Toys To Life 2

Toys To Life 2 is a 2023 computer-animated comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Studios. It was directed by Carlos Saldanha from a screenplay by Michael J. Wilson based on a story conceived by Saldahna, Earl Richey Jones, and Todd Jones. In the film's ensemble voice cast, Owen Laramore, Will Arnett, Idina Menzel, Catherine O'Hara, Nick Frost, Drew Barrymore, James Corden, Ellen Page, Sarah Vowell, Warwick Davis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jim Cummings, Benedict Wong, and Chris Wedge reprise their roles from the first film. Brooklynn Prince replaced Ella Anderson as Little Spence. John DiMaggio voiced John's cab driver in the first film, but in the sequel, DiMaggio voices Smartypants. The returning cast is joined by Dove Cameron, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Robert De Niro, Woody Allen, Adam Sandler, Bindi Irwin, BD Wong, and Awkwafina, who voice the new characters introduced in this film.

Toys To Life 2
Directed by	Carlos Saldanha
Produced by	Lori Forte
Screenplay by	Michael J, Wilson
Story by	Carlos Saldanha Earl Richey Jones Todd Jones
Starring	Owen Laramore Dove Cameron Will Arnett Idina Menzel Catherine O'Hara Nick Frost Drew Barrymore James Corden John DiMaggio Catherine Zeta-Jones Jesse Tyler Ferguson Robert De Niro Woody Allen Adam Sandler Bindi Irwin BD Wong Awkwafina
Music by	John Powell
Edited by	David Ian Salter
Production company	Blue Sky Studios 20th Century Animation
Distributed by	20th Century Studios
Release date	March 25, 2023 (United States)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$119 million
Box office	$144 million

Toys To Life 2 was released theatrically in the United States on March 25, 2023. The film was a box office bomb, grossing just $144 million against its $119 million budget and was panned by critics for its adult-oriented humor, voice performances, lack of originality, animation, and plot, although John Powell's musical score received some praise. It won in five categories at the 44th Golden Raspberry Awards. The film's poor reception resulted in the confirmation that Blue Sky only had seven years left after producer Lori Forte resigned from 20th Century Studios, and in response, AMC Theaters announced they would no longer distribute the studio's films.

Despite this, two sequels, Toys To Life 3 and Toys To Life 4 were released on March 9, 2026 and March 17, 2029, both to more positive and successful reception.

Plot

One month after the events of the first film, John Playskool and his troopers: Ian the lion, Tina the train, Ouch the pillow penguin, Ribbit the frog, Robone the robot dog, and the four yellow fish Age, Page, Cage, and Rage have become heroes since saving the museum, with John as the new king. One day, the Toytown toys discover a portal, but are ordered to fear it, much to their disappointment. On the way to work, John loses control of his car and inadvertently crashes into the city clock Toyomia, causing everyone to evacuate and rendering them homeless. With Toytown to be auctioned off the next week, John and his troopers jump into the portal, which leads them to a place called "WonderWorld".

A cheerful know-it-all named Smartypants directs them to the Clock Store. John and his troopers win the right clock, but must collect $700 in 24 hours or they will forfeit the bid and lose the clock. They befriend a broke salesman named Guy Gamer, who explains they make enough money in time by visiting a popular named Jungle Girl. They attempt to bring Gamer Guy the car of its main character Claire X. Venable, but are forced to give it back after an intense high-speed chase. She and her crew, Stewart, Mary, Chad, and Kath explain there are better ways to make money than stealing cars and make a video of John. Claire suggests John and his troopers to come see her friend Besst and her assistant Wickk and make more videos at VideoToons, much to the chagrin of John, who reluctantly agrees.

As John and Besst make tons of videos that eventually become popular, Ian, Tina, Ouch, Ribbit, Robone, and Age, Cage, Page, and Rage spread the word across WonderWorld. In a matter of time, they make $1357. John rushes to the Clock Store and buys the clock. Claire appears and reveals to John that she decided to stay with him after learning of his popularity. John and Claire fall in love. Fearing they will lose Claire, the Jungle Girl crew sends monkeys to bring her back. Upon learning of this, John follows Gamer Guy into the Dark Chamber, where an giant anthropomorphic talking snail named Slug offers John a potion that he thinks will make Claire's crew happy with the change. John accidentally drops the potion, which detects Claire as an insecurity and reboots Jungle Girl. John confesses to Claire that the mishap was his fault. Feeling betrayed, Claire breaks off her romance with John, throws away his crown, and orders him to leave WonderWorld and never return. The potion scans John and duplicates him.

Meanwhile, John's troopers discover the potion has created zombie clones of John and inform John, who has recovered his now-smashed crown, They find Claire hiding with Smartypants. Claire pins John to the wall and threatens him with a knife, intending to kill him for his unintentional insubordination, but John confesses he was trying to prove himself as a good king. As John's troopers fend off the zombie clones, Smartypants suggests John and Claire lure the clones into a anti-potion trap with Besst's help. However, the plan fails, and the zombie clones form a giant John. The giant John grabs Claire and tries to kill the real John, but Claire's crew appear at the scene, finally coming to terms with Claire making her own decisions. The giant John and the potion disintegrate, and John is saved from falling to his death by Little Spence, Mamo, Mousey, Ken the color worm, and the Red Monkeys.

John gives half of his broken crown to Claire. John and Claire finally kiss, and Claire bids a heartfelt farewell to her crew. John, Claire, Ian, Tina, Cage, Page, Rage, and Age, Robone, Ribbit, Ouch, Little Spence, Mamo, Mousey, Ken, and the Red Monkeys return to Toytown. John and Claire marry at the museum, and Claire becomes John's queen.

Cast

• Owen Laramore as John Playskool, a blue snowboarder action figure who is a tour guide at the Toytown Museum and the king of Toytown.
• Dove Cameron as Claire X. Venable, the main character of Jungle Girl and later queen of Toytown.
• Will Arnett as Ian, a smart-talking toy lion and one of John's troopers.
• Idina Menzel as Tina, a toy train and one of John's troopers.
• Catherine O'Hara as Ouch, a pillow-sized penguin resembling dachshund who is one of John's troopers.
• Drew Barrymore as Ribbit, a Tennis ball-shaped toy frog and one of John's troopers.
• James Corden as Robone, a British-accented robot dog toy and one of John's troopers.