Toy Story 3

I am sure many people wondered how Pixar would make a successful third Toy Story movie. After seeing the first trailer I became excited to see Toy Story 3. I loved the overall story for the third installment and I really enjoyed the fact that in a way this was a coming of age movie for the toys as Andy had grown up and was ready to go away to college.

From the on set Pixar has been a great animation studio.  Pixar's animation talents shine through in Toy Story 3. I am a huge fan of the three dimensional character animation because of the simple fact that it makes the movie more realistic and does a great job at fully immersing the viewer into the movie because it feels like an actual world. In the animation the attention to detail is impeccable. I think the attention to detail for me is most noticeable with the slight shine that comes off from Buzz's helmet. Also, it was nice to see even more realism in the human faces.

The voice talent once again shines. Not only are the main characters great, but the secondary characters are able to hang with all the main characters. For me the introduction of Ken was a genius move. It was very funny as they played off all the stereotypes for the doll Ken and one of the best parts of it was his trying on clothes for Barbie. I also enjoyed the new twist with Buzz and how he was reset back to the Spanish setting. It ended up being a great change of pace for the Buzz character as he was able to play a Casanova type and then after being switched back to the English setting he has no recollection of being in Spanish mode.

Just like Toy Story 2's subtle and underlying themes, Toy Story 3 focuses on the toys latest adventure, yet manages to delve deeper then just the adventures.On the surface this movie is about the toys through circumstances ending up in a daycare center, that is not what it seems. At the same time Andy is getting ready to go to college, but Woody is not yet ready to let go of his owner and that memories that follow. The deeper aspect of this film can be felt throughout and deals with growing up, moving on and the feelings of abandonment. Lee Unkrich direction for this movie is perfect with incredible pacing and just as much heart and dedication as Lasseter, who was in charge of directing the previous two. One of the great things within Pixar is the collaboration that takes place as they bounce ideas off one another. This can be seen throughout most of the Pixar films as they all seem to have a similar pacing and directing style. One of the techniques that shows through all Pixar films is that of incorporating as many tears as laughs. Toy Story 3 is no different with this, but also gives a heavy does of suspense and peril which pays off with one of the most exciting animated sequences.

Toy Story 3 does a splendid job at closing off trilogy and tying the loose ends as well as leaving the viewer satisfied. Toy Story 3 with the advances in technology since the original will go down as the best animation of the three. The Toy Story franchise are movies that are ageless and are ones that will stand the test of time. For the amazing animation and even the suspense I am giving Toy Story 3 four buckets of popcorn out of five. This is definitely a must have for not only any family DVD collection, but any DVD collection.

-The Movie Man