[The Ace of Spades is often known as "The Death Card".]

Is Toy Story 2 not the most existential children's film in all cinematic history? The first Toy Story was, too, but this one gets into some of the complex subtance of it. Perhaps I was just in a mood to notice it yesterday, while watching it with the Little Ditchman. She found it "a little bit scary" and I can't blame her. It's exactly what existential tracts do to people: scare them.

No seriously, this one is a real renter. It's brilliant. Probably one of the greatest sequels of all time, up there in the Godfather, Part 2 category of sequels, which seems altogether unlikely on the surface of it. In a curt eighty-five minutes, every philosophical question of existence, meaning, identity, life, death, and utility is covered, and it's funny all along. I've seen it several times and I think it's one of Pixar's best (I never give credit to Disney for Pixar's work) and, seriously now, the movie covers some heavy themes. (Among them: the unique nature of the soul, the temptations of ego, and the losses associated with children growing up. (Woody: "You're right, Prospector. I can't stop Andy from growing up... but I wouldn't miss it for the world.")

I'm not going into it. Haven't the time today. In the end, the movie is funny and entertaining, which is the point all along, and a cursory Google search of "Toy Story 2" and "existentialism" doesn't bring up any good college theses on the digitally animated wonder. I guess those scholars don't get out much. It's too bad. Philosophers have long lacked a sense of humor, which puts them squarely on the road to being wrong about everything.

Wheezy: What's the point of prolonging the inevitable? We're all just one stitch away from here... [points to yard sale] ...to there.

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