It's interesting the effect that growing up has on one's mind and attitudes. For example, two of the more important and cherished things in a young child's life are friends and toys. Take either or both away and most any boy or girl will have a nuclear meltdown. Yet, as those kids grow up through their later teens and then into adulthood, few if any of those toys and friends are still with them.
While there are exceptions to the latter, most people I know have little or no constant contact with the kids they grew up with, be that due to them moving out of the area or simply turning out to be different people as adults and thus the friendship grew apart, waned and/or eventually evaporated into the abyss of nothing more than memories.
Most, if not all of the toys, on the other hand, were eventually thrown away or tossed into a box, some still too precious to discard -- due to emotional bonds and thus serving as hard-wired connections to one's childhood -- but not important enough to keep out on a daily basis. In short, and unlike the friends, the toys remained the same but the kids outgrow and then forget about them.
That unique syndrome is a big part of "Toy Story 3," both within the story and as a potentially worrisome perception for the studio. After all, it's been 11 years since Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang mightily entertained us in what's arguably one of the best sequels ever made. Granted, the first two films were released last year with 3D makeovers (as a means to remind audiences of the upcoming third installment) and are present in various video formats around the world for repeated -- and I do mean repeated -- home viewing.
Accordingly, while many movie series have a hard time dealing with such a huge time gap between installments (imagine "Harry Potter" taking an 11-year hiatus), I don't think Disney and Pixar have anything to worry about. Between the market prowess of the former and the nearly perfect track record of the latter ("Cars" being the only blip for yours truly), along with the built-in brand recognition, and desire among both kids and former "Toy Story" fans who've since grown up, I'm not venturing far out on the cinematic limb to predict this will be one of the biggest films of 2010.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that, like its predecessors, this is a highly entertaining, mega enjoyable and extremely well-made pic that's ensured that the "Toy Story" franchise will likely be among the best and most consistent film trilogies ever made. Beyond the questionable addition of 3D (which most everyone now realizes is just a money-making rather than creative add-on -- after all, the first two films did just fine without the added dimension), there are few if any qualms to be had.
Unlike the latest "Shrek" installment that essentially just used an Ebenezer Scrooge time travel twist to revisit the first story again, the filmmakers -- director Lee Unkrich and screenwriter Michael Arndt -- continue the "Toy Story" saga in a believable and natural fashion. And that's by having the main human character, Andy, now headed off to college. Thus, he must choose what to do with his favorite toys.
Through some misunderstanding and mishaps, most of them come to believe he doesn't care about them anymore, and thus box themselves for a trip to a nearby daycare facility. In the real world, this wouldn't seem to be a big or even notable thing. But since our beloved toy characters are really sentient beings who go inanimate around humans but have their share of hopes, dreams, fears, neuroses and more when they're just with their own kind, this is a troubling and even horrifying development, especially once they realize their new sanctuary is anything but that.
Their "horror" and concern, however, turn out, as was the case in the first two films, to be the source of our enjoyment, and the Pixar folks certainly know how to entertain while also tugging on the heartstrings. Granted, the story takes a while to get going (after opening like the last film with an imagined but fun, action-filled show stopper), and there's obviously little new ground for the filmmakers to cover that they haven't already traversed.
Similarly, the discarded toy bit was already done in the sequel regarding Jessie the Cowgirl (in a terrifically moving montage to yet another Randy Newman song, and the composer/performer is back again for more tunes this time), and having the toys terrorized by humans not only played out in the predecessors, but also in the fabulous Pixar short "Tin Toy" (that helped pave the way for the highly creative production house to release feature length films).
Thus, those expecting anything novel (beyond some new toy additions -- the best being Michael Keaton voicing the Ken doll who's quite a clotheshorse but is instantly smitten, natch, with Barbie) might be a little disappointed. I'll admit that while I enjoyed the entire offering, I started to feel just a little (and I mean only a little, since the filmmakers and vocal cast members are so comfortable with the characters that everyone feels like family -- in a good way) let down that things weren't exactly popping off the screen and/or out of the script in the first act.
Thankfully, things begin to pick up once the toys are imprisoned in a daycare facility along the lines of, well, a prison movie, where a grandfatherly type huggable bear toy (voiced by Ned Beatty) turns out to be the warden and head inmate thug wrapped in one, and Woody must carry off a jail break. Once that starts, the action, jokes and charm start flying by in a non-stop and highly entertaining fashion. Some of that might be a little too intense for really young viewers (the peril is palpable), but it's amazing how the filmmakers manage to make us worry and care about molded pieces of plastic, rubber and such.
Considering, however, that they've made all of their characters -- from their humble beginnings with the lovable desk lamps through all of their films -- just as if not more human and real than most flesh and blood performers and filmmakers can manage, it's no surprise they continue that here. While not as groundbreaking as "Wall*E" or as poignant as the first act of "Up" (although there are moments of the latter scattered throughout the film), and maybe not quite as good as its immediate predecessor, "Toy Story 3" nonetheless stands out as one of the best offerings so far of 2010. It rates an 8 out of 10.
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