Here’s some neat stuff related to the widely praised Toy Story sequel I reviewed a few days ago.
The Metaphysics of Woody: First off, Owen Gleiberman, movie critic at Entertainment Weekly has written two very insightful piece–his initial review and a follow-up post at the magazine’s site. In both, Gleiberman demonstrates why we are so involved in the life of these toys–whom Gleiberman recognizes as both “characters and objects,” and thus able to capture our imaginations because we understand how toys stir young minds in the creative activity of fantasy storytelling that helps children eventually experience empathy for others.
Seek and Ye Shall Find: For pure Pixar fun, go the Slashfilm article on the “Easter eggs,” hidden in the film. From the first Toy Story to now, Pixar has always embedded their set design with references to past works and characters and often previews a character from an upcoming feature in the corners or background of a new release. This article links to or displays a big toy box full of such hidden gems. This is part of the singular generosity of Pixar’s work that always gives the audience more than other films.
