A funny and zany children's screwball comedy...but not one of Pixar's best

Rating: 7/10 (21 June 2010)

First things first, this is a film obviously aimed at children ages 3-10, so I am not exactly the target audience for this. That being said, if I was a kid in that age range I would have a blast at this movie, as it is great fun for the very young, undeveloped mind. However, as an adult reviewer I give this film a mixed review overall, for it does some things well, yet fails in other aspects.
Overall, the film is quite a bit of fun, with plenty of gags and silly comedic moments. If escapism and comedy is all you are looking for in a summer film, then this film will serve you just fine. It is an entertaining summer film, so I would recommend it on that level alone. However, let's look at some of this flaws, which certainly don't make it deserving of a 9 or 10.
Flaw 1 - lack of heart or character growth. Unlike Pixar's 3 masterpieces, UP, Wall-E and Nemo, this film just lacks any kind of emotion, wonder, or heart. It feels more like an Ice Age film that is simply focused on comedy and action, but feels very hollow emotionally. It feels like the team at Pixar was just going through the motions of churning out another cutesy film, without trying very hard to make it a good one. It is true that the last 5 minutes have some heart, but the 85 minutes before that don't have much at all. Certainly far less than what we would expect in a Pixar film.
Flaw 2 - the 2nd half of the film really drags. After about 30-35 minutes into the film, the script suddenly becomes cliché-ridden as the toys get captured and have to be rescued/escape back home. Literally nothing interesting or mentally engaging happens in the 2nd half, other than the toys trying to escape, with a few gags thrown in. This becomes tedious after a while, so the film feels about 15 minutes longer than necessary.
Pros - Top notch animation, some funny gags, Latso the Bear character, and a great opening scene Cons - Story is too simple and drags during the 2nd half, too many Ken/ Barbie scenes becomes repetitive.