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One minor problem with the first film was that, unlike all the other toys, it was never clear how Woody ever came into being. Woody, meanwhile, is developed far further when it's revealed to him that he's more than a mere doll. Buzz is now at ease with his status as a plaything rather than a true-life cosmic adventurer, but that doesn't prevent him taking on the responsibility for Woody's rescue with deliciously hammy gusto, setting him up for some beautifully executed pratfalls. But it's in terms of story, script and character that Pixar's latest truly excels. And, talking of hair, Pixar has done a superb job rendering the fur on Andy's dog, Buster, apparently a result of the work it's been doing on its next movie, Monsters Inc. Although both Andy and his mom haven't quite lost their plastic sheen, the pudgy, greasy Al - who has more screentime than any other human - is remarkably realistic, right down to the individual bristles poking out of his jowly chin. No, the real improvements are more obvious when you look at the non-toy world they inhabit: back-grounds are packed with detail and exteriors are breathtakingly vast, involving skyscrapers, main streets and an entire airport, while the opening sequence even whirls you around a immense sci-fi spacescape. Besides, it'd be a bad move to change Buzz and co's appearance simply for the sake of change. Being toys, they don't require the roughness, spikiness and flakiness of A Bug's Life's insects. Okay, the main characters don't look that different, but then they don't really need to. Just compare the graphics in the original with last year's ultra-textured A Bug's Life, and you'll have an idea of how far they've come with this second toyscapade. Pixar supremo and TS2 director John Lasseter has always claimed that plot and character are as important as jaw-to-floor visuals, and his latest Lego-block-buster scores top marks on both.

No, their rough cut smacked the gobs of the men at the Mouse House so much that the running time was bumped up, new scenes and characters added, the original cast kept on and the whole thing redirected towards the silver screen.

But the keyboard-clacking bods at Pixar couldn't take the easy option and trot out an inferior product on VHS. Disney sequels are usually just shunted onto the sell-through market, involving only a fraction of the original budget and effort (witness the Aladdin follow-up minus Robin Williams, or the slightly mangier Lion King II: Simba's Pride). And if you're not already excited by this, then that key in your back obviously needs a few vigorous turns, because Pixar's latest CG spectacular is funnier, more thrilling and more genre-bustingly brilliant than you could imagine. Disney sequels The Toys, as they say, are back in town.