COURTESY PHOTO, Disney Pictures

Inanimate toys come to life in "Toy Story 2," which features Tom Hanks.

"Toy Story 2" is without a doubt the best film released this year. A witty and endearing tale of friendship and adventure, "Story" is so entertaining and extraordinary that there is no need to bring a child. Director John Lasseter has assembled an excellent cast with the help of thousands of Pixar workers, creating a story with innumerable visual jokes, one-liners, sly references to other movies and cultural nudges that will make adults laugh out loud. This cartoon is a hilarious and charming experience for all ages, with a certain "instant classic" value that rivals Rocky and Bullwinkle.

In this sequel, Woody (Tom Hanks) gets snatched at a garage sale by a bad guy, Big Al, voiced by Wayne Knight (Seinfeld's Newman, forever destined to play the role of an overweight jerk). Unbeknownst to most everybody else, Woody is now a valuable collector's item, part of a set of '50s Western-themed toys being put together by an unscrupulous dealer. He intends to sell the toys to a museum in (where else?) Japan.

Joan Cusack is charming as a dancing cowgirl, and when Kelsey Grammer makes his first appearance as Prospector Stinky Pete, be prepared for more than one audience member to whisper "Hey, that's Sideshow Bob!"

Woody's old gang ‹ Rex, the timid dinosaur (Wallace Shawn), Hamm the piggy bank (John Ratzenberger), Slinky Dog (Jim Varney) and Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles) ‹ leave the security of Andy's bedroom to rescue their pal, led by the intrepid Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). The crew look for Woody in and around Big Al's Toy Barn. There, Buzz meets his doppelganger, who's the delusional space cadet our Buzz outgrew in the first film, and the rest of the group get waylaid by Tour Guide Barbie (Jodi Benson).

Will Woody decide to go to Japan? Will Buzz escape the wrath of the evil Emperor Zurg? Will they ever make it back to their owner Andy's house in time?

Throw in cameos from the Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots, a singing Penguin, and a new Randy Newman song sung by Sarah McLachlan and you've got one of Disney's best in a long time. Plus, Buzz Lightyear could kick Pikachu's butt any day of the week. To infinity, and beyond!