‘Toy Story 3’
Toys will be toys.
And for that, let us breathe a fervent “at last.”
In this summer of our discontent, as one overblown multiplex monster after another has landed with a resounding thud, true believers (like me) have had a tough time keeping the faith when it comes to genuine movie magic.
Yet I still believe in that magic — and, after seeing “Toy Story 3,” so will you.
Yes, it’s in 3-D (and IMAX 3-D), and while the enhanced format definitely enriches the experience, even those who see “Toy Story 3” in lowly 2-D will in no way feel deprived.
That’s because the wonderful folks at Pixar — who revolutionized animation 15 years ago with “Toy Story,” the first computer-animated feature — understand that it’s not about technical bells and whistles.
It’s about the story, stupid.
“Toy Story 3” may have plenty of familiar elements (to say nothing of familiar characters), but it approaches them with a refreshing lack of reverence.
Yes, we know and love many of the toys who populate this tale, but it’s a tribute to their creators that their adventures still manage to surprise and delight.
Whether the toys themselves are as delighted with their adventures as we are is another matter entirely.
That’s because the focus of the toys’ existence — their now-grown owner Andy — is moving on. And so, it turns out, are they.
With Andy (voiced by John Morris) heading to college, Andy’s mom (voiced by Laurie Metcalf) wants his room cleared out.
Naturally, Andy’s not the type to toss his beloved playthings, but exile in the attic seems a likely option.
But, due to circumstances way beyond their control, cowboy Woody (voiced, as always, by Tom Hanks), space ranger Buzz Lightyear (blustery Tim Allen) and their fellow toys have a too-close encounter with a trash truck, then find possible deliverance at a day-care center filled with eager preschoolers who just love new toys.
Sounds like a dream come true — not only eager new kids to play with, but new toys to befriend, from Barbie’s fashion-obsessed opposite number, Ken (Michael Keaton, predictably hilarious), to Lotso (the honey-voiced Ned Beatty), a huggable plush bear who calls the shots at the day-care center. (Just think of him as a fuzzy, pink-fur version of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’s” Big Daddy.)
As Woody and Buzz and their plastic pals discover, however, sometimes dreams turn into nightmares. And it’s up to them to them to rediscover the playfulness in their lives — and in the lives of the special people, young and young at heart, who believe in make-believe.
Unlike the rescue missions of the previous “Toy Story” installments, “Toy Story 3” tips Woody’s cowboy hat to a variety of favorite movie genres, from Westerns to film-noir thrillers, sci-fi chillers and rousing jailbreak adventures. Clearly, director Lee Unkrich (who co-directed “Toy Story 2” and “Finding Nemo,” among others) and fellow screenwriters Michael Arndt (“Little Miss Sunshine”), Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo”) and “Toy Story” creator John Lasseter have seen “The Great Escape” — and have learned some vital lessons when it comes to building suspense.
Just as clearly, they not only know these characters but know what to do with them, expanding on their quirks while retaining their essential appeal, from the aw-shucks pluckiness of cowgirl Jessie (Cusack, rootin’-tootin’ as ever) to the endless, affectionate squabbling of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris).
In the best “Toy Story” tradition, we also make the acquaintance of several lively new playthings, among them Shakespeare-spouting hedgehog Mr. Pricklepants (the irresistibly pompous Timothy Dalton), Trixie the triceratops (fizzy, dizzy Kristen Schaal) and the ominously silent Big Baby.
If it seems a bit strange to discuss the personality traits of a bunch of animated characters, it’s not. That’s because these cartoon characters have vastly more humor, personality, heart — and substance — than most of their live-action counterparts.
And while “Toy Story 3” has some rueful observations regarding the inevitable, and universal, process of growing up and moving on, it’s a lot more concerned with celebrating the inner kid in all of us — especially the kid who knows, and isn’t afraid to embrace, the power of imagination.
That’s a quality on endless display in “Toy Story 3.” (And in the wonderfully fanciful short that precedes it, “Night and Day.”)
May it ever be so.
As for those wondering whether Pixar has outgrown the “Toy Story” universe — especially after the venturing into the wider worlds of “WALL-E” and “Up” — “Toy Story 3” offers a timely reminder that there’s no place like home.
Contact movie critic Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.
Review
“Toy Story 3”
103 minutes
G; all ages
Grade: A
at multiple locations
Deja View
Starting with “Toy Story,” Pixar Animation Studios has racked up an unbroken string of hits, with “Toy Story 3” likely to extend its winning streak. Everyone has his or her favorites; here are mine:
“Toy Story” (1995) — The toy box might not be big enough for both of them when high-tech astronaut toy Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) threatens to displace cowboy doll Woody (Tom Hanks) as owner Andy’s favorite in director John Lasseter’s instant classic.
“Toy Story 2” (1999) — Woody’s stolen by a toy collector, prompting Buzz and friends to ride to the rescue, in a more-than-equal sequel that introduced Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl (voiced by Joan Cusack).
“Finding Nemo” (2003) — A widowed clownfish undertakes an epic search for his lost son in writer-director Andrew Stanton’s Oscar-winning treasure featuring an all-star vocal cast led by Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, Allison Janney and Eric Bana.
“Ratatouille” (2007) — “Incredibles” director Brad Bird strikes again with this Oscar-winning tale of Remy (Patton Oswalt), a food-loving rat who helps a lowly kitchen assistant become a gourmet cook.
“WALL-E” (2008) — Another Pixar Oscar-winner, this wonderful, full-of-wonder tale — about a lonely trash-bot who discovers what really happened to all those vanished Earthlings — mixes satire, heart and soaring imagination.
— By CAROL CLING
