Even John Morris, who played Andy as a child in the previous films, has returned. In the case of Toy Story 3, 3-D adds nothing except a box office surcharge.Īll the old favorites are back, with voice actors slipping into their roles as if no time had passed. I was surprised to find I could take off the 3-D glasses and, for stretches, not be confounded by blurred or double images. In addition, the 3-D appears to have been employed as an afterthought - there are lengthy sequences in which it either isn't used or is used minimally. The bright rainbow of colors becomes murky and washed out, with grays withering the kaleidoscope of hues. The problem with this movie is the 3-D, which is the "preferred" format for its screening. At the time of their releases, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 were cutting edge, but the bar hasn't moved much in 11 years. This is the kind of thing Pixar does so effectively, and the reason why their films achieve greater respect than those of their less ambitious competitors.įrom a purely artistic standpoint, Toy Story 3 is superior, although not vastly so, than its predecessors. The scene, which may go unnoticed by the core demographic, will bring lumps to the throats and tears to the eyes of some parents. There's a moment in Toy Story 3, when Andy experiences an epiphany, that brings this all home. Children are only peripherally aware of the passage of time, but adults sometimes recognize little else. Those in the latter group will understand the importance of friendship, but older viewers will perceive other, bittersweet things: the fleeting nature of childhood and how all things pass, seemingly in the blink of an eye. The ending, which is surprisingly affecting, will speak more deeply to adults than children. The story, which is simple enough in its essence, affords opportunities for action (the Great Escape), comedy (Ken & Barbie, Buzz's Spanish personality), and pathos. The daycare center is locked down like a prison, but when Woody learns of his friends' predicament, he organizes a jailbreak. Soon, all Buzz and friends want is to re-join Woody on the outside, but that proves to be more difficult than it sounds.
But there's a dark side to this sunny place: the youngest kids, whose idea of "playing" is banging, smashing, and doing other unspeakable things. At first, this seems like paradise: a benevolent place with an endless group of children for playtime, ruled over by a gentle pink teddy bear called Lotso (Ned Beatty). But a snafu occurs and the toys (except Woody) are donated to a day care center. Potatohead (Don Rickles, Estelle Harris), Rex the Dinosaur (Wallace Shawn), and Hamm the Piggybank (John Ratzenberger)? Andy decides to relegate them all to the attic, except for his good friend Woody, who's coming with him to college. What to do with those childhood playmates that have been relegated to a spot in an old chest: Woody, Buzz, Jessie the Cowgirl (Joan Cusack), Mr. When we last met Andy (John Morris), he was a kid.
Toy time has passed a little more slowly than real time, but it moves forward nonetheless. Although aspects of Toy Story 3 echo similar elements from the previous films, making this the least original entry in the trilogy, the movie's final act will resonate deeply with many viewers, making this chapter in many ways the most heartfelt.
Now, 15 years after their original debut and 11 years after the first sequel, Toy Story 2, Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and their fellow toys have returned to the screen for another adventure. Pixar has done it again, extending an amazing streak of successes that stretches all the way back to the original Toy Story, which changed the face of feature length animation when it reached theaters in 1995.
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