In many animated films, the action genre is evident. Within the sequence, the action conventions followed are, the chase in the car to catch Al, and also when Woody and Jessie jump from the moving plane. Action conventions can also be found in other animation films. In Finding Nemo for instance, there is also a chase, when Marlin is chasing the boat to get Nemo. Action conventions are used in animations to build up tension within the audience.
The conventions of a western film are also evident within this film. The conventions followed in the climax of the film are the characters, Woody and Jessie being cowboys and Bullseye being a horse, and when Woody rides Bullseye, in order to catch up with the plane and save Jessie. While Woody is riding Bullseye he is saying stereotypical quotations of cowboys. Such as, “Run like the wind,” and “Giddy up.” The western theme within Toy Story 2 is part of the narrative, rather than a genre followed in other animations.
A key convention of animation films is that in the end of the film all problems are resolved and the characters are happy. By the end of the climax it is clear to the audience that all the toy characters are happy. The last line in my sequence is, “Lets go home.” The tone that Woody uses when saying this line is happy and as if all of his problems have been resolved. Another key convention in animated films is that the bad guy always loses. This is true in Toy Story 2 because Al loses Woody, Jessie, Bullseye and Stinky Pete, along with a lot of money. The bad guy in Finding Nemo for example is the dentist. He ends up losing Nemo when he escapes. However, the dentist is not a conventional bad guy, because he took Nemo for the reason that he was in open water and in danger of larger fish. An audience can still recognise that he is bad though, because of the pain that it causes Marlin.
The comedy within Toy Story 2 is a mixture of being subtle and very obvious. The obvious comedy is for the children, and some adults, to enjoy. For example, when Stinky Pete is put into the little girl’s bag and he learns that she is an artist. It is funny because of the expression on his face, and also that he starts to cry. The more subtle comedy is for the enjoyment of an adult audience. For example, on the back of the pizza van, it says “COOL.” This is humorous for an adult audience, because it is a stereotype of what pizza delivery boys, in America, say. There is also comedy for both children and adults at the same time. For instance, when Hamm says, “I seriously doubt he’s getting this much mileage.” Children would find this funny because of the tone in Hamm’s voice, whereas adults may be able to understand what he is talking about and associate with it. The comedy theme is used in lots of other animations. For example, in Shrek, the comedy is evident throughout the whole film. One example of this comedy, for both children and older audiences, is when Shrek and Donkey go into Duloc, and when they put some money into the machine, and it sings, “Please keep off of the grass, shine your shoes wipe your… face!” children will find it funny because of the rhyme and the faces on the dolls, as well as the characters, but older audiences will find it funny because they will be able to think of a word that rhymes with “grass.”
In conclusion, the many different genre conventions followed within the film allow for a larger audience. The narrative is kept quite simple for younger audiences, but cleverly, the narrative is kept exciting with lots of different things happening as not to bore the audience. Toy Story 2 could be described as action packed, with lots of different problems to be faced and resolved. Animated films are popular not only for the different genres used, but also it may remind an adult audience of their youth and happy times. Another valid point to make about this particular film, and why it may be successful, is that, toys coming to life when you are out of the room, is a child’s fantasy. Another reason why this film in particular was popular is because it is a second movie. Audiences who enjoyed the first movie of the two, will expect this movie to be just as good, if not better than the other one. Toy Story 2 made a worldwide gross of $485015179; this proves that it was very successful all over the world.
