Toy Story 3, a Review

I should preface this post by saying that it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Toy Story or Toy Story 2.  I do remember that I enjoyed them both, finding their stories entertaining and their humor satisfying.  Plus, the characters are memorable and iconic.  That said, I had a certain expectation for Toy Story 3, namely that I would laugh and that I would get a good story.  Did the movie achieve these things for me?

Toy Story 3 takes place several years after the first two films.  Andy is getting ready to head off to College (not some unnamed university or college, but College).  His childhood toys—Woody, Buzz, the Potatoheads, etc.—have all been left behind and stored in a toy box for years.  As Andy grew up, he stopped playing with them, and now that he’s going off to College he no longer needs them.

The film opens with a glorious battle between the toys in their play universe.  All the favorites are there.  The action is high.  The fun is great.  But then when real life hits, when we find that the toys are desperate for attention once again, all the fun seems to stop.  By accident, the toys end up at a daycare where things aren’t as happy as they seemed.  The kids there are rough and hard on toys, uncaring that they break or are damaged.  The daycare serves as the main plot for the movie, introducing new characters with exciting potential. 

A lot of stuff happens, things that test friendship, loyalty, and self-importance, and the toys (namely Woody) end up changed.  The conclusion was a sappy, probably unrealistic scene that tried to jerk at tears that I didn’t feel like shedding.  Am I heartless?  No.  It succeeded in that it had me thinking about my childhood, waxing nostalgic, but I never had a favorite toy that I cared deeply about, let along a sack full. 

Don’t get me wrong.  Toy Story 3 offers a great adventure story.  There were times when I was unsure how the toys were going to manage.  The plot is fun and original.  But what was missing was the humor.  Long has Pixar been a studio that produces films of exceptional stories and high comedic values.  I laughed once or twice, but nothing like I’ve done with past Pixar films.  And that is where the film suffers.  If there was more clever humor, more oddball funny situations, I might have enjoyed it better, but sadly there was not.

On a plus note, the animation was beautiful.  The junkyard scenes were fantastic.  The characters are seamless and smooth.  Even the human characters are better looking, still maintaining their CG animated characteristics but looking more realistic while not crossing the line into Realism.  And the toys were all well crafted and created.

Toy Story 3 let me down.  Perhaps it’s because it’s been a while since I’ve seen the last ones.  Perhaps it’s because I had my standards too high.  Maybe I’m not the target audience?  Whatever it is, I can only recommend this movie to diehard Pixar fans (I’m a fan, but I don’t think diehard is a word I’d use to describe my devotion) or Toy Story fans.  Of course, I couldn’t expect Pixar to never mess up, and after a dozen mostly-fantastic films, this one blip isn’t going to change my opinion of them.  I’m sure they’ll be back with a new, grand story, and when it’s there, I’ll watch it happily.

(Note: I saw the 2d version.  I still don’t understand the fascination with 3d cinema, and I hope by not purchasing the 3d tickets I’m sending a small message to somebody that I don’t want that technology to stick around.  Sadly, I’d say I’m in for a rude awakening.)

Up

I went and watched Up with Keisha over the weekend. Pixar has once again produced an amazing movie. Up is probably one of the funniest Pixar films, and I had to wipe my eyes frequently to clear the tears of laughter. There are three reasons why Up was supremely satisfying.

First, the movie is visually breathtaking. I watched the film in 3-d, which meant that I wore the goofy glasses. This was the first movie I have ever seen in 3-d, and it was awesome. I was like a little kid seeing a lightsaber fight for the first time. In addition to 3-d, the storyboards and animation was beautiful. Vibrant colors and exotic scenes dominated the screen, and I was completely absorbed in the art.

The second reason Up was a great movie was the humor in the movie. As I've already mentioned, the film was hilarious. Not just a few laughs, mind you, but whole-theatre laugh-out-loud-for-several-moments funny. The main two characters, grumpy old Mr. Fredricksen and young and clumsy Russell, are wonderfully dynamic with each other, each completing the others comedy. Plus, Kevin and Dug are hysterical.

Finally, Up succeeds because of the story. Like books, movies often fail if the story is weak. The writers for Up created a heart-wrenching but soul-laughing story, and the director knew where and when to stir each emotion. Mr. Fredricksen is a widower and Russell is a young Wilderness Explorer looking to earn a badge for his scout troop, and the two form an unlikely duo. The development of their relationship propels the plot with a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, this was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. I'll even confess that not all of the tears that came to my eyes were from laughter. The film was fantastic, especially in 3-d, and I urge you all to go and watch it. Take your special someone, your kids, your friends, or your robot-nanny and watch it. Unless you have a heart of stone, I guarantee you'll feel your emotions tugged, too.