Film Review Toy Story 3 
USA 2010. Cert: U. 108 mins. Director: Lee Unkrich. Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty
Film Review: Toy Story 3
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Ask any film buff and they’ll tell you that of all the sequels ever made, only a small percentage of them actually have any artistic or cinematic worth. Of that small percentage, there are a very select few which – against all reason – are better than their predecessors. The Godfather Part II is one that gets mentioned a lot. The Dark Knight was a recent example. Another more pertinent one was Toy Story 2, which, as an animation, has proved to be something of a black sheep of the sequel family. As the novelty of the revolutionary animation techniques had worn off after the first Toy Story, Toy Story 2 couldn’t rely on just looking fancy and so earned its place among the superior sequels on the grounds of simply being an excellent film – one that just so happened to be animated.
Now we have Toy Story 3. The second sequel. Andy is now all grown up and about to head off for college. Having been ignored and unplayed with for the best part of a decade, Woody, Buzz and the gang now find themselves in a rather precarious position. They’re not going to be taken to college, so – faced with either a future in the attic with the guys from the Christmas box or a one-way trip to the city dump – the toys decide to get themselves donated to a day care centre so they can be played with once again. Only once they get there, they find themselves at the mercy of a band of sticky-fingered, dribble-happy brats who like to play rough. Soon they realise their only option is to stage a breakout.
There is a whole cast of new toys who are sure to delight. Timothy Dalton’s Mr Pricklepants will be a firm favourite, but the Barbie and Ken subplot is so good it almost steals the show (but mercifully doesn’t). The old characters are also in excellent form, keeping everything moving along with snappy dialogue, great visual gags and at least three genuinely heartbreakingly emotional moments which are exhilarating and exhausting in equal measure (honestly, if you can hold it together during the hand-holding scene, then you are made of seriously strong stuff).
Disney Pixar have gone 10 for 10 with successes from the first Toy Story to last year’s Up. Toy Story 3 is their 11th and, quite honestly, it could well be their finest effort yet. A joyous, joyous film.
On general release 16th July
Posted on Wednesday 7th July 2010
Chris Lochery
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