Movie Review: Toy Story 3 (2010)
Sheer excellence
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation
Perhaps it's the fact I like the first Toy Story, but am not a big fan of Toy Story 2 that I walked into Toy Story 3 with very little excitement and a little disturbed the studio I equate with highly original films was revisiting their maiden franchise yet again. Fortunately, that trepidation was almost instantly eliminated as Toy Story 3 is above and beyond the best of the franchise and I can't wait to see it again.
The voice cast includes Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Estelle Harris, John Ratzenberger, Ned Beatty, Jodi Benson, Michael Keaton, Timothy Dalton, Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Cusack, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey, Jeff Garlin, Bonnie Hunt and Blake Clark. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"Toy Story 3" is a Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar release, directed by Lee Unkrich and is rated G The running time is 1 hour 43 minutes.
Promoting the idea of family and friendship, Toy Story 3 finds the animated toys with the recognizable voices we first met in 1995 facing the idea that their owner, Andy, is moving on to college… most likely without them.
Where will Woody, Buzz and the rest of the toys end up? The attic? A garage sale? Will any go with Andy to college? Since entering his teen years Andy doesn't play with his old toys the way he used to. His interests have gone elsewhere, and his toys have no idea what to expect. So when the opportunity to make a break for Sunnyside Day Care arrives it seems infinitely more agreeable when compared to a potential future boxed up in the attic.
As the story plays out Woody and the gang meet several new friendly faces and some not-so friendly ones as well. Previous journeys this group has made doesn't even compare to where Toy Story 3 will take them. Pixar animators and story-tellers are masters at ramping up the emotional impact and adding weight to the performance of something as simple as a CGI-animated plastic toy in ways you'd never expect. I've never connected with either of the previous Toy Story films the way I did with this one. It seems the visible growth Pixar's films have had in recent years has now translated over to the story that started it all.
Toy Story 3 delivers more laughs and more emotion than its predecessors and can hardly be compared when it comes to the art and animation. Throughout the picture I was marveling at how spectacular it looked, but I was bowled over late in the film as the outlines of each of these fantastic characters served as silhouettes against a beaming bright light. It's an absolute showstopper that encapsulates not only the 103 minutes that make up Toy Story 3, but brings together the other 172 minutes from parts one and two.
Perhaps it's my rather muted approach to the first two Toy Story films that makes me like this one so much, but whatever the reason, I loved it. I may never know if my pre-movie doubts are what made this such an excellent experience or what, but one thing is for certain, the first bona fide hit of Summer 2010 is here and audiences are going to love it.
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Absolutely agree with u on this brad! Toy Story 3 was marvelous, beautifully crafted animated film.
The best of 2010 yet…
Regards from Indonesia
awsome
Good filmmakers never let us loose the talent to feel exhilarated and good critics spread the word. Let´s hope we will never be too old to enjoy a good story as children. The sense of wonder is probably the greatest of all.
Fantastic film, better than TS2 and on par with the first for me. There were some extremely unremarkable flaws, like Ken and some of the toys like Stretch being underdeveloped, and plot coming too close to that of TS2 a couple of times, but overall it's a masterpiece and one of Pixar's top 5 films. Had me laughing, scared and crying, sometimes at the samre time, and I spent the whole last 20 minutes choking. I can't wait to see it again.
Just a question. My little cousin, the age of 5, is coming to see this with me. I was reading in reviews that a character named Big Baby will scare kids. He is pretty easily scared. How scary will this be for him?
Unfortunately I don't have kids so I can't really say for sure, but there may be a possibility he gets a bit frightened if he is easily scared.
It's G so there's not really anything to worry about. If he does get scared take him out of the theater for a minute and calm him down.
******** THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS (REMEMBER TO WARN PEOPLE FOLKS IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPOIL THE STORY) ********
I had to calm him down a bit during the incinerator. All though i was nervous too, i have to admit. THANK GOD FOR THE CLAW. and also, he was freaked out by the baby, especially the part when the phone guy was telling woody about how the monkey saw everything and he would make a noise that would allert the baby and then the baby corners all the toys.
Thanks brad. He got through How to Train Your Dragon fine, which was a little intense. He was scared of the huge dragon at the end though. I mean i hear there is a part with an incerator which is very emotionally intense. Lets see how he does. He really wants to see it and so do i and i dont want him to be scared. Thanks for your reply.
This movie reminded me of why I love cinema.
Gandalf and company can pull up a chair at the big table occupied by a pretty select few, because Woody and the gang emphatically earned their place as one of the great trilogies of all time.
It was funny, exhilirating, and profoundly touching. People were bouncing off the wall as we filtered out after the sold out midnight show, laughing, giggling, smiles from ear to ear, and many were doing so with eyes red and still teary.
I'm actually surprised there were a lot of families at the midnigh show with kids 7yrs and under, and judging by the giggling, jumping, and cheery expressions on the kids faces, it wowed them. This movie will have insane word of mouth, and will have extremely long legs despite Eclipse, Airbender, Inception, and others.
Just got back from an early show and have to agree with Brad. I'm still teary eyed. I wish other Hollywood studios could take the Pixar model and apply it to their studios or production companies. They are a company comprised of artists where art is more important than commerce and yet, they haven't made a bomb yet. It's not about focus groups or test screenings. It moves us more than anything that has come out this year, and it's the third film in the series. Seriously Hollywood, jump on the bandwagon. Quality is very important. Entertainment doesn't have to be mindless and it can certainly still be art.
i thought this was pixars best and most powerful movie yet. im 13 and almost cried too. this could be a little intense for kids under 5, but i cant wait to see this again and again and again! 10/10
Just got back. AMAZING MOVIE! Little cousin wasnt that scared. Although he did get scared at the incinerator.
I loved this movie, too. Probably Pixar's best. Everything worked and it had all the action, comedy, and tears that a film should have. Brad, where does Toy Story 3 stand when you rank all of Pixar's films?
I had a great experience with this one. Marcus (my cousin) loved it also.
Best movie of 2010! Bring on the Best Picture, Oscar!
Aw, man, I wish I could have liked this as much as everybody else. It was certainly good, but I'd rank it as one of Pixar's lesser films. The opening sequence was gold, though. I'd give it a B.
The movie was brilliant, pure cinema. I am seeing Best Picture easy. Hollywood does not put out gems like these often, and I am glad this film got made. It made me laugh, cry, cheer, and scared. I even wondered what my toys were doing in the box under my bed ( I am in college and still have my care-bear collection). As a film maker my self, I hope that i can achieve such cinematic beauty as this film did, NOW we need it to pass Avatar's Numbers and I think it can.
Went to a 10pm showing and it was pretty much all teens and older. This film really pulled in from the kids that were young with the originals. And I must say I loved it. And how about that short at the beginning? That short was just awesome!
I love it it was amazing use of traditional and new animation! Superb
wow, i cant remember the last time i felt like this with a movie, it made me laugh, it made me get scared, and made me cry, awesome movie!
LOL! That guy Armond White is getting skewered on Rotten Tomatoes. I don't know what the record is for most comments posted, but hes well past 400 now and his review was just published this early afternoon. It'll probably be 1000 by the time the weekend is done.
As for the Toy Story 3. It was superb. a seamless blend of hilarity and intense action that culminates in a moving and heartfelt fashion. Definitely deserves a spot in the table with great trilogies in cinematic history such as Lord of the Rings.
It was funny when the monkey saw everything when woody plan was to brake his friends out of sunny-side and the monkey saw everything and when the monkey saw everything he yell and clashed and banged his simbols together. Also when the three aliens helped the gang after lot-so hugging bear tricked them.
Saw the movie today. I live near Nashville and our only IMAX was destroyed in the flood last month, so we just went to a non-3D showing. I agree that it wouldn't have added anything. The movie was incredible and my 4 year old daughter loved every moment.
I saw this movie the first night it came out. I'm 17 and I: cried twice, laughed the entire time, and screamed out loud once. :)
Honestly, if I were 5 I would have been terrified – but I never really did well with scary movies at that age. The part where The Monkey suddenly spins around SCARED me senseless!!
But overall this movie was amazing! I really want to go see it again. <3
I don't remember much about TS1 n TS2, but what I know, TS3 really brings back all the memories. It's an old franchise, but it's just refreshing and I just cant help from being floored by the emotions that could be radiated by an animation movie. Totally giving competition to Finfing Nemo and The Incredibles in my best animation list. :P
"This is The Dark Knight of animated sequels."
So you CAN compare everything to The Dark Knight! ;)