The toys are back in town

Rating: 9/10 (20 June 2010)

Toy Story 3 takes us back to the toy chest where we find Woody, Buzz, and the whole gang trying to get grab the attention of Andy, their owner, before he leaves for college. It seems that they are destined to spend the rest of their lives in the attic, unless they do something about it. As Andy decides to either keep his once adored toys, throw them away, or in the case of Woody take him to college, they are mistakenly place in the wrong bag and are nearly thrown away. Thanks to some cunning from the gang, they manage to slip into a box bound for the nearby day care.
At Sunnyside Day Care things seem to be too good to be true. They meet Lotso, a large, magenta teddy bear who greets the gang with open arms. We are led to believe that Sunnyside is a sort of retirement home for toys where they will have nothing else but endless days of being played with. Everyone is on board but Woody, who feels it is his duty to return to Andy. Before he can return home he is found by a girl named Bonnie, who take him home with her.
While Woody tries to get back to Andy, things aren't as smooth as they should be at Sunnyside. Rather than being played with they are mishandled and abused by toddlers. It appears that they were lied to. Now everyone is in the wrong place and it is only just a few days before Andy leaves for college.
I was blown away by the quality of the story. Aside from Up this might be Pixar's most adult film. There are a lot of allusions to the previous films with catchphrases and mannerisms, but this movie hits home in a big way. I think we all have had a moment where we have come across a toy that was once so highly regarded and prized but has fallen away due to maturation and time. There is a moment where you realize that this toy has had its run and it will either be passed down, passed on, or thrown away. In real life it might not be as hard, but when looking at it through the eyes of these toys, it's heartbreaking.
This film and the two previous have all been a focused on identity. In Toy Story Woody can't handle not being the number one toy in Andy's life so he tries to eliminate the competition, only to realize that he is not being forgotten, just that he is a piece to a bigger puzzle. In the second film Woody sees what his past was and how important he is to other people, but what truly matters is who loves him the most, and that is Andy. Here Woody refuses to let go of Andy because he isn't ready. What he learns along with the rest of the group is that they have fulfilled their duty and they must let go.
Thematic elements aside, this is an extremely well done film. I can't say that the animation is better because they are using the same characters in the same world, but compared to the previous films in the series, this looks the best by far. In just their second attempt at making a 3D film, they have succeeded beautifully, though I don't think it is necessary to see it in 3D like how I felt about Up.
The new characters are a lot of fun. Lotso, Ken, Trixie, Mr. Pricklepants, and Buttercup have great personalities are are voiced by excellent actors (Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, Kristen Schaal, Timothy Dalton, and Jeff Garlin respectively). Like all Pixar films, they choose the right voice for the character, not the right choice for the marquee. Granted, these are pretty much all well established actors, but it's their talents that make them worth it.
I had mixed feelings going into this film. Toy Story is one of my favorite films and I hate to see a good thing turned into a bad one. I am happy to say that I feel so happy knowing that they took they're time in turning out a great film as well as a perfect ending for a great franchise. For those on the fence about going, do yourself a favor and see this one. It's worth it, but don't feel like you need to see it in 3D. I think it would work perfectly well in regular 2D.