Why I didn't like Toy Story 2

I loved Toy Story 3 for its wonderful themes like friendship- sticking together through the good times and bad.

But Toy Story 2 was way over our heads. The issues they dealt with were not what I expected from a kid's movie.




Issues like existence. Purpose in life.

Woody was caught in a dilemma- to go home where he would be played with by Andy for a now but eventually be forgotten as Andy grew up, or to stay on with the cowboy toys that were going to be sent to a toy museum where they will be eternally looked upon. Either way he will lose friends. There was no right and wrong choice.

That's not cool.

Issues like that should not be appearing in a children's movie. It reminds me of Arwen's choice in LOTR. To be with Aragorn and in love but live for a short time, or to be without him and live forever. That's an adult theme.

They salvaged that by making one group selfish and seeking to capture Woody. So yeah if someone is trying to capture you and manipulate you then fight him. But when that was resolved, some questions were not.

Like, what is the purpose of a toy's life?

And coz these toys have life and we identify with them, the next question to ask is then "what is our purpose in life?"

How's a parent going to answer that one when their kid who just watched the movie asks?


I was troubled by that. But for the record, for me, I know what I was created for. And like all the toys in Toy Story who feel the most satisfied when they are played with, coz that's what toys are made for, I feel most satisfied doing the very thing I was created for.

Amazing how spiritual/philosophical this can get eh. I wonder why I didn't like Toy Story 2 if it made me think about life and existence and purpose in life.

Oh yeah, coz it was a kids show and I just wanted to have fun watching it.