A Truly Excellent Sequel

Rating: 9/10 (19 June 2010)

All truly great sequels have one thing that makes them work extremely well, and that one thing is progression. It's why Spider Man 2 and X-men 2 were better than their prequels. And this is exactly what works so well with Toy Story 3. The film manages to maintain it's previous level of humor and excitement, while presenting a new story that fits perfectly with a series that some of us have grown up with.
Much like many of the children who have watched these films, our new Toy Story sees Andy all grown up and ready for college. And for Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang, that means that it's time to start moving on. Buzz isn't quite ready to give that life up yet, and he seems to be the only one that Andy is taking along. The rest of the gang eventually find themselves donated to a day care center, which turns out to be worse than the toys could have anticipated, and it's up to Woody to save the gang.
In it's first hour, the film drags a bit. The jokes aren't quite as funny as they could be, as I didn't laugh quite as much as I laughed during the first two films. But the film is still highly entertaining, and this is one G rated film that everyone should be able to get behind. The story of Andy growing up and moving on is also a perfect direction for the film. It not only speaks of these characters, but it speaks of everyone involved, both behind the film and the audience. It's one final goodbye to our friends in what is probably one of the most successful animation franchises ever. And it's this theme of growing up, moving on, and starting over that carries the second half into perfection. There are moments in this second half that had me on the verge of tears, and I rarely ever cry at a movie.
The plot beyond the themes is great, a homage to prison break movies, with the toys becoming prisoners of the day care center and the subsequent escape. And the new villain, Lotso, is a great sympathetic antagonist who is not without his reasons for who he is. The film is filled with entertaining set pieces, my particular favorite being a scene involving a tortilla that had me in tears of laughter. So, while the jokes are sometimes hit and miss (although mostly hit), there are times when the film is extremely funny.
The voice work here is as good as ever and it's hard to believe that the actors have been away for so long, because it feels like they never left these characters. I almost feel like they sometimes just sit around with each other and do a Toy Story roundabout every once in a while.
There isn't enough good praise that can be said about these characters. Sure, the film drags its feet a little and retreads previous territory, but these are very minor in the face of the glaringly excellent things it does so right. Where Iron Man 2 may be the summer's best blockbuster, this is the summer's first great film, and is everything we have been asking for from our movies since the start.