Toy Story 3

Having been a huge fan of the previous two installments, I had the bar set extremely high for "Toy Story 3".  So you can imagine my utter surprise when not only did this movie meet my already super-high expectations, but also surpassed them.  It's been 11 years since the first sequel in the series debuted, and roughly the same amount of time has passed in the story; Andy - owner of cowboy sherriff Woody, intergalactic space ranger Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the loveable toy gang - is all grown-up and heading off to college.  Woody and the other toys are all nervous about their impending fate now that their owner is leaving them behind... will they be mercifully placed in the attic in the hopes that they will be played with again someday in the future, or (gulp) be kicked to the curb and end up at the local dump, unwanted and unloved?  Through a series of accidents and misunderstandings, Andy's toys get donated to Sunnyside daycare center where they meet a lots o'huggin' bear named Lotso who runs the joint.  Lotso welcomes the new tenants with a southern drawl and gentlemanly hospitality so Andy's toys think they have hit the jackpot, but all is not as it seems.  Meanwhile, Woody is torn between his loyalty to Andy (he is the lone dissenting voice who thinks the toys should return home to Andy instead of selfishly staying at the daycare center just so they can be played with again) and his own desire to be loved by a child again.  There are some deep emotional issues going on here: loneliness, abandonment, loyalty, and despair.  The story works because we are deeply invested in these characters.  They may be made of plastic and cloth, but they made me feel and care for them just as much, if not more, than most flesh and blood characters.  It's that mixture and balance of comedic elements and stunning visuals for the kid set, and complex feelings and conflicts that adults can appreciate, that make these movies so accessible and endearing.  I attribute it to the magic of Pixar; they're always able to make both the kid and grown-up in me giddy with pleasure and delight.


5 out of 5 stars