Dark, different, but still fun

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2010)

As entertaining and fun as it was, I liked Toy Story 3 less than its predecessors. It simply lacked the sweetly poetic and soulful touch that made the first two instant classics.
The artwork, animation, music, and voice acting are all superb, as we've come to expect. Toy Story 3 is much darker, even downright creepy at times, a welcome change from the first two. Like Up, Toy Story 3 does not adhere as tightly to a central theme as prior Pixar movies. However, unlike my experience with Up, I did not come away inspired and moved by the adventure and the characters. Instead, the movie felt like it bounced all over, sampling from themes already explored in Toy Story 1 and 2, nibbling on a few new ideas, but never really delving too deeply in any one direction.
My bigger issue is that Toy Story 3 relies more heavily on visual slapstick, referential gags, and audience familiarity with the first two movies. In short, it feels much more like a Dreamworks movie. True, Dreamworks movies are fun, but Pixar has always made superior films by sticking to bold and fresh characterization, clever jokes, and sincere, masterfully woven messages.
But the end result is still a 7 out of 10. Even when stumbling, Pixar still makes very good movies.