Best in the Series

Rating: 9/10 (7 July 2019)

This is a rare franchise where, to me, each sequel is better than the previous, except for TS4. This movie builds on the strong themes of 1 and 2, and also introduces some new ones that fit perfectly into this world and expand upon those same ideas. The way the Toys come to terms with Andy growing up, the class based governmental structure of sunnyside, the toys accepting their mortality at the dump, and their transition to a new owner at the end, spell themes of coping with rejection, acceptance, and hope, along with some light political themes with the Daycare. Lotso is a properly done villan who's behavior really sells the way he feels about what he and other toys are. It's difficult to design a villan character who the audience can dislike, but still understand in a way. The balance of new and old characters is perfect, something I can't say for TS4. I loved this adventure they went on and really felt the way it made these characters appreciate what they have. One of my favorite movies of all time in general, doing justice to it's predecessors and being outstanding by itself.