the only thing it really has standing against it is the fact that it inevitably invites comparison with the first and second entries of the trilogy

Rating: 7/10 (21 June 2010)

We've all been craving for a third and final hurrah with Woody and Buzz and all of their plastic friends for eleven years now and at last we've been delivered what we've been asking for, to a certain degree. Now, don't start getting worried, folks. I am most certainly *not* trying to warn you off of seeing "Toy Story 3." On the contrary, I am *insisting* that you go to see this marvelously-animated, refreshingly fun, and surprisingly moving little gem not just because it is the third and final installment of one of the most beloved sagas of all time, but because it's simply a great movie. All I am saying is that it does not sit on the same tier to the original 1995 "Toy Story" or the even greater "Toy Story 2" released in 1999. But again, how many films do? Very few.
Some time has passed since "Toy Story 2" and things are vastly changing for Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), Buzz (voice of Tim Allen) and their friends. Their owner, Andy is all grown up and heading off to college. Many of their friends have since been sold away or broken and the toys are fearing the same outcome for themselves. By mishap, they end up being whisked away to a daycare center, that is, when the humans are not around, run by a purple stuffed bear (voice of Ned Beatty) who later turns out to not be so cute and cuddly. Once again Woody is the hero trying to set things right as he not only strives to return to Andy before he heads off to college, but save his friends from torture and, possibly, destruction.
There is a lot to praise about "Toy Story 3." Starting with the ostensive elements, it is a great-looking movie. The animators, because of a computer glitch, had to rebuild their characters and settings from scratch and you wouldn't know the difference. The animation is marvelous and inventive with a vast array of colors. The movie is fun to look at and is most certainly fun to watch.
The real strength of the "Toy Story" trilogy has been in its story. So many movies these days look great, but the visual appeal is badly welded around stories that aren't worth a dime. The trilogy has stood out because of strong stories and characterizations that make you really feel for some individuals are really nothing more than just animated plastic, even in their own world and universe. We go to the level of these toys instead of going with the cliché of staying on the human level and look down upon them. And they have gotten more mature as they have gone along. The first movie's story was about a toy fearing being replaced or forgotten. The sequel dealt with the anticipation that such a thing could happen soon and the third resolves with the actual event of a toy being abandoned by its owner. I don't want to give too much away, because this story starts out strong when we learn that some of the recurring characters from before will not be featured this time around, and it works out to one of the most poignant and genuinely moving culminations of recent years. I was tearing up at the end and I guarantee you many others in the theater I was in were too.
If "Toy Story 3" does have anything countering against it, it is the inevitable fact that people will compare and contrast it to the first two movies, which are more complete on a psychological level, and superior as motion pictures and storytelling. By itself, it is a more than fine movie, but we do have a certain tendency to expect the best because Pixar made the lightning strike the top of the tower twice before. And not only with the other two movies in this saga, but with gems such as the recent spellbinder "Up."
Despite a few complaints, I immensely enjoyed "Toy Story 3" and I more than happily recommend it to everybody. Although it does not have the same level of heart and awe that the first two movies had, it is a more than satisfactory conclusion to this trilogy and without a doubt the best movie that I have seen in a theater this year. The "Toy Story" movies are three genuinely enthralling motion pictures. They are the Mount Everest of modern-day animation because they not only look good, but have strong characters and strong stories. And once again, I must reflect upon how my heartstrings were tugged at without remorse when that beautiful ending came along. It's been a long time since a movie has done that to me.