Pixar had one heck of a challenge to face when tasked with creating Toy Story 3. How do you introduce a handful of well known characters to a new, younger audience and carve out another exciting, relevant adventure for longtime fans all the while dealing with the mounting pressure of delivering excellence after a streak of 10 critically acclaimed movies? Magic, that’s how. And that’s the only way to describe how the animation studio concocted the absolutely fantastic Toy Story 3, in theaters today.
Just like the break between the theatrical releases of its predecessor, Toy Story 3 jumps ahead about a decade in time. We find Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack), Ham (John Ratzenberger), Rex (Wallace Shawn), Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles) and other toys still clutching to an oath of loyalty to their owner Andy, who now is now a self-involved teen, ready to spread his wings and head to college. Things go haywire when Andy’s mother accidentally throws these old toys in the trash (instead storing them in the attic) and they wind up at Sunnyside, a local daycare.
What first seems like a promising paradise quickly becomes a hellish prison as the toys find themselves banged up, slobbered on and thrown about by a swarm of hyper toddlers. Even worse, they find themselves the victims of a merciless imprisonment plot by the toys that run the daycare at night, a motley crue of evil toys run by Lots-O-Huggin’ Bear, a cute, but deceptively clever teddy bear that smells like strawberries, of all things.
At about 100 minutes running time, Toy Story 3 never overstays its welcome and prods along at a perfect pace allowing sightseers the chance to marvel at some vibrant, eye-popping visuals (especially in IMAX 3D). All the while, the story simmers allowing for great emotional pay off at the end, Pixar’s trademark. Along the way, we’re treated to the familiar voice talents of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, Joan Cusack and others. Joining the cast, and brilliant in their roles are Ned Beatty as Lotso the Bear, Michael Keaton as Ken and others like Jeff Garlin as Buttercup the Unicorn and Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants.
At the surface, the film gets its footing as a action movie, with amazing sequences providing an exhilarating ride. In traditional Pixar flair, the humor comes in both subtle and deliberate fashions, but they never go for the cheap joke or the fart gag. There were countless real laugh-out-loud moments through the movie.
However, Toy Story 3 does subscribe to some dark undertones (not unlike Pixar’s two prior films, Up and Wall-E). At the core, it again uses the toys to address some of the hardships of life, and there are a few scenes that could register as downright scary for children. But nothing is used in vain and the writers cleverly use these tough predicaments as the contrast to a cheerful and emotionally satisfying ending.
In fact, Toy Story 3 wraps up the story beautifully and brings the familiar tale full circle in such a fashion that one would think Pixar had trilogy in mind way back in 1995, when the first was created. It bests Toy Story 2 and is at least a brilliant as the first (with the original only having an edge in novelty). Toy Story 3 is representative of what we’ve come to know and love from Pixar and demonstrates why they’re still strides ahead of the competition when it comes to storytelling. Eleven features films and counting, Pixar has added another hit to their list of impressive creations.
Grade: 9.5 out of 10
- No Comments
