Toy Story 3

Back when as a child, I never thought there would be a Toy Story 3 but it was simply thrilling news when pre-production of the film was beginning. However, when pre-production of Toy Story 3 began, this perhaps became the riskiest project of all time especially after almost a decade since the first two Toy Story films were released and how they both turned out. Toy Story 3 is a film for literally every single person to enjoy but I think the most affected by this film are those who are born in the early or mid 1990s because a final film when those in that generation watched the first two films as children and now that a third instalment has come out, those people are now grown up and have got to move on so it became a very important film that does define a generation. Having grown up with Toy Story and Toy Story 2 myself, my excitement was perhaps the highest I have ever felt watching a film but as far as I am concerned, they couldn't have ended the series any better than this.

In terms of dialogue, the way Toy Story 3 is thought-up and crafted together, it does have close similarities with the two predecessors but I personally think that was the best idea for this film to succeed especially when this is almost like a farewell goodbye film. It is a very deep, emotional film that would make you cry and what makes it even more of a stronger film is that it is over plastic toys that a young man used to play with! That is how taken the viewers are by the trilogy. I thought that the film was pretty damn funny especially the model scene with Barbie and Ken and most of all: Spanish Buzz. I, also, happened to notice that there are a few innuendos within the film and it is ironic that it is only when you're an adult or teenager, you notice this in some children's films. The animation was just outstanding and was a lot clearer and even more enchanting than the animation in the first two films. Well, that's obviously because they were made roughly 10 years before the third instalment. I am sure most people saw Toy Story 3 in 3D and they should because it was pleasurable to watch in that experience but the even better experience is watching it on blu-ray! It is extremely important that every Pixar film needs to be owned on blu-ray because you won't ever get a better animated experience than Pixar on blu-ray!

Andy is now 17 and ready to head off to college, leaving Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the toy-box gang to ponder their uncertain futures. When the toys are accidentally donated to the Sunnyside Daycare center they're initially overjoyed to once again be played with, but their enthusiasm quickly gives way to horror as they discover the true nature of the establishment under the rule of the deceptively welcoming "Lotso" Bear. Now, all of the toys must band together in one final, crazy scheme to escape their confines and return home to Andy.

Once again, we meet new characters (approximately 150 new ones in total) in Toy Story 3 and we experience another point of view of a toy and the innocence of children and we are taken back to our childhoods. As far as I am concerned, teenagers of the late noughties are just like Andy: now grown-up, have to put childhood behind and need to move on and take a new step ahead in life. Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and the rest of the gang go through yet another adventure where they come across new friends and new enemies where they end up separating once again. There are a few toys that were in the predecessors that aren't in Toy Story 3 such as Bo Peep, Wheezy and Etch but it was just great to see Woody, Buzz Lightyear etc return. Tom Hanks needed another breakthrough film in his career seeing as he didn't do all that well in the noughties (except for Cast Away and maybe The Terminal) and he, once again, provides his voice as Woody and goes a great job again! Tim Allen was basically the same, really, and he had almost disappeared from Hollywood throughout the decade and he was great once again as Buzz Lightyear. Other actors Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn and John Ratzenberger make good returns in their respective roles. New actors that have been joined to the cast such as … as Slinky Dog (he replaced … who died in 2000), Ned Beatty as Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear aka Lotso, Michael Keaton as Barbie's counterpart Ken and Timothy Dalton as thespian hedgehog called Mr. Pricklepants.

Lee Unkrich has never directed a Pixar animated film by himself before although he was part of a few in the past. However, his work on Toy Story 3 was simply magnificent and he did as much of a fantastic job with Toy Story 3 as John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and Brad Bird did with the films they did so making the film for 4 years certainly was worth it. Toy Story 3 made history by becoming the 3rd animated film to be nominated for Best Picture (the 1st was Beauty And The Beast in 1991 and fellow Pixar film Up in 2009) but the first and only film in the Toy Story franchise to be nominated in that category.

Overall, Toy Story 3 is an outstanding film that ended the Toy Story series perfectly and would make you shed a tear or two so you need to be emotionally prepared for this one. It is a film that literally has it all and there isn't one weakness that Toy Story 3 has, like at all. It surprisingly became like an loose animated version of The Great Escape and it is definitely one of the most personal films one will ever watch as well as one of the greatest animated films of all time. Please, let there NOT be a Toy Story 4 because this ended perfectly and there doesn't even need to be because their story is completely told now so I think it is now time to leave the series alone.