There is nothing 'kiddy' about this universally great film.

Rating: 9/10 (12 July 2010)

I was the ripe demographic for the original 'Toy Story' when it came out. I remember seeing it as a kid for the first time and it was a magnificent experience. The animation was of course stellar but the film had heart. In some ways I feel the 3rd entry of this brilliant trilogy is more for me than it is for younger viewers. In many ways it is the perfect conclusion to this story. What I loved about the film was that it acknowledges the journey our characters went on. In many ways I did emotionally invest myself with Buzz and Woody more so than I'd like to admit. I have to hand it to Pixar, their films really deal with classic themes. Sure films like 'Toy Story' and 'Up' look pretty and colorful to kids but they deal with emotions that adults have trouble grasping.
The setting of the movie is brilliant and is able to add a lot of great humor. The toys are given an opportunity to go to a Day care center and be played with. They are ecstatic but soon find out that their new home isn't all that it is cracked up to be. Lotso, a stuffed bear, runs the center like a dictator. The lesser toys are left to the mercy of the toddlers. In many ways Lotso is the best villain in the series. He is a toy who was replaced. The character is fleshed out and at times has moments where he is very intimidating, although the punishments are very comical to the viewer. The debate about age approriateness had me in stitches.
'Toy Story 3' is about the loss of innocence and the end of childhood. Dark stuff for a Disney film. Our pals Woody and Buzz have laid in a toy box as Andy has grown up with out them. The toys fear their fate, either a trip to the attic or worse the dump. I like the fact that the film begins on a bleak note. We are already given reason to fear this fate. The memories of Toy Story 2's subplot are fresh in our head. Kids are fickle as they turn into teens. Woody is especially in turmoil, his love for Andy is as strong as it ever was. Woody is the personification of that innocence and childhood. The scenes Andy has with Woody are brilliant.Woody is forced with a dilemma, rescue his friends or miss out on Andy taking his next step in life. The finale of the film is one of the most powerful moments in Disney's long history and really ranks up there with some of their best films. The kids may not appreciate it but the adults will be in tears.