Toy Story 3 Movie Review

TOY STORY 3: THEY'RE BATTING A THOUSAND

Woody, Buzz, and the gang are back in Toy Story 3. This time around, they are accidentally donated to a daycare. John Lasseter and the crew at Pixar are genius. The story tugs at your heart, the characters are always fun, and the animation is visionary. And even though it is a sequel to a sequel, the movie can stand on its own and will hands down win Best Animated Feature at the 2011 Academy Awards.

Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the rest of Andy's toys are sad. Andy hasn't played with them in many years. Andy is all grown up and is on his way to college. Andy's mom tells him to sort through his stuff. By mistake, the toys get sent to a daycare. There they meet a new group of toys who appear to be welcoming. Such as Lotso (Ned Beatty), Ken (Michael Keaton), and Baby. But they are not what they seem. And once they figure that out, they all make it their mission to get back to Andy.

Before Pixar, the majority of cartoons were made with children in mind, not their parents. But once Pixar stepped in, all of that changed. With Toy Story, Pixar showed us what our toys do when we leave the room. A concept so simple but yet so clever. There are toys like Woody, the loyal cowboy who appeals to an older generation who grew up with toys like him. And then there is the more advanced toys like Buzz Lightyear the Space Ranger, who speaks to the younger crowd. In the previous Toy Story movies, one or more of the toys is just trying to get back to Andy. And this time is no different. But that is the heart of these stories. These toys have one goal: to be there for their owner. That itself anchors the story and then comes the humor with each individual character. Corny as it may be, it will make you cry, laugh out loud, and say “awe”.

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody and Buzz are the mainstays of the Toy Story movies but all the other toys, old and new, are what makes them shine. Rex, Hamm, Slinky, and Mr. And Mrs. Potato Head are hilarious sidekicks. These movies would feel incomplete without them. The opening scene of Toy Story 3 shows right from the beginning what makes these films great. It is all about the Pixar guys' imagination and what they come up with on a continuous basis that is nothing short of amazing. They up the ante in Toy Story 3. We see the inside of Ken's closet, the kind of damage a toddler can do to a poor defenseless toy, and how harrowing a dump can be. They can create menace by just drawing a tear on an old baby doll's face.

Toy Story 3 is more fun that you can imagine. Its good to see all the toys together again, along with some new friends and enemies. It will leave you with a smile that might not leave for days.

Report Card:

Story-A

Acting-A

Visuals-A

Originality/Innovation-A

Enjoyability Grade–A+

Overall Grade-A