"This is the perfect time to be hysterical."
"Should we be HYSTERICAL?"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Maybe! But not right now!"
After many good years, Andy (Morris) is heading to college. His beloved toys have been sold at yard sales or left in the toy box: they haven't been played with in years. Before leaving, his mom gives an ultimatum: take to college, put in the attic, or donate to a daycare. Anything left when he leaves will be trashed. Woody (Hanks) trusts that Andy will put them all in the attic, and they will be fine as long as they are all together. But when Andy is choosing boxes, he puts Woody in the "college" box and throws Buzz (Allen) and the rest of the gang into a trash bag for the attic.
Through a series of mishaps, the entire gang ends up in the box of items to donate to Sunnyside Daycare. They are welcomed by the leader of the toys, a purple bear named Lotso (Beatty). Lotso's associate, Ken (Keaton), gives them a tour of the facilities... but is distracted by his attraction to Barbie (Benson). While Woody escapes to return to Andy, the rest of the toys eagerly wait for the children to return to the room and play with them... but they are in the toddler room and get abused more than played with. That evening they learn about the daycare hierarchy... Buzz is returned to factory setting (and then reset to Spanish mode) and the rest of the gang are locked in crates overnight. Will Woody make it back to the daycare to help his escape? Will they get Buzz back to normal? Will they make it back to Andy in time?
All hail Pixar!! Once again they deliver a wonderful family film... master storytelling with lots of laughs for the entire family to enjoy. This film is eleven years in the making... In 1995 the Pixar team created their first major motion picture: Toy Story. A CGI film that looked good, was smart, and had a huge heart. Four years later, in 1999, Pixar managed another great feat: a sequel that was even better than the predecessor. Toy Story 2 introduced new characters and new dilemmas, while capitalizing on the success of the first. Eleven years later, they've done it again.
But how do you continue a beloved story when some of your main actors have passed away (Jim Varney voice of Slinky, Joe Ranft voice of Wheezy)? Do you keep the characters and use other actors, or do you remove the character from the story? The character of Slinky was a main character in both of the other films, it would be hard to remove him from the story. So for the good of the story, the filmmakers hired one of Varney's good friends, Blake Clark. The role of Slinky was greatly reduced, but he was still there. Wheezy was not a major character, so it was easy for the filmmakers to write him out of the story. The only main character missing from the film is Bo Peep (voiced by Annie Potts), who was one of Molly's toys, and would not fit into the story as well.
The filmmakers manage to keep the emotion and relationships of the previous installations, while introducing new characters and stories. The new characters easily fit into the toy world, with their own personalities. They are interesting characters, voiced by well-known actors. And they brought by old characters from the first film... Sid (the evil kid from the first film) drives the garbage truck. The action and visuals are better, and the emotions are stronger. It tugs at your heartstrings and brings you close to tears...and by close to tears, I mean, you are bawling your eyes out.
The perfect way to bring a touching film series to a close.
Toy Story 3 (2010) 103 minutes
Director: Lee Unkrich
Starring: Tom Hanks as Woody
Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear
Joan Cusack as Jessie
Ned Beatty as Lotso
Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head
Michael Keaton as Ken
Wallace Shawn as Rex
John Ratzenberger as Hamm
Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head
John Morris as Andy
Jodi Benson as Barbie
Blake Clark as Slinky Dog
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