You've Got a Friend In Me - Robert Goulet

There are not many sequels out there that I like better than the original. The Empire Strikes Back, Spider-Man 2 and X2: X-Men United are a few of them. Toy Story 2 also has to be on this list because when I walked out of the theatre I couldn't believe how good it was. This week is Sequel Week and I'm posting a song from Toy Story that was covered for Toy Story 2.

The elements were all right to make this a good movie. The characters were strong, the animation was way better, the new characters were there for a reason and it featured When She Loved Me, one of my favourite modern Disney songs.

But I think the biggest reason this movie was so good was the story. Most Disney sequels are just a re-hash of the first film. For example, The Little Mermaid told the tale of a mermaid who longed to have legs and live on land. The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea was about Ariel's daughter who longed for fins and to live under the sea. Toy Story 2 was not like this at all. Instead, they took a look at the other side of the toy world, the collector. It was smart, funny, dramatic and adventureous.

The end of the movie featured a squeeze toy named Wheezy who just had his squeaker returned which meant he could sing. So he sang a big band version of You've Got a Friend In Me! Wheezy was voiced by ROBERT GOULET who just died last October. The movie only contains a short clip of the song but you can find the whole version in two places: The Toy Story 2 soundtrack and here at Covering the Mouse!

Toy Story 2 isn't the first time Goulet has provided a voice for animation. You can also hear him in Gay Purr-ee and Recess: School's Out.

You've Got a Friend In Me Robert Goulet 1999