Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #255
Written 11/20/99, Revised 8/27/07
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Buy it... if you seek a competent extension of Randy Newman's style
for the first Toy Story film.
Avoid it... if you expect any substantial new thematic development
or, surprisingly, a vocal performance from Newman himself.
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| Newman |
Toy Story 2: (Randy Newman) Disney and Pixar have
made an attempt through the years to relegate their ridiculous sequels
from hit theatrical movies to the straight-to-video market, and such was
the intent with Toy Story 2. But after Disney executives saw
considerable merit in the production of the film, it was elevated to
full feature status. Critics and audiences applauded that move, with the
film standing alongside the original Toy Story and A Bug's
Life as an outstanding trilogy featuring the next generation of
computer animation technology. John Lasseter is joined by Lee Unkrich
and Ash Brannon to direct the sequel, with a tight script that expands
upon the universe of Andy's toy collection without retreading over the
previous film or resorting to endless parodies of blockbuster films
(though a few do exist). Once again, the script managed to satisfy both
children and adults, dazzling both as well with its precise digital
artistry. Also returning for the sequel is composer Randy Newman, whose
music and songs for the original film garnered significant praise.
Toy Story would establish Newman's trademark animation sound that
would carry over to several subsequent scores for Pixar and eventually
yield an Oscar win for his efforts in the genre. The most recognizable
element to any of these Newman animation scores is his distinctive voice
over an end-credits song, something strangely absent from Toy Story
2. He does write a few new songs, but he does not perform them
himself. The first is directly relevant to the film's key plotline;
Woody is discovered to be a collectible part of an old set based on a
50's TV show, and that show receives a comedic jingle presented at the
start of the album. The light Sarah McLachlan song is harmless, and the
Robert Goulet version of "You've Got a Friend in Me" is quite
entertaining. As for the score, Newman pulls on many of the same strings
that made his first score effective.
Newman reprises the themes from the first film somewhat
sparingly, though listeners will be more likely able to recognize
trademark Newman orchestrations and other stylistic indicators. The
themes are a weak point for
Toy Story 2, with little satisfying
development of previous ideas and few additions of note. Newman
typically writes two kinds of animation scores: those with an identity,
and those without.
Toy Story 2 falls squarely in the latter
category. His music has all the personality that you'd come to expect
from him, with tributes to the classic Warner Brothers sound mixed into
faux Western rhythms and parodies of classic sci-fi music. The Emperor
Zurg plotline is provided two cues of this sci-fi action; "Zurg's
Planet" and "Emperor Zurg vs. Buzz" is a strange cross between John
Williams'
Star Wars and early James Horner sci-fi scores (mostly
Battle Beyond the Stars), the latter being somewhat bizarre to
hear in its accurate brass imitations. Outside of these cues, Newman's
music rides the path of a straightened arrow, stopping only occasionally
for some tips of the hat to Copland's sound of Americana. The anonymity
of the remaining cues in
Toy Story 2 is both the greatest
strength and weakness of the score. It's a pleasant and effective score
while it's running, but you'd be hard pressed to recall any specific
part of it after its conclusion. A reprise of "You've Got a Friend in
Me" led by a stylish saxophone is a blast of fresh air compared to a
score that seems to get wound up for no apparent purpose. With the
addition of several important new characters, it's disappointing that
Newman didn't make a more overt effort to provide them with viable
musical identities. In its finished form, the 40 minutes of score on the
Toy Story 2 album are basically fine, but they'll be redundant in
your collection of his works. The lack of a Newman vocal performance
only contributes the absence of a clear identity with this product. "To
infinity and beyond" apparently didn't apply to the music.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
Bias Check:
For Randy Newman reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.15
(in 20 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.11
(in 22,943 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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