David O'ConnellToy Story 3
June 15th 2010 12:56
The passing of a decade - and the assembly line of animated films that have come and gone in those years - may have dulled our memories as to the greatness of the original Toy Story films. But with the arrival of this welcome third leg of an unexpected trilogy, what is most blissfully apparent is that the quality we associate with this franchise - a word that almost sounds derogatory - hasn’t waned at all. All the much-loved, familiar faces are back and invested as they are with a renewed sense of vigour thanks to head writer Michael Arndt and director Lee Unkrich, they can rightfully claim to have wrestled back their mantle as animation’s Top Dog.
Unlike the Shrek series, it must be said, which through haste has willfully settled into a sludgy mediocrity that has the distinct feeling of beating a dead donkey one too many times, Toy Story 3 is able to bridge the years as if only a heartbeat separated them.
The toys’ owner, Andy (John Morris), is now on the verge of adulthood. He’s about to embark upon college life whilst Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) begin to confront the nasty realisation that they’ve finally outlived their usefulness. Woody finds he’s the lone voice preaching for calm when one of three eventualities rear their heads: either they’ll all be shunted off to a daycare centre, be sentenced to dust-collecting in the attic or suffer the ignominy of being deposited into the trash.
When they finally all end up in the Daycare centre, only Woody has reservations about the place, his loyalty to Andy - who had chosen he alone to take to college - never wavering. He decides to make tracks home, leaving behind the rest of the group, who include familiar faces like his loyal horse Bullseye, spunky cowgirl Jesse (Joan Cusack), Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris), Rex (Wallace Shawn) and Hamm (John Ratzenberger).
Andy weighs up the worth of his two favourite toys
The toy who rules all at Sunnyside is a cuddly, seemingly benign bear, Lotso (Ned Beatty), who shows the gang the ins and outs of their new surrounds. The newcomers are then given a baptism of fire when abandoned to their hellish first session with a group of toddlers whose violent play-time suggests the possibility of a near-fatal overdose of raspberry flavoured cordial. This sequence, in which it would be a gross understatement to say they are 'maltreated', is a brilliantly realised one. The glassy, dead-eyed look of fear in the toys' eyes is memorably portrayed in rapid but all revealing close-ups.
Lotso turns out to be a heartless, embittered tyrant who abandonment at the hands of his original owner has soured him on life. In a nifty turnabout he’s even able to sway Buzz, via his reset button, to partake of their dark cause. Later on, there’s another neat twist involving Buzz when the gang tries to reconfigure his settings, only to unleash a roguish, seductive Spanish version with his heart set on wooing Jessie.
Meanwhile, Woody’s displacement places him, rather fortuitously, in the company of some kind-hearted toys who have intimate knowledge of Lotso’s dark history, so Woody instigates what will become an elaborate escape plan to release his friends.
This is where the brilliantly inventive writing - which has become such a trademark of the series - really comes to the fore. The third act plays out like a miniaturised tribute to The Great Escape, with some ingenious twists and plot convolutions that have you conjuring visions of a carnival ride careening out of control. But of course the sense of fun, through moments of both frivolous humour and discreet shots of pathos, shine through, giving the central thread a compelling through-line we can follow gratefully to the end.
The final set-piece is a supercharged inspiration, with a swollen fates-in-the-balance menace attached to it. It’s here too that Randy Newman’s stupendous score reaches its dramatic crescendo, heightening the drama to outlandish, almost biblical proportions. Of course there’s never any real doubt as to the outcome, but for a few heart-stopping moments you might just believe otherwise, and it's this brilliant manipulation that sets Toy Story 3 apart from the pack, as well as the attention to detail that allows for all and sundry amongst the lovable, lively crew to make their mark.
The cast couldn't be more perfect, though we already knew that. The new additions are memorable ones though, with Beatty's familiar voice a comfort as Lotso welcomes the gang with open arms and deliciously sinister once his transformation is complete. Michael Keaton as the vain Ken is also a great fit and responsible for more than one comedic highlight.
Toy Story 3 is a worthy successor as well as a flawlessly executed piece of entertainment in its own right - the kind of joyous assault-on-the-senses that will continue to draw people of all ages to a second and third viewing. This well-honed, imaginative, thrill-ride adventure - charging along at a mile a minute in its best moments - will be hard to toss for the title of animated film of the year.
Aw, hell, with that lump stuck firmly in your throat during the tender, concluding scenes, maybe you’ll find yourself on the same wavelength as me. Forget the ‘animated’ part, this might just be the film of the year. This is the kind of cinematic perfection that will have grown men and women - pining for their own lost childhoods - genuflecting in the aisles.
**As usual with Pixar, a superb short film kicks proceedings off; in this case, it's the wordless, but very clever Night and Day, which is best seen without an inkling as to what it’s about. As usual it's a treat.
Sunnyside doesn't sound too bad does it?
TOY STORY 3 opens next week on June 24.
Trailer is here.
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Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
It is indeed a great film mate but of course will be around for a couple of months. Look forward to seeing what you think and how you rate it. For me, it's maybe just a notch below TS2 which was a genuine masterpiece, and maybe slightly above TS. They're all brilliant though.
Seeing this actually makes me want to go back and re-watch the first two now.
Comment by Matt Shea
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
Your opinion of animation will indeed be revived once you've seen this mate.
Too true about Pixar, they really are a staggeringly successful group. Everything they touch turns to gold.
Thanks Shaun, it will be no let down I assure you. Watch out for a tear or two starting to fall from your eye near the end too.
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
See my review here