Toy Story 3: Review By Paolo Sardinas

The number three has gained notoriously bad rep because of the movie business. Not only does just about every third sequel contain none of the magic of the first or any of the fresh ideas from the second. The third often feels like the big letdown rather than the big ending (Spider Man 3 for example). While many classic film trilogies have often had the bad luck of being cursed with a terrible grand finale, one trilogy has the luck of being bestowed the rare honor of having great finale. "Toy Story 3", the third installment in the ever so popular Toy Story franchise is more than just an animated film. Its a work of art. One that conveys more human emotions than anything else this year and one that has entertained unlike anything released this year. Yes, it is, true the curse has been broken, on comes the praise.

The much beloved "Toy Story 2" left us with the feeling of maturity as viewer's had to face the fact that eventually Alan would outgrow his group of rambunctious living toys. To take the viewer past that idea would be a nightmare, Pixar chose to do just that, and in doing so has added more interesting and creative characters to the already expanded "Toy Story" universe. This film takes place as Andy has finished, and graduated mind you, high school and is off to college. Here we are faced dead on with the film's main theme, being forgotten. I won't go on to spoil the film's main plot-line for you, and yes I did just say that a cartoon contains moments that can be spoiled. But what I can say is that all of our beloved toys are back this includes the ever so popular Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen along with their wily band of brothers that includes Jessie the Cowgirl (Joan Cusack), Mr. & Mrs. Potatohead (Don Rickles, Estelle Harris), Rex the Dinosaur (Wallace Shawn), and Hamm the Piggybank (John Ratzenberger), and they have found themselves in quite the predicament.

Andy stuffed the gang, aside from Woody, into a box in the attic. But something happens and the toys are shipped off to a day care center. The kind of place where you would think this group of toys would be most loved in would be a day care. Little do they know the horrors that await them. These children are incredibly dangerous whose idea of a fun time playing with toys is ripping their heads off and smashing them against walls. Buzz and the others are left wanting to re-join their buddy Wood outs in the free world, a place that seems oh so distant. Woody hears about his friends' problem and organizes a jailbreak to set them free.

The story itself isn't dangerously complex and is seemingly simple. The jailbreak aspect offers the audience something of an action aspect to it all and manages to constantly keep you entertained. The humor, mostly thanks to the constant bickering and soap opera type confrontations from a rather faithfully re-created Barbie and Ken that allude to recent television hits, keeps the kids and adults alike laughing all the way through the film's run. The much talked about ending will most definitely bring a tear to the viewer's eye but will be more noticed by adults rather than children. The film's theme of maturity and life slipping by at the blink of an eye will be picked up easier by those in the older category while the film's message of friendship will be definitely be picked up the film's younger audience. Something that illustrates the so called "Pixar touch" that every one of Pixar's films has. A way to involve both children and adults in whats happening on screen.

Visually, Toy Story 3 is equally as stunning as its predecessor. But not as cutting edge as the other two. Mind you I saw the 2D version and not the 3D one but from what I can tell the movie doesn't need to be seen in 3D, its a beautiful of enough film that it can be enjoyed with or without the glasses on. Pixar has definitely made progress, visually, since the first one. Whether it be the desolate landscape of Wall E or the colorful balloons floating "Up" in the air, they have definitely created some of the most breathtaking vistas in recent memory. With that being said Toy Story 3 doesn't look all that much different from the first two. The same colorful look is bestowed to this film as it has been to all the others.

All the film's original actors are back and delivering their lines and characters with such vitality that you'll forget its been a decade since the last one. Even John Morris is back playing Andy. The only original cast mate that has been replaced is th elate Jim Varney who died back in 2000; the slink dog has been replaced by Blake Clark. But there are plenty of new comers to the show, this includes a pink and fuzzy bear who leads the toys that are trapped in the day care center named Lotso (Ned Beatty), Timothy Dalton as a rather prickly hedgehog whose prickly outside is just a PRICKly as the inside. Jodi Benson who had a short scene as Barbie in the second film returns reprising her role as Barbie and is joined by Michael Keaton playing Ken. We're joined by a triceratops named Trixie and a unicorn named Buttercup (Jeff Garlin).

Most films lose their magic the third time around and fail to live up to expectations. "Toy Story 3" proves to be an exception and manages to entertain the audience with its humor, adventure, and themes of love, loss, and friendship. Director Lee Unkrich, who co-directed "Toy Story 2" directos the film that makes it appealing to everyone. It never drags on and on and always know how to keep the viewer invested in whats happening on the screen rather than on their watches. In the last decade Pixar has proven to be the only movie studio who releases hit after hit and only improves upon themselves after each one. "Toy Story 3" is no exception as it allows the legacy of the characters and brand to live for infinity... and beyond.