in Review

Toys Will Be Toys

Toy Story 3

It’s needless to say that this third installment of the Toy Story series had its work cut out for it, seeing as the first two films were fantastic. But you can always count on Pixar to deliver that high standard of excellence, as Toy Story 3 is every bit as good as the first two Toy Story films.

This time around we find Woody and the gang trying to cope with the fact that their beloved owner Andy is on the merge of moving on to college. The toys then end up in a daycare center only to find that the place is being ruled with an iron fist by a neglected Teddy Bear (voiced by Ned Beatty). Then as was the case with the first two movies, the toys try to break out and return to Andy before it’s too late.
Basically this film succeeds because it has everything you’ve come to expect out of a Toy Story movie. There’s plenty of witty humor, a whole lot of heart, and another tearjearking story about a bunch of plastic toys trying to find their way in the world. Pixar even throws in a fairly dark climax at the end in which the toys face their own mortality head on. It’s hard to imagine many kids movies that have this much emotional resonance, but that just proves how enduring this loveable cast of characters are.
I really wish I wasn’t the designated reviewer of Pixar movies, because there just simply isn’t a whole lot to criticize about the fabulous movies they turn out. And Toy Story 3 is no exception as it serves as a fitting finale to what might very well be one of the greatest franchises in movie history.