A Pixar movie is about the closest you'll get to a sure thing in the world of movies. I've not yet seen Cars, but the remainder of their 10 movies are fantastic. From A Bugs Life, Finding Nemo, Wall-E and my person favorite, Ratatouille, they've always put a good story in front of any other consideration. Original Toy Story director has stated that there are three things you need to make a good movie:-
1/ A great script
2/ A great script
3/ A great script
Point taken John! But it's true. And from experience, story, to Pixar, isn't an adventure or a quest or a battle or a challenge. It's the emotional journey that characters travel on. THAT's what they concentrate on. THAT's what makes Pixar films compelling. And it's becoming a lost art in Hollywood. But Toy Story 3, again following Woody, Buzz and crew, is a further example of the joys one can achieve if you put effort into a script. The latest, and likely the last, sequel takes the ideas about loss and rejection that were in the previous Toy Storys and pushes them much further. The Toys owner Andy has grown up and is going to college and, as a result, the film explores the themes of life and death, heaven and hell, and about 'letting go'....not only a mother accepting her son has to move on, but a boy accepting that he has to let go of his childhood (and his toys). And it's beautifully played out through the Toys adventures.
There's a great Prison Movie template on which the film is structured and the script has fun playing around with some of the cliches of that genre. Of the new characters two stand out; Timothy Dalton's preening thesp Mr Pricklepants and Michael Keaton's vain Ken doll, delighted that he finally met Barbie so he can share his wardrobe with her.
The rest you know. Brilliant story telling that's as visually satisfying as it is emotionally compelling. I haven't seen the other two Toy Storys for a while, but the slightly darker tone and more complex mature themes, make this my personal favorite. Oh, and the Spanish setting on the Buzz Lightyear figure is so comically spot on, that it blows most 'adult' comedies out of the water.
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