Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3

Fifteen years ago, an animation group named Pixar broke new ground by creating the first ever fully computer-animated film. Computer animation was thought to be cold and heartless. Yet, with two toys, Buzz Lightyear and Woody, fighting to return to their owner Andy, all of that changed. 

In a decade and a half, Pixar has redefined not only how animated films are seen, but how movies are seen. The bond between a father and son in Finding Nemo, the superhero action of The Incredibles and the staggering heartbreak in Up proved that animated films could have just as much heart and passion as live action films.

With fifteen years and ten incredible masterpieces under their belt, Pixar decided to go back to their original, beloved duo for their eleventh film, Toy Story 3, and they deliver in every way possible.

The times, they are are changing at Andy's house. The trusted toy owner is heading off to college, leaving behind his childhood toys. Even little sister Molly is too old for his Barbie doll. The few remaining toys are desperate. The last decade has been hard on them, losing most of their toy kin to various yard sales and adolescence. Instead of going on recon missions to check out if Andy has received new toys or who is being sold at the most recent yard sale, the remaining toys will even attempt to steal Andy's cell phone, just in the hope that he will hold one of them. They are desperate for the love that they once knew.

A few days before another big move for Andy, his mother walks in with two trash bags: one for the attic and one for the dumpster. Most of the toys end up in the bag for the attic, while Andy decides to take his most trusted friend, Woody, to college with him. However, Andy's mom mistakes the attic bag for the trash pile, taking the toys down to the curb for pickup. Woody sees this and tries to stop the toys from heading to the landfill. He does so, but the damage has already been done. After a decade trapped in their toy box prison, they finally accept that maybe this is it. Maybe Andy only sees them as trash anymore. With their options limited, the toys decide to jump in a box labeled "Sunnyside", a day care center which Andy's mom donates to. Reluctantly, Woody jumps in and joins his friends on their new adventure where and love and affection will hopefully be abundant. 

While the original Toy Story was about friendship and Toy Story 2 was about dedication towards that friendship, Toy Story 3 has a much deeper story: moving on and finding love in new places. After so many years of dedication and memories, Woody finds it hard to move on from the boy who wrote his name on the bottom of Woody's boots. In the first film, Woody always stated that "no toy gets left behind", but at this point, almost all of the beloved toys have left, leaving them as the left behind. Toy Story 3 packs an emotional punch that was lacking in the previous two films, yet feels natural after Pixar's forays with emotion in Wall-E, and most notably, last year's Up.

But don't think that Toy Story 3 is nothing but tears and misery. The Toy Story gang is just as hilarious as ever, and great new characters are introduced seamlessly into the progression. While a majority of the story focuses on the original gang, new characters like Trixie, played by Flight of the Conchord's Kristen Schaal, Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants, Jeff Garlin's Buttercup, and a character known only as Big Baby are great additions to a series overflowing with fantastic characters.

With a great combination of mellon collie and happiness, new characters and old, it seems like Toy Story 3 should be overwhelming in size and scale. But director Lee Unkrich, who also co-directed Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo, does a phenomenal job with his first solo directing gig at Pixar. One choice I was curious about was the decision to have Little Miss Sunshine screenwriter Michael Arndt handle the screenplay. Would we see Andy's heroin and porn loving grandpa? Would Andy have to put his dead corpse in the back of their blue minivan with the "A113" license plate to get to Molly's beauty pageant? Would Rex and Hamm have discussions about Nietzsche and Marcel Proust? While none of these happen (and in hindsight, that would have been kind of awesome), Arndt handles the story with delicate care. He understands these characters and what the fans want to see, while also surprising all the way to the end. It's easy to tell that you have a great writer and director when you can tell exactly what emotion a non-sentient toy is having.

After fifteen years, these toys are still as beloved as ever. As an audience, you still care about their trials and tribulations. Pixar's first creations resonate a decade and a half since their first inception and bring new humor and great emotion with them. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen have become their characters, as have the rest of the great supporting cast. I found myself getting lost so much in the wonder of the film, that I continually remind myself that these characters aren't living, breathing creatures. 

Pixar is still masters at what they do and Toy Story 3 is proof that you can have incredible, true to life characters, with emotions and heart, even if they are child's play things. With Toy Story 3, Pixar has created the first truly great animation trilogy. Putting Toy Story along the lines of The Godfather or The Lord of the Rings trilogies is a perfect fit. With a track record like Pixar's it's hard to believe that this may be one of their best, but once again, Pixar goes above and beyond any and all expectations to create another great masterpiece.