Perfection is rarely possible, but here it is staring at me in the face. This movie is the one that motivates me to grow up and yet, makes me feel like a child again. The Toy Story films are an ultimate series because it’s one of those rare franchises that you can watch in order and feel the transition the filmmakers are trying to convey. In Toy Story 3, Andy is now 17 years old, and like most of the audience who grew up with the original film, has outgrown his toys, and is now preparing to go to college. The toys stow away in a box of toys being donated to Sunnyside Day Care Center. This seemingly is paradise for toys. In day care there will always be children to play with and toys are relieved of the burden of losing the love of their owners. I’d like to say that the new setting of Sunnyside is very well constructed. It initially reminds us of the innocence of the original films. The idea that a children’s daycare center can be an Alcatraz for someone is a unique concept, and the artists take extra attention to the setting. We see the exact same place the entire movie, and yet it suddenly transforms into the horror it always represented from the beginning. So little was done with the artwork to reveal this. A slight change in the lighting of the scenery really does show the evil it truly is. I won't spoil the story for the people who have yet to see it but let me say this: if the first two didn't convince you it how dangerous and scary it can be being a toy then this one will!
A couple items did bother me with the film, but as you will see, it is hard to find problems with this movie. In the flashbacks, Andy somehow looks a little younger than he did in the second movie even though he is playing with Jessie and Bullseye. I can’t tell if this is a continuity error or possibly a change in the animation; however, Pixar again manages to take the animation to another level. I do think the 3-D adds very little to an already great storyline, so it isn’t necessary nor does it strengthen this film at all visually. The entire cast returns, including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, John Ratzenburger, Joan Cusack, and others. The only recast is Jim Varney being replaced by Blake Clark as Slinky Dog, due to the death of Varney in 2000. This installment really emphasizes that Andy’s toys are a family, and to do that properly the cast really needs to connect. Of course, that was absolutely effortless for these actors to capture the essence of the series. The actors have not lost any connection with their characters, and the director and writers avoid a common problem with sequels. They knew the characters just as much as the actors, and were able to develop them and maintain the love we have for each one. It is as if we are falling in love with them all over again. The new characters were equally as great including a very intriguing antagonist voiced by Ned Beatty. He pretty much represents the darker direction this film goes. Extra points also go to Michael Keaton as Ken who was so entertaining. It is obvious the writers had too much fun with him.
Toy Story 3 is an incredible departure from its predecessors. None of us knew what to expect with the announcement of the new movie, and Pixar made sure to keep it that way. It was not just a sequel, but a story that could stand on its own. At the same time, however, it still remembers where it comes from and enhances the original intentions of the first films with the same themes and twists them into a new story. It takes what it had in the first ones and built on it; portraying it in a whole new way, so that it still has the connection with the franchise, but without being a repeat. This is without doubt Pixar at their greatest, telling a story we all have lived and never looking down on its audience. It is categorized as an animated family film, but the subject matter in this installment was mature, and was worthy of an Oscar for best film! Despite that, it still captures the child in us all. This is the epitome of both a perfect sequel and a family film – a story with universal appeal that does not limit its potential for the sake of children, but children remain the heart and soul of the movie, whether they are five or fifty!
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