Review: Toy Story 3

Story by admin | June 21, 2010 | Tags: arts, Film, movies

Review by Andrew Johnson for CaryCitizen

If God exists, he works at Pixar.  If he doesn’t, then its staff must be composed primarily of wizards, Jedi and the Keebler Elves. That’s the only logical explanation for the sheer amount of unbridled creative energy that gets pumped into their movies that miraculously works every time (except for Cars, but that was a fluke – even God has to take a break sometimes).  Of all the major American animation studios, only Pixar can make a few computer-generated characters prance around onscreen for 90 minutes, earn enough money at the box-office to feed a small nation for a year, and leave me feeling like they deserve it.

It’s been 15 years since audiences were first introduced to Woody, Buzz and the gang in the original Toy Story.  Since then, Pixar has gradually proven itself to be the king of animation, capable of producing films that are not only stylistically innovative but thematically dense.  From the environmentally conscious Wall-E to the reflections on mortality and memory in last year’s Up, the studio has shown that it’s willing to go out on a limb and make films with more adult-oriented messages than your average family entertainment.

Toy Story 3 is no different.  While on the surface it plays well as an entertaining adventure film, underneath the spectacle it’s arguably the most profound of the trilogy to date, further elaborating on the themes of rejection, purpose and mortality that provided the emotional backbone of the first two.  Don’t be alarmed if you find yourself shedding a tear over the fates of these characters – Pixar has successfully transformed them from mere plastic playthings into genuine people, and the result is a heartfelt (if not entirely original) tale about life, death, and finding one’s place in an unfamiliar world.

The plot finds the toys’ owner, Andy, about to pack up and go to college.  But before he can store his old toys in the attic, they’re mistakenly donated to Sunnyside Daycare.  Here they meet a new cast of characters led by Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear (perfectly voiced by Ned Beatty), and expect to live fulfilling lives never outgrown by the children that go there.  But it doesn’t take long for them to realize that Sunnyside isn’t as utopian as it first appears.  To elaborate further would rob the film of some of its most inspired moments, suffice to say hijinks ensue.

The first half combines the return-to-Andy storyline of the first film with the rescue subplot of the second.  The only difference is that now the tables have turned, with Woody needing to rescue all the other toys instead of vice versa.  And when most of the new characters are never explored beyond brief introductions, it’s difficult to sympathize with our heroes, who in many ways are essentially rehashing the events of the second film. While it’s a perfectly adequate premise, it feels very similar to what’s come before it, and ultimately keeps Toy Story 3 from living up to its predecessors.  There’s a fine line between homage and repetition, and one gets the feeling Pixar couldn’t quite get the right balance between them.

Thankfully, the film finds its footing in the second half, delivering enough laughs and Cool Hand Luke-inspired escape scenes to keep adults in the audience just as delighted as their kids.  Once again, I find myself amazed at the sheer amount of creativity Pixar has pumped into their latest project – there are jokes here involving everything from monkeys to tortillas, but instead of feeling like random cheap shots they breathe life into what would otherwise be all-too-familiar proceedings.

The film also emerges as the darkest and most troubling of the series to date.  Whereas Toy Story 2 threatened Woody with eternal life away from the child he loves, this chapter forces him to confront his own mortality.  A thick layer of dread hangs over much of Toy Story 3 as our characters begin to realize that without a kid to play with them (and more specifically, the right kid), the best they can hope for is to eventually spend eternity alone in the attic.  Assuming they aren’t broken or sent to the dump as trash before then, of course.  While it’s refreshing to see a children’s film that respects its audience and knows it can handle heavier themes (DreamWorks, take note) parents should be aware:  there’s enough existential angst here to rival an afternoon with Nietzsche, and some of the heavier subject matter (not to mention scenes of extreme peril) might upset small children.

Pixar pushes the G-rating to its limit here, with night-time action sequences that at times literally feel like a descent into hell, complete with fire and brimstone.  It’s intense enough to make one question whether Pixar will risk breaking the cardinal rule of family films and kill off the characters we’ve grown to love and appreciate.  The stakes are constantly being raised, and Lee Unkrich’s directing is assured enough to keep even the most hardened viewer genuinely invested in their futures.  At its worst, this threequel is a satisfying end to a fantastic franchise, and at its best it’s an inventive exploration of what makes us human.

Overall, Toy Story 3 lacks the level of maturity of Wall-E and the originality of films like Monsters, Inc. and Ratatouille.  It’s not the best film of the year (or even of the trilogy), and it occasionally feels like Pixar decided to cash in on recycled plot threads.  But compared to the majority of the cinematic dreck Hollywood churns out for kids, it’s a breath of fresh air, and easily worth the price of admission.  Pixar has proven once again that they’re willing to try new things, explore deep ideas, and in short, take risks.  In a summer lineup largely populated by 80s remakes and formulaic fluff, that’s something to be welcomed with open arms.  God may not work at Pixar, but compared to the rest of what’s out there, Toy Story 3 is downright divine.

Andrew Johnson is the host of MovieChatter, a weekly film discussion podcast headquartered in North Carolina.  He also occasionally blogs about film at The Kuleshov Effect.  Of all the opinions out there about the current state of cinema, he swears that his are the right ones.