Toy Story 3 reviewed

 

I can remember seeing the first Toy Story movie in theaters.  It was supposed to change the way we looked at animated movies since it was made with a computer.  It did.  I still remember my mind being blown at the theaters and then watching it and re-watching it again and again when it was released on VHS.  I only stopped when my mom said it was ruining the tape.  Then the second Toy Story came out and I loved that too but I thought that was the end of series but little did I know what was in store in the coming years. It wasn't a movie that's equal to the first two but Toy Story 3 has plenty of charms.

After many years of being Andy's playthings, times have changed and Andy has grown up.  He's about to go to college and like all big boys, he hasn't played with his toys for years.  But his mom throws down the gavel and demands him to either put his old stuff in the trash, attic or college.  But due to some WACKY HIJINKS, they get put in Sunnyvale Day Care Center run by the adorable and strawberry-scented Lotso Hugging Bear, so it's like Heaven on Earth.  But Woody is all like "We're Andy's toy." and the rest are like "But he doesn't want us!" so Woody goes to find Andy and the rest stay.  Needless to say, things aren't what they appear to be which necissitates the return of Woody and a great escape from Sunnyvale.

The Toy Story movies have always been about letting go and accepting the fact that you can't be in control of everything forever.  The first movie was Woody not being Andy's toy anymore.  The second one was the fact that toys will get broken and replaced.  This one is about what happens when the kid grows up and you don't know what's going to happen. It's that fear of the future that leads to a depressing air to this.  It may be funny at times but even then it's really subdued and there isn't any laugh-out-loud moments.  But that's not to say that this is a bad thing since it fits the story really well.

The animation, however, tells a much different story.  It's bright and vibrant and alive making it a great feast for the eyes when they're not flowing with tears.  Each character is wonderfully animated in a way that's instantly familiar to anyone who has grown up with the series and still don't look out of place with today's animated movies.  It's a thin line that the animators crossed flawlessly.

The voice-acting is still top-notch.  All the returning actors like Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles and everyone else fit their characters like a glove.  It's like it's been eleven days since they last did Toy Story 2, not eleven years.  The new guys also acquit themselves admirably here.  But special note goes to Ned Beatty, the voice of Lotso Huggin' Bear.  He has that folksy, grandfather-like quality about him that lures you into a false sense of security until he shows his hand and reveals he's EVVILLLL!  And he still retains his folksy, pleasant talk barring a couple breakdowns.

This is just like spending good times with some very dear friends that you haven't seen in years.  The script isn't the best written and at times it can be a bit to cloying with the past & I think Lotso comeuppance was a bit too weak.  Despite that, it's still  a very good movie that only Pixar can do, they just did it better on the other movies.

8/10