Toy Story 3
Directed by: Lee Unkrich
Written by: Michael Arndt and John Lasseter
Starring: Tom hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty
Rikoshi
Toy Story 3 tries to do something pretty brave: it attempts to age in real time, with as much time passing in-universe since the previous film as has passed in real life. Something similar was tried with the Harry Potter books, but while that mostly resulted in the books getting overlong and less well edited, with Toy Story 3, it actually succeeds. The result: a movie that’s good for kids, yet which is also very enjoyable for adults (whether they brought kids to see it or not).
All around, the voice performances are up to snuff. Newcomer Ned Beatty does a good job as a sympathetic-yet-not antagonist, and Timothy Dalton is particularly hilarious in his bit role as a stuffed hedgehog thespian (in lederhosen). On the whole, the humor is pretty fresh, and the movie only very sparingly looks to its previous installments to make its gags.
The core themes of the movie are actually very existential, focusing mainly on finding a purpose in life after one has lost it. While that sounds like something out of some pretentious literary novel, here it’s presented in the simplest and most relatable of terms: what good is a toy if nobody plays with it? This bleeds over into sub-themes, such as what it means to be loved, and how to let go of the past, but the movie is never a bleak and joyless look at these things—it remains a fun and active not-just-kid’s movie, but an intelligent one, one with depth.
There’s a real sense of closure to the trilogy, here, and the ending is legitimately heartfelt. My only honest complaint was with the 3D; after the (excellent) “Day & Night” short, I never noticed the 3D at all during the movie itself.
Lovejoy
I wasn’t really excited about Toy Story 3 prior to its release, but I trust Pixar enough to see the film without question, and my loyalty paid off.
It sounds super cheesy, but it’s nice to see old friends again. The first Toy Story came out when I was 10 years old, and was a large part of my childhood, so I have some major nostalgia for it. So it’s really cool to see the third film treated so well, and given the proper sendoff it deserves.
The writing is an amazingly well balanced mix. It’s part family comedy, part prison escape adventure, and part emotional journey about moving on. But in addition to that, Toy Story 3 is well balanced as a film that stands alone, and as a final chapter in a fantastic trilogy.
In the past Pixar has felt a little in your face with the emotions (in particular Wall-E and Up), but everything comes off as heartfelt and genuine here. These aren’t just Andy’s toys, they’re the writer’s toys, the director’s toys, our toys.
On top of everything I really enjoyed the new additions to the cast. Emily Hahn as the triceratops Bonnie and Michael Keaton as the way-past-metrosexual Ken doll give the film a much more modern and hilarious vibe.
