A delightful tale that touches children and adults alike.

Rating: 8/10 (26 June 2010)

It would be easy to say that once again Pixar has proved they are the best at what they do and other animation companies pale in comparison, because, well frankly, it's true. There's an unfussiness in how they make their movies, an effortlessness that allows the story to drive the visuals and not the other way around. Toy Story 3 is no exception. At its heart is a delightful tale that touches children and adults alike, utilising humour, drama and action to take us on an emotional, but by no means heavy-handed, roller-coaster ride that started way back in 1995.
Whereas a lot of family flicks can be simply defined into the broader genres – comedy, adventure, etc – this trilogy closer isn't such a neat fit; it'll have you laughing, crying, scared, adrenaline-pumped and all without feeling uneven or unnatural. Pixar's expert balance between gags for the kids – the Spanish Buzz is downright hilarious – and knowing winks to the adults – the Cool Hand Luke homage is superb – is once again a highlight whilst the opening scene is a wonderfully clever one. A minor blip: the penultimate finale is a touch too frightening, the consequences are more malevolent than the rocket-blasting in Story 1 and the airplane-escaping in Story 2 earning an unwanted atmosphere of dread.
These characters have affected audiences like so few can achieve. They've endeared themselves to us at such a high level that even in 2010, when the youngest fans of the first Story would be at least 20 y.o. today, there's still an enthusiasm and excitement to see old friends that is rarely encountered in the cinematic world. To the screenwriters' and filmmaker's credit, they don't just rely on the iconicity of Woody and Buzz to hold the picture together, instead taking the bold route of introducing new players – Lots-o-Hugs Bear, Barbie's Ken, Mr Pricklepants to name but a few – and not featuring previous characters such as Mr Wheezy, Zurg, Bo Peep and Etch-a-Sketch. The mix-up of focus and priority – Woody and Buzz share their majority portion of screen time with Lotso, Barbie arguably features more prominently than Jessie the Cowgirl – keeps the audience guessing whilst adding another level of freshness to the franchise.
Not quite as flawless as the first film, this convivial instalment is still a must-see thanks to its winning screenplay, pin-sharp 3D animation and a tremendous voice cast that drive their highly-watchable characters.
4 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 - Classic)