you're better at battling zurg than i am.
I didn't sleep at all well in Cincinnati, whether from the recirculated hotel air or lumpy pillows or what. One day Darin's Aunt Lil even said to me, "You don't look well," which didn't surprise me that much because I didn't feel well. (And also, she's really blunt.) I was like a zombie the last day--Darin pointed out my "blank affect." (He's also really blunt.) I couldn't help it; I was waking up every hour once I got to sleep in the first place.
I got up this morning having had an actual 8 hours of sleep. Whoo hoo.
We called Fernando and made plans to go see Toy Story 2, which was playing approximately every 7 to 10 minutes at the Universal City Walk. Okay, maybe just every half hour, but we felt confident that we could just go on over there and get tickets to a show playing soon.
We did and could and so we saw Toy Story 2, which I don't need to tell you is wonderful because you've already heard it's wonderful and have gone to see it this weekend well before any pissant review in an online journal weighed in on the matter. If all movies--not all kid movies, all movies--were as well made as this one, I'd be a happy moviegoer. If you liked the first one, you'll like this. If you didn't like the first one...oh, go away.
All of our friends from Toy Story return: cowboy doll Woody (Tom Hanks), spaceman doll Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the other wonderful inhabitants of Andy's Room (the dinosaur, the pig bank, Mr. Potato Head). Woody gets kidnapped; it's up to Our Heroes to save him. Along the way they must investigate the strange and unusual venue of the Toy Store and do battle with Buzz's archnemesis Zurg, not to mention the entirely despicable Al (Wayne Knight, who is clearly cackling all the way to the bank).
It's a story about friendship and values. Of course, it's a very male-centric view of those qualities; the girls stay home and wish their men on to victory, except for the Barbie dolls, which are perky and useless. It's a stirring story nonetheless, while at the same time not being sappy or moralistic. It shows, not tells. (Again, if only all movies...)
The best thing about it is how many levels it works on. I don't think we were the only non-child-accompanied adults in the theater today, and adults can definitely enjoy this as much as kids can. There are so many jokes there for adults--not racy, just stuff that's going to be over a tot's head--that you know they worked on this script very, very hard, to make sure it was enjoyable for everyone. Which is just so thrilling to see.
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Copyright 1999 Diane Patterson
Send comments and questions to diane@spies.com