‘Toy Story 3′ Review

Release Date – 6/18/10

Andy is 17 years old and preparing to leave for college. His toys are making desperate attempts to be played with since it’s been years since they had any interaction with their owner. Andy’s Mom is forcing him to choose what gets trashed, donated, or sent to the attic. His toys accidentally get sent to Sunnyside Daycare instead of the attic where Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang have to find a way to escape and get back to Andy before he leaves. The movie has some good comedy, some pretty intense action, and a great story. Pixar succeeds again and so does the Toy Story franchise. It’s the best movie of the summer so far.

Tom Hanks is back as the voice of Woody. He is still Andy’s favorite but Andy doesn’t really play with toys anymore since he’s a teenager moving away to college. There is still some type of connection and Andy packs Woody with his college stuff. The only problem is Woody can’t leave his buddies behind. I’ve always thought Woody was a bit of a whiner and sometimes gets on my nerves. But Tom Hanks screaming is always great even in cartoon form. Tim Allen also returns as the voice of Buzz Lightyear. Buzz and the other toys get caught in the commotion of Andy’s packing, sent to the curb for the trash, rescued by Woody, but then accidentally sent to Sunnyside Daycare. While there, they are ruled over by a big huggable bear named Lotso, voiced by Ned Beatty. He forces the gang to be roughed up by the toddlers while Lotso’s group gets proper play with the older kids. Woody finds out about this and must rescue his buddies. Plenty of the other toys return also. Jessie (Joan Cusack), Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Rex (Wallace Shawn), Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head (Don Rickles & Estelle Harris). Actually one scene with Mr. Potato Head with a tortilla body had me almost crying laughing. New characters besides Lotso include Ken (Michael Keaton), Barbie (Jodi Benson), Trixie (Kristen Schaal), Buttercup (Jeff Garlin), and plenty more. This movie is packed with characters. Its toy overload. Ken & Barbie scenes provided for some of the better comedy also.

I really enjoyed the story. In fact, it’s a lot more aimed at an older audience than the previous films. For instance, Buzz speaks Spanish for several scenes when his batteries get reset. Young kids are not going to be able to follow the subtitles so that comedy was definitely aimed older. And there’s a scene where the toys almost just accept their death in the fiery junkyard. That’s pretty heavy for a youngster. Of course, it’s still an animated flick for all ages and they wouldn’t have a sad ending… especially to their big money franchise. I just think Pixar is leaning more towards adult themes lately which is making me like their movies more. While the third in this series has a lot of the same kind of plot points as the previous 2 films (i.e. escaping situations and getting back to Andy), this one might have more heart. Because with the older Andy, its now about letting go of those childhood times. Maybe parents with older kids will even appreciate it more as the theme of the movie is a metaphor for letting go of your child as he grows up and moves away to college. Woody and the gang will also have to let go. But its done so in a way that keeps you thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. Success again for Pixar.

IMDB – 9.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes – 98%
Movie Wiseguys – 8.5/10