Toy Story 3
A spoiler-free review of the incredible Pixar treasure - I spent the last half of Toy Story 3 sobbing and clutching my seat.
I've always had a emotional barrier when it comes to animation - I've never been able to care for someone that doesn't have flesh and blood behind them (and that includes Avatar). However, I spent the last half of Toy Story 3 sobbing and clutching my seat.
Little Miss Sunshine writer Michael Arndt hasn't stretched the story in a wild direction, meaning it leaves us with a perfect trilogy. However, given the brilliance of his previous Oscar-winning script, it's no more subversive or witty than the other Toy Stories, which actually means its still full of razor-sharp and memorable moments. The emphasis is on the toys' fear of abandonment, which is explored when they are accidentally donated to Sunnyside daycare centre after their owner Andy prepares to move out. Woody the cowboy is initially separated when the teenager chooses to take him to college, but goes on a mission, not once, but twice to rescue his chums, whose seemingly idyllic new home becomes a nightmare.
In fact, talking of trilogies, comparisons to Lord Of The Rings wouldn't be too farfetched, especially during a nailbiting scene where our toy heroes are in seemingly hopeless peril. A single silent gesture from them is more moving than anything I've seen this year, bar the ending of Lost of course. Every sad moment comes with a pick-me-up fit to burst the heart. Life-affirming? Definitely. Manipulative? Never do you feel like your heartstrings are being shrewdly tugged - the lump in the throat comes from your own interpretation.
Long before the tense, heartwrenching finale, it opens with a stunning and ridiculously fun Wild West mini-adventure that serves both as a tribute to the power of childrens' imaginations and to the marvellous talents of Pixar, set loose from the confines of a bedroom. Each subsequent scene is tightly packed with uniquely beautiful moments - seeing what's become of Andy's dog Buster; the introduction of Chuckles the Clown and Mr Pricklepants; every single moment with the scene-stealing Ken (Michael Keaton, finding that "girl's toy" voice to total perfection), who despite being a lump of plastic, gets more character development in a supporting role than anything given to Sam Worthington this year.
Rex the dinosaur remains a charming doofus of a toy, but the most fun comes from a hysterical temporary turn-about in Buzz Lightyear's character, much to Jessie's delight. The new characters, such as Buttercup the unicorn, don't really get much screen time, making way for the sinister Big Baby, something that could seriously give small children nightmares. Director Lee Unkrich doesn't waste a single frame, and it needs to be seen again and again to take in every fast-moving moment of joy, created with such absolute devotion to delighting by the Pixar team. Whatever you do, get to the cinema early enough to see the staggeringly cute and clever accompanying short Day & Night, which is the only time I've agreed with the use of 3D. So many superlatives of greatness for an animated film about toys - an extraordinary testament to the filmmakers who've used it to tap into what love and friendship is. Toy Story 3 is a more than worthy conclusion to Andy's childhood journey - his passing of the baton, so to speak, is another tear-jerkingly beautiful moment. Take a LOT of tissues.
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