Fifteen years ago, Pixar and Disney came together to make the very first full length computer animated film. Toy Story was an instant classic and since then Pixar and Disney have been the benchmark when it comes to animation. Toy Story 2 came out in 1999 and was just as impressive as the original and some would say it may have been better. So needless to say the hype and expectations on Toy Story 3 have been through the roof. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that not only did Disney and Pixar live up to the hype, they far surpassed it and in the process have created one of the funniest, most touching and best movies of this or any year.

Woody and Buzz are back together again and the whole gang is along for the ride. This time, Andy is heading off to college and has to decide what to do with all his old toys. After Andy’s mom accidentally thinks he wants to get rid of the toys, they are donated to a local daycare center. While Woody is convinced they all need to find a way back to Andy’s house, the rest of the group believes that life at Sunnyside Daycare may not be so bad. At the daycare center they meet Barbie long lost love, Ken (played to hilarious perfection by Michael Keaton) and Lotso, a strawberry scented pink huggable bear. Not long after arriving, the guys realize that Sunnyside isn’t all they thought it would be and they soon begin to plan their escape.

Let me start with what was wrong with the movie. There were too many trailers. Ok, that’s it. It’s amazing just how impressive Pixar is able to make an audience become so involved in these characters. They have accomplished this in all of their movies, but it’s different this time. Perhaps because this is the third installment in the Toy Story franchise and we’ve in a sense grown up with these toys. Animated movies often have little in the area of uncertainty and suspense, but I have to admit that I had no idea how this movie was going to end and I was dying to find out the fate of Woody and Buzz.

The new characters that show up in this movie are awesome. Ken is flat out hilarious with his love of clothes and living in “Ken’s Dream House”. Lotso is voiced to perfection by Ned Beatty and all the other new characters fit right in and are all perfect. We even get to see a few more old toys that I remember from my childhood, like Fisher Price’s phone on wheels.

Now it’s time for me to man up and admit that I got a tad bit emotional in this movie. I’m not afraid to admit it because this isn’t your everyday kid’s movie. This movie has real heart and emotion and the final scene is one of the most heartbreaking and perfect endings I’ve seen in years. Toy Story 3 shows us the importance of friendship and loyalty. We also see the bittersweet moments of growing up and letting go of so many things that we love.

During my screening of Toy Story 3, I could hear kids and adults gasp at every peril our crew faced. At one point in particular things get really dark for the Toys and you could literally feel the tension in the audience. At the end of the movie, the audience gave a standing ovation and rightfully so. There will be a lot more movies to come out this year, but so far it’s not even a debate that this is the best movie of the year.

In conclusion, Toy Story 3 is a perfect movie for all audiences. Don’t think because it’s an animated film it’s only for kids. The film is a true triumph of moviemaking, imagination and is a perfect conclusion to one of the best trilogies of all time. The folks at Pixar and Disney should be very proud of themselves for continuing the tradition of storytelling that was started so many years ago by Walt Disney. This is what movies are all about and Pixar have taken it “To Infinity and Beyond”.

9.8/10

Puddy