TOY STORY 2

Directed by John Lassiter. Featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack

AFTER A lengthy four-year wait, the best-loved family flick of the decade has finally spawned a sequel – and although the element of surprise might be missing this time round, John Lassiter and the Pixar crew have successfully crafted a sequel that matches its predecessor in every department.

Toy Story 2 is, of course, a rock-solid certainty for gigantic box-office success, having bagged a cool $150 million within four weeks of its Stateside release – but there’s far more going on here than just a merchandising campaign.

Wisely reprising the winning formula that worked so well first time out, the film takes up where the first one left off, with all the principal characters from the original still on view (apart from Sid the psychotic toy-torturer, who is sadly conspicuous by his absence).

A number of new toy characters also make their appearance and the film spins another gleeful web of glorious story-telling for the entirety of its 90-minute lifespan. The plot doesn’t exactly lend itself to minute critical dissection, but suffice to say it doesn’t flag for a single moment – while the animation, as you might expect, is supreme.

Toy Story 2 will be adored on a large scale, will shift mammoth amounts of video copies, and will surely be the cue for a third instalment – but more importantly, it will transport viewers young and old into a magical other universe, now and in the years to come. Long may the series prosper.