Viewed in
2010, 2011
Formats
Movie theater (3D), HDTV
Premise
Those lovable CGI toys are accidentally donated to a daycare center, that is more fraternity than democracy.
Loved
The comedy, the full circle aspect.
Thoughts
Pixar does it again.
My favorite moments were the fantastically hilarious comedy from when Mr. Potato Head was forced to use a different body and when Buzz was reset incorrectly. Those gut busters made me laugh like never before.
While it parodied the likes of The Great Escape and Return of the Jedi, the film kept the pop culture references and adult innuendos to a minimum. This made the references even funnier, and fit in naturally. There was an anime cameo that was so cool, it made me squee in delight. And nearly became a distraction.
What caught me by surprise was how emotional I got near the end. This film had a lot of great shout outs to characters or story lines from the first two films, sometimes going full circle. In addition, it had a cool way of reiterating the theme of friendship, which was the backbone and heart of the trilogy. I also loved the creativity in giving these characters closure; allowing each to bow out, and letting us say goodbye to them. They reminded me how dear they were to my heart. I was overwhelmed with emotion, not just for these characters, but for Pixar for creating such a memorable universe and a wonderful 15 year journey.
(Taking a moment to compose myself.)
However, it was pretty clear the story was not on par with the others. It was not as personable as the first, and not as thought-provoking as the second. There was more action and little character arc. About thirty minutes in, a bunch of new characters appeared, and their introductions slowed things to a crawl. Lastly, the film makers relied on a predictable and implausible moment during the climax. Thankfully, I was emotionally invested that it did not take me out of the film.
As a big fan of the first two films, it was a treat to be able to see them once again in a fulfilling and entertaining second sequel. The story was the weakest link, but everything else was perfectly executed. A second sequel of such quality is a rarity in modern cinema. Toy Story is now arguably the best trilogy in cinema history.
Lastly, the opening short, Day & Night was very creative and unique. It might not translate well with younger kids, but it was one of Pixar's best.
My one regret was that I wished I watched Toy Story 3 in regular 2D. I did not watch in an IMAX nor digital projection theater, so maybe it would have been worth it had I gone there. But watching it on a typical 3D format was not worth the extra money, you can really notice how dim the image got. Odd thing is, the Day & Night short was very much enhanced by the 3D.
