TITLE: Toy Story 3
STARRING: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles
DIRECTOR: Lee Unkrich
STUDIO: Pixar Animation Studios (Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures)
RATED: G
RUN TIME: 103 min
RELEASED: June 18

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Pixar and Disney really struck a special chord with the original Toy Story. That much was evident as I sat in the sold out theater waiting for the film to start. There was an excitement, a “buzz” (no pun intended) amongst the crowd. The cynicism we sometimes bring to the movies was conspicuous by its absence. It takes something really special to create that kind of an atmosphere, and Toy Story has it. Which is why, 11 years after Toy Story 2, the world has once again turned it’s collective eye to Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

In Toy Story 3, Andy, the little boy who owns Woody and the other toys, has grown into a teenager, and is about to go away to college. The toys have not been played with in years, and some minor characters have been thrown away, or gone else where (whatever happened to Little Bo Peep?). This leaves all the remaining toys frustrated and angry about Andy not playing with them. The only exception is Woody, who remains unfailingly loyal to his old friend.

While Andy intends to take Woody to college with him, the other toys end up donated to a daycare center, which as it turns out is home to some particularly shady characters. Most notably Ken (that’s right, Barbie’s boyfriend), and the bitter and evil Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, a pink fluffy teddy bear who serves as something of a prison warden for the other toys in the day care center. Ultimately, it’s up to Woody to help Buzz, Jesse and the others escape, and make it back to Andy’s house.

Image from RottenTomatoes.com.

The film gets off to a slow start, but gains momentum after about 30 minutes. Toward the end, all hell breaks loose…almost literally. The toys end up in their own metaphorical version of hell. That was one thing that really surprised me about Toy Story 3: How far they pushed this concept of walking, talking toys. Certain moments in the film take on a more grim tone than was set in the first two. At one point, Lotso gets existential with Woody and says: “You’re a piece of plastic! You were meant to be thrown away!”

Still, the vast majority of the movie is good ol’ fashioned Disney/Pixar fun. Woody, Buzz, and Mr. Potato Head have a lot of slapstick moments that are sure to make younger viewers laugh, and it’s a treat to watch the established characters face off with these new, evil toys. The comic book geek in me likened it to a Justice League vs. Legion of Doom type confrontation.

But like all Pixar movies, the story takes the characters and the audience to a place much deeper than the initial premise would suggest. In addition to being a cartoon about living toys, it’s also a story about growing up, being loyal to your friends, and the importance of moving forward with your life when the time is right. That impressed me about Toy Story 3 as opposed to Finding Nemo or Up (nothing against those films), is that it’s much more open to individual interpretation. You can read it as whatever you want it to be. If you want it to be a slapstick adventure comedy, that’s what it is. If you want it to be about loyalty and growing up, it’ll be that.

Image from RottenTomatoes.com.

On the whole, Toy Story 3 is a sequel worthy of the original. It doesn’t surpass the 1995 film, but it compliments it very well. As a film that exists in a crowd of seemingly endless sequels, remakes and rehashes, that’s nothing to sneeze at. I was about 10 years old when Toy Story came out, and I have a feeling my 10-year-old self would have left the theater with a smile on his face, and I think a lot of other moviegoers would say the same thing. I think when you watch all three films together, it’ll be like watching a play in three acts. That in itself may be this film’s greatest accomplishment.

I’ve long come to terms with the fact that Hollywood is run by soulless cash whores, and if movie executives think they can profit from another Toy Story movie, there’s a decent chance we’ll see another one. This film doesn’t slam the door on that possibility, but it doesn’t seem to welcome it with open arms, either. Toy Story 3 would be a damn difficult act to follow. But as long as Woody and Buzz can keep prompting us to leave our adult-learned cynicism at home, I have a feeling the world will keep coming out to see them. This franchise has established itself as a staple in American pop culture.

Not bad for a few pieces of plastic.

RATING: 9.5/10

Front page image courtesy of RottenTomatoes.com.