Toy Story 3

Pixar doesn't know how to make a bad movie, from the first ten minutes of Up to the academy oversight of Wall-E Pixar keeps getting better with age. This movie picks up where the studio started, in Andy's room. Toy Story 3 has a lot to live up to, not only through an outstanding series but it also lives in the shadows of the most successful movie studio in Hollywood. And once again Pixar knocks it out of the park.

Screenwriting 101 dictates that you have to captivate your audience in the first 10 minutes, and Toy Story does just that with plenty of nods to the original as we get to see the bank heist scene from the perspective of the players involved. Want to know how far technology in the industry has come? Look no further than the opening sequences of the first and third Toy Story.

Once again the cast of characters are being led by Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Allen). Andy's toys have been lost to old age and yard sales, including love interest Bo, but this helps to define the one true love in Woody's life, Andy. Andy however, no longer creates the imaginative worlds for his toys to be featured in. Woody and the gang spend their days in the wagon train toy box as Andy prepares for college. It seems the beloved toys have only the attic or the trash to look forward to.

MINOR SPOILER ALERT

Through some shifty negotiations the toys find themselves being donated to the Sunnyside Daycare. The daycare is run by a giant purple bear named Lotso (Ned Beatty), and an always questionable Ken doll, played by Michael Keaton, who no doubt had a lot of fun with the role. The toys soon find that the system is corrupt and the movie shifts to a Hasboro themed jail-break. Full of wonderful nods to the genre and an escape plan that would no doubt impress Andy Dufresne.

SPOILER OVER

The jokes seem kind of sporadic but it doesn't mean they aren't good. Many of them seemed rehashed nods to the two movies prior. The new gags they use are priceless and many in the capable hands of Tim Allen. Another bright spot in the comedy is Mr. Prickelypants who appears to be classically trained in the arts.

It isn't until the third act where the movie sets itself apart. The emotions run the gamut from action packed tension to heartfelt. It seems the only purpose of the 3-D glasses (besides driving up ticket prices) if to hide the tears slowly dripping down your face. Not my face that is, I'm too tough, yours probably, alright I teared up, don't judge me till you see it. The 3-D feature offers truly nothing to the movie, it is unnecessary to use when all the best parts of the movie revolve around the writing.

Lee Unkrich takes the helm on this one after previously editing the other two movies and co-directing the last one. Most of the creative team from the original story are back in this one to create the newest chapter. They blocked out the major action points in the movie while Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) takes to the script and does a masterful job with it. It's another point of praise for the people at Pixar to take such care in its story that they go out and get an academy award winner writer.

The most heartfelt moments happen at the end and that is when the movie is truly able to send its message. Some of the moments may be too much for the real youngsters in the audience, either that or those moments will fly by their heads Either way the movie is not really for them anyway. Pixar knows that for every child that gets a ticket there will be an accompanying adult and they are the ones that will spread word of mouth to friends with children.

Had Pixar decided to make this a new movie with different characters instead of the ones we've grown attached to and seen facing peril before, I believe this movie becomes an instant classic. Instead you are forced to compare this one to the movies prior, and because of the legacy the movie loses out a little. However, the geniuses at Pixar know what it means to craft a movie and that is why Pixar is unequivocally the most important studio in Hollywood. A