Toy Story 3 delivers...to infinity & beyond!!!

Rating: 9/10 (19 July 2010)

This signature line from Buzz Lightyear, alone is enough to bring a smile and perhaps a nostalgic flash of the preceding two installments of this heartwarming saga but Toy Story 3 delivers a lot more than just that. From the first frame itself, the movie sets into sublime motion with one scene simply flowing into the other. The audience gets introduced to all the old familiar faces - the Potato Heads, Rex the Dinosaur, Hamm the Piggy bank, the aliens, Slinky the dog, Jesse and of course, Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Andy's all grown up now and headed to college and the Toys are left guessing as to their fate now that Andy won't be interested in playing with them anymore. Woody, always the loyal one, tries his best to convince them that Andy won't discard them, but the others don't believe him. What follows is another typical 'Toy Story' adventure with the toys experiencing the supposed thrills and chills of being toys to kids in a Day Care, imprisoned in what they believed to be their new wonderland and Woody, as always, is there to save the day. Toy Story 3 also brings to the fore a host of new characters including Barbie, Ken, Lotso and Big Baby to name a few.
On the downside, the 3D of the movie..well let's just say it isn't there. After the magic that Avatar has created, the benchmark is probably set so high now that one wonders if any other movie would even come close to creating that level of realism. To expect that from an animation movie, no less, would be harsh but the sad truth is Toy Story 3 doesn't even attempt to impress in that department. One may as well watch the movie in 2D because the true magic of the movie is in the story and characters rather than the effects. Another disappointing factor was the dearth of humor in the movie..though, a couple of scenes do make you chuckle and smile.
However, what really warms your heart towards Toy Story 3 is not the beginning, the action but really, the end. Knowing that Andy is now, indeed, too grown up to play with his old toys the movie ends on the best possible note, leaving perhaps a touch of sadness that this marks the end of a one-of-a-kind saga
For those who are still trying to make up their mind, I'd say if you found anything good about the previous two installments don't bother your heads on this one - just go watch it. If you loved toys when you were younger, I bet this movie will remind you of your favorite ones, the good times you had with them and possibly a touch of regret if they aren't in the best of shape any longer.
So go ahead, remember the good ol' days and bid farewell to one of the few trilogies that have lived up to the expectation...and beyond