Toy Story 3

I was thinking about this the other day, but Pixar has made me care more about things that I don't normally concern myself with. Rats.  Cars. Fish. Children's toys. Hard to believe it was way back in 1995 when Toy Story made it's huge splash into movie theaters and into the hearts of moviegoers, instantly setting Pixar up as the flagbearer for an entire genre. Since that time, Pixar hasn't just changed the way computer animation is produced, they've changed the way we view what is typically referred to as "kiddie entertainment" by creating fully realized stories that appeal to kids and adults alike. I'm not going to be the first or the last person to say this, but Pixar has again proved themselves to be head and shoulders better than everybody else with Toy Story 3.

It's been eleven years since the last we last saw Buzz Lightyear(Tim Allen), Woody(Tom Hanks) and the rest of the gang. In that time their owner, Andy, has gotten older and the fears they had during the last film are finally coming to pass. Andy has outgrown them. Seventeen years old and moving away to college, it isn't likely that he'll be taking a big box of action figures along with him. Believe me, it doesn't get you girls. I speak from experience. A rift forms amongst the usually tight knit group of toys, with most just wanting to find a place where they can be played with everyday. Being played with is like crack to them. Only Woody feels a sense of loyalty, but then again he's in the catbird seat as the only toy coming along when Andy leaves. The rest are to be sent to the attic. Not exactly a fulfilling life for any toy.

Like all of our moms before us, Andy's is in more of a hurry to see the stuff gone than caring where it actually ends up. First dumped on the curb as trash, the toys find themselves as donations to Sunnyside Day Care where they are guaranteed to get played with. Or so says Lotso  Huggin' Bear(Ned Beatty), a fluffy pink plush bear with a strawberry scent and the demeanor of a protective grandfather. He promises that they'll get all the play time they could ever want, and boy do they! Woody and the gang are fodder for the worst kids in the building, beaten down and treated like crap day in and day out. Wanting to escape, they discover that Lotso might not be quite the calming influence he presented himself to be, and the daycare quickly devolves into a makeshift prison. Only Woody can save his friends, but can he do it in time to get back to Andy before he leaves for college?

One of Pixar's great strengths is the way they treat their audiences with respect, whether they be children or adults. Their films are just wacky enough to appease younger minds, while deeper issues that affect us supposedly more mature folks are always just below the surface. In the case of Toy Story 3, the toys are left to deal with issues of self worth. The feeling of growing old and becoming useless to the people they care for most. In that way it's a bleaker story than the last two, with some especially heavy dialogue in the opening and closing chapters. Nobody wants to feel unwanted, not even toys, whos only job is to make kids happy. If they aren't able to do that anymore, what good are they?

The old familiar characters we've all come to love are back. Woody, Buzz, The Potato Heads(Don Rickles and Estelle Harris), Hamm(John Ratzenberger)and my personal favorite, Jessie(Joan Cusack). Along for the ride are a huge cast of newcomers, including the classically trained thespian Mr. Pricklepants(Timothy Dalton) and the ifeminate Ken(Michael Keaton), Barbie's potential soulmate. It's amazing how screenwriter Michael Arndt is able to give so many characters breadth and life with just a few simple words.

Toy Story 3 is the rare case where the third act of a trilogy is superior to those that came before. Not that I have any complaints with 1 & 2, mind you. It's been ages since I caught myself smiling throughout an entire film, from the zany opening to the bittersweet conclusion. Everything worked, from the comedy to the surprisingly intense action sequences. I'll put the toys escape from Sunnyside up against anything I saw in The A-Team just last week. Toy Story 3 is truly a remarkable feat that hits on every level.  My only complaint is that the 3-D aspect adds nothing. I didn't even notice it.

Whether or not this is the last Toy Story film I can't say. We're all pretty used to how good Pixar has been over the years. For us, there's a tendency to just expect greatness, and when we get it to just acknowledge it and move along. The funny thing is how Pixar has never once become complacent. Whether every film is a masterpiece or not, you can always tell they put their heart and soul into everything they do. Well, in this case, Toy Story 3 is indeed a masterpiece. One that's going to be pretty hard to top. I'm sure Pixar won't stop until they do.