Toy Story 3 (2010)

Woody, Buzz and the rest of the toys are back for the final part of the Toy Story trilogy. The toys already have been through a lot in the first two movies. In the first one we saw the start of the friendship between Buzz en Woody, which they almost lost during the second movie because Woody was taken away by a collector. Because of their adventures the toys are a tight-knit group, who know that they can depend on each other.
Their owner Andy is getting older and is about to leave the house to go to college. He has lost interest in his toys and they are tucked away in a chest. Of course the toys are not happy, but it’s something they knew would come one day. Like in every relationship, they too enjoy the attention and affection they get, but those times seem to be a thing of the past.

Through some adventures they end up in a day care centre where new toys are introduced. The leader of this group is Lotso, a pink bear who smells like strawberries, that welcomes them and makes sure they have a place where they will be played with. This is the setup for the rest of the movie in which you’re treated to impressive animation and a very well written story. The humor is top-notch and my personal favorite is a scene with Mr. Potato Head, although Buzz did generate some big laughs as well.

Trust and the fear to be abandoned (and the result this can have on someone) are subjects that are important during this movie, which we also saw happening in Toy Story 2 with Jessie. Pixar really knows how to deal with these issues (just like Studio Ghibli can do) in such a way to make it interesting for both kids and adults. You really feel what the toys are going through, which also is a result of the animation and story.

The first Toys Story was released in 1995 (although it doesn’t feel like it was that long ago) and the movie clearly shows how fast the developments are going when it comes to computer animation. Pixar shows why they are among the best in their profession. They know how to make things exciting even in normal every day places like a day care center. The opening scene in which thousands of monkeys are shown or a scene which is set on a trash site are just stunning. It’s hard to believe that everything you see has been created by a team, was placed in a 3D space and has been animated. With each movie they better themselves on the visuals. The short animation Night and Day, which opens before Toy Story 3 is a nice mix of 2D and 3D.

The movie re-uses some things out of the previous movies (like in the opening where some of the things out of the first movie are repeated), but this never is annoying as it actually gives a nostalgic feel.
The introduction of the new toys is interesting, but unfortunately they don’t get enough screen time to be able to impress. It’s only Ken, who finally meets his Barbie and is able to show off his dream house, and Lotso who get enough time to be able to get to know them a bit better. It’s a shame as I would have liked to see some characters a bit more.

Toy Story 3 is a nice ending to this movie series. I still cannot decide whether this is the best of them as they are very hard to compare, but the fact I can’t decide does make it very clear that it has a lot of quality. It’s a movie you cannot miss, so go and see it!

Score: 9