Toy Story 3

Pixar Can Do No Wrong

It’s been 15 years since the release of the ground breaking and classic original Toy Story, and 11 years since its first sequel. But even through all those years the brilliant ensemble of lovable characters and their adventures have never gone out of style, with the merchandise still selling, the lines still being quoted, and most of all the films still being watched and adored by children and adults alike. It goes without saying then that Toy Story 3 has been greatly anticipated by, well, everyone- young adults who saw the original at the cinema, teens who grew up with the DVD on repeat, young children new to the franchise and the parents of all of the above.

The original Toy Story was of course the first fully computer generated animated feature, and the first large scale production by the Pixar animation company. They’ve since become the dominant force in animated movies, their dazzling body of work never failing to capture the imagination of viewers of all ages. The reason their films are able to be enjoyed by grown-ups just as much as the young ‘uns is simple – they don’t treat their audience like idiots.

As time has passed in the real world, so too has it passed in the universe of Woody, Buzz and their colourful crew. Andy is now all grown up and headed off to college, leaving his loyal toys to be either stored in the attic or sent to the garbage. Through a series of totally believable and entertaining complications they don’t suffer either of those dreadful fates, but end up at the cheerily monikered Sunnyside Daycare Centre, overjoyed that they will be surrounded by eager children and played with for the first time in years.

All except Woody that is, whose unwavering loyalty and love for Andy prevents him from accepting that he must move on and let go. Both Woody’s character; a natural but stubborn leader and dependable but adventurous friend, and his plight; unrequited devotion and attachment, refusing to accept that people change and grow up, perhaps even mild delusion, are both examples of the genius of Pixar’s writing team. While a) this is a fictitious cartoon and b) these are toys, not people, they can (as they masterfully do in all their films) through a combination of technical ability, powerful storytelling and moving voice acting create scenes that contain more real emotion than most live action films. And they do it in a way that is simple for children to understand without being brutally dumbed down, ensuring that adults will be just as involved.

Fantastic, relatable characters are another Pixar talent and TS 3 naturally has a Tonka truck full. Brave and resourceful Sheriff Woody is once again the star of the show, but the rest of the gang is back and as entertaining as ever. Buzz is still headstrong, take-charge and later (due to an unfortunate setting change) completely hilarious, the Potato Heads are a dead-on depiction of a bickering married couple, cowgirl Jessie is feisty yet sweet, gentle Rex is still a nervous nelly, Ham is a wisecracking cynic and Slinky is old, wise and always hanging in there. Tell me those characters couldn’t seamlessly be transferred to an adult sitcom!

The new toys from Sunnyside are just as great-the creepy looking Big Baby, the telephone with the info (who in a stroke of brilliance and a nod to the adults speaks in the gravelly, mysterious voice of an informant in a spy film) and Lotso, a huggable old teddy with a genteel southern drawl who isn’t as welcoming as he first seems. But the pick of the newbies and source of many of the films laugh out loud moments is Ken. His is, of course, the Ken that we all know as Barbie’s male counterpart, and is a metrosexual, vain, fashion obsessed prick. If you don’t burst into the giggles at the sight of him modelling his endless supply of designer wear you truly have no sense of humour.

TS 3 is the perfect blend of story and style. The animation is of course a thing of beauty, the characters and settings coming to life in glorious detail and colour. In 3D especially you become immersed in the feast of vision and sound that is the technicolour toy universe. By the film’s final act you will be breathing a sigh of relief as the gang of course make it through their many close calls, but it refuses to coast even in the final 10 minutes. The ending is simply perfect- heartbreaking and uplifting, joyous and bittersweet, a positive message without the preachiness- it is film making par excellence and will likely reduce many to tears (I welled up behind my handily concealing 3D specs).

Toy Story 3 makes it an unblemished trilogy for the franchise and is yet another Pixar masterpiece. The dudes with the cameras may want to start taking some tips from the dudes with the computers. Maybe then we’ll have more films, films that are true experiences like this, that justify a trip to the cinema and the price of a movie ticket.

9/10.