Toy Story 3

Woody, Buzz and the gang make their long awaited return to the big screen, signaling the end of the three movie and fifteen year epic that first made Pixar a household name. Will Toy Story 3 be plagued by the constant need to live up to its predecessors or will it stand alone?

What I Liked:
If there is one thing that can be said of every single one of Pixar's films, it's that their production values are outstanding. Once again taking what they have learned from their previous films Pixar has again raised the bar for 3D animation. Woody, Buzz and their companions never looked better and the fluidity and motion of the human characters is vastly improved over the previous versions of Toy Story. You can tell this was a labor of love for the studio and it shows, everything is polished to such a smooth shiny sheen that one hardly notices that this is an animated film. You are taken to the world of Toy Story, ushered in by its lush visuals and you are ensnared by its wonderfully crafty story and characters. In my opinion the only thing that comes close to matching Pixar's visuals is their story telling. Some think it is hit or miss on some of their films, but I have yet to find a film that has failed to entertain me and speak to me on some level and Toy Story 3 is no exception. It is breath taking in scope, deeply emotional and a fitting conclusion for the characters we have come to know and love. One would expect that Pixar would have relied upon old cliches and characters, pulling from a rich and vast back catalog to get things rolling but they wisely refrain. The story stands on its own with only passing mentions of missing characters (don't worry all your favorites are still there). The new toys, from the Sunnyside Daycare center, are welcome additions and Pixar incorporated just about every toy I can think of from ones childhood. It is a fantastic setting and it only gets better when the crew realizes that they need to cross town to get back to Andy. I think this story might be the largest in scope of the three films, we travel to various locations throughout town, each one beautifully detailed, and imaginatively realized. Each one with its own set of obstacles for our band of heroes to overcome. Of course, as is par the course for Pixar, the voice acting is second to none and the script is rich, deep and vibrant. The line deliveries from the actors are exceptional, with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack reprising their roles as Woody, Buzz and Jessie nearly perfectly. In addition are new faces with Ned Beatty who does a brilliant job of breathing life into Lots-O'-Huggin Bear, and Michael Keaton who plays the best Ken doll I could ever imagine. Everything about this film is done so well, from the great animations, unique to each toy, to the casting and acting to its great story. One minute you are high on laughter, the next you plunging into the dark recesses of a characters soul and as all the characters struggle with their own issues it is clear that this is something special.

What I didn't Like:
If there is anything wrong with the film I would say I found it to be much more intense experience than I was expecting. From the deeply disturbed and conflicted villain to the final climactic scene, where everyone comes together, I was riveted to my chair. On the surface the script is easy to understand by everyone but it is a deep and dark tale of love and woe once you look under the hood. It is a story I immensely enjoyed but I think that the children in the audience may have been a tad frightened.

In Conclusion :
This is why I love film and in particular the animated genre, because it takes you places that traditional film can not in both emotional depth and childish wonder. Once again Pixar has taken audiences to a place only glimpsed by our imaginations and with such aplomb and finesse that we are sadly disappointed that it has to eventually end. With each generation Toy Story's story has grown more mature and more melancholy and this one is no exception. While I laughed and enjoyed myself, it was from a much more subtle sense of humor than any particular gags (though the dancing space ranger bit is pure comedy gold). Instead we are treated to a much deeper story one seething with bitterness, angst and sadness brimming just below the surface. I was captivated from start to finish and was throughly entertained the entire time I was in my seat. There has simply been no other movie experience comparable yet in 2010. See it, laugh and cry and have fun, you will not be disappointed.