Movie Reviews  |  G  |  View Trailer  |  Jun 18, 2010

The first “Toy Story” filmed ushered in the CG animated feature era. “Toy Story 2” redefined the genre four years later. Pixar, after eleven years and a slate of films that is as near perfect as you can get, has cranked out another near masterpiece. “Toy Story 3” is just splendid.

Kudos must be paid to Pixar. After “Toy Story 2” they stayed away from doing any sequels, even for their most beloved franchises like ‘Monsters, Inc.’ Most other studios would bilk every last cent they could out of each franchise, hoping to make a quick buck. Not Pixar, they’re a different animal altogether. They let their movies age, and grow. Their movies, especially the “Toy Story” series, are some of the best animated films ever created.

Following up “Toy Story 2” is no easy task, and caused more than a few people to become nervous. Has Pixar finally run out of ideas that they’re going to start recycling their movies with sequels? This was a perfect question, since it was announced that Pixar would also be doing “Cars 2,” and “Monsters, Inc. 2.” When “Toy Story 3” was first announced it felt like a desperate plea from a studio that has given us some of the most inventive animated features ever created. After witnessing “Toy Story 3” first had I realized that betting against Pixar is just as stupid as betting against Michael Jordan when the game is on the line. Just don’t do it.

“Toy Story 3” begins with a pitch-perfect action sequence that shows us exactly what was in Andy’s head as he played with his toys in the very first film. It’s the same scenario where Andy and Woody are saving the orphans from One-Eyed Bart. A great throwback to the original film.

After the action sequence we see Andy growing up, through home videos. Now he’s headed off to college. Woody, Buzz, and the gang are gearing up to go into storage in the attic. Thinking that they’ll never be taken to college with Andy, they’re consigning themselves to a lifetime of attic dwelling. That is until they are donated to a local day care by Andy’s mom.

The day care is full of toys, and children that play with them. Is this toy heaven? A new character called Lotso – a giant pink bear who smells of strawberries – tells them that it is. Only instead of being put in the Butterfly Room with the older, more well behaved kids. Buzz, Jesse, and everyone else get put in the Caterpillar Room with the younger kids. In short, it’s like a toy Armageddon.

Going through all the characters and the plot would take much more space than I’m allotted for this review. All your favorite characters are back, and a whole slew of new ones. Even with all the new characters the movie doesn’t suffer from new character overload like many sequels that have gone before it. A new character that must be mentioned is Ken. Yes, Barbie now has her Ken (voiced by Michael Keaton) and he just about steals the show with his girly handwriting and his infinite wardrobe.

“Toy Story 3” has some of the most intense action scenes of any “Toy Story” film. They are exciting to watch, and as the movie moves into its third act it becomes a prison break tale of epic proportions. It’s stunning in view and scope. Even with all the action, humor is still present. Barrels [of monkeys] full. Real, genuine humor. Even some inside jokes that only fans of the series will appreciate. There’s enough humor for both adults and children. That rare kind of humor that will have adults and kids laughing at the very same thing for different reasons.

“Toy Story 3” is far and away the best movie of the year so far. Yes, I know that sounds like some corny quote you’d hear during one of the promo commercials, but it’s true. It’s all here. The whimsy that made us fall in love with “Toy Story” in the beginning, the humor that made us stick around, and the emotion that made us adore these characters. If you see just one movie this summer, please make it this one.