid = Sid!  Get it?) the villain in Toy Story 2 is Newman, a.k.a Al from Al’s Toy Barn, voiced by Wayne Knight.  Al steals Woody from a yard sale to complete his rare collection of "Woody’s Roundup" toys.  Woody meets up with the rest of the gang: a cowgirl voiced by Joan Cusak, a prospector still in the original packaging (Kelsey Grammar), and a loyal horse named Bullseye.  

Al intends to sell his collection to a Japanese collector who will put them behind glass and on display.  The toys themselves have various responses to this: the Prospector is thrilled to be out of storage, and wants to go to Japan.  The Cowgirl is still mourning the fact that her former owner abandoned her.  (The song she sings, "When She Loved Me," will guarantee that sensitive kids will keep their childhood toys well into their 30s.)  Bullseye just wants to be with Woody.  And Woody? Well, he wants to get back home to Andy, Buzz, and the rest of his friends. 

Will Woody abandon the Roundup Gang, relegating them to the darkness of indefinite storage?  Has Andy forsaken him?  Will the knowledge of his own celebrity go to his head? Will Buzz and the rest of his friends rescue him in time?  The answers to these questions comprise a surprisingly thoughtful meditation on friendship and even mortality.   Throw in drama, suspense and wit.  Sprinkle with Disney’s magic fairy dust.  Serve.  

Great moments: The “other” Buzz, who reminds us how loveably deluded our Buzz used to be.  The green squeaky aliens.  The Star Wars jokes.  The Jurassic Park joke.   And of course, the Spinal Tap joke (Buzz’ evil nemesis Zurg has a blaster with a dial setting that goes up to 11). 

It’s fun, it's funny, it's heartwarming, it’s thrilling, it’s everything a movie should be.  Go see it.  Now.