For more than a decade Disney and Pixar have enchanted the world with some of the best animation in the history of cinema. After teaming up for 11 films to date, they have only misfired once — that being the incredibly generic Cars.
But for the most part, Pixar has had the ability to deliver classic after classic on an annual basis. This has never been more clear than with their most recent film Toy Story 3.
Unlike Toy Story 2, the third one doesn’t pick up where the previous one left off. We are immediately thrust into a world very different from the previous films. Andy is getting ready for college and Woody, Buzz and the other toys are dealing with a reality where they aren’t played with anymore. And after a couple of instances of bad luck they find themselves donated to Sunnyside Day Care.
At first, this new location seems as though it will be a new start for the toys. They will have kids wanting to play with them all day every day. But when they are relocated to a room with kids much too young to be playing with them, their new home becomes one of terror. Thus sets the plot of trying to escape Sunnyside and make it back to Andy’s house before Andy leaves for college.
Pixar succeeds where many other animation studios fail. Toy Story 3 introduces several new characters with their individual quirks and personalities. These characters have a certain depth that may be lost on some of the younger viewers, but makes the experience worthwhile for the older kids like myself who grew up with the Toy Story franchise.
But what truly sets the Pixar films apart is their ability to deliver an emotional punch to the gut. You don’t have to think too hard about past Pixar films before remembering truly gut-wrenching moments. There was the montage at the beginning of Up where we witnessed years of heartbreak between Carl and Ellie, or when we witnessed the toll a marriage can take on a couple in The Incredibles. Pixar has never shied away from asking audiences to take their films seriously, and the same can be said for Toy Story 3. There are moments, mostly toward the end of the film, when the outlook for these toys looks very grim. And after years of investment in these characters, that’s not an easy thing to see.
It is always a testament to the filmmakers of animated films when the audience forgets it’s watching a cartoon. It’s one thing to make animated characters look three-dimensional, but it’s quite different when their personalities seem just as complex. And that’s why Toy Story 3 is able to deliver on such an astounding cinematic level. Never once did this sequel seem like many other sequels that are rushed just to make a quick buck. This is a sequel with strong character development and a story that builds on its predecessors.
Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang have made their marks on the world of pop-culture. They are staples of my childhood and the childhoods of everyone my age. They are more than just CGI characters on a big screen, they are my past and I’m always happy to see them again.
Local Movie Times
