Of Tops and Other Toys
Before we begin our dual review deluxe, some background:
Toy Story was not only one of my favourite animated movies, but one of my very first movies that I saw at the cinema. I recall much of it in detail, and I have always found the characters truly lovable; both the first and second are touching stories that emphasise the importance of our childhood and a love of toys and games. Furthermore, I also have fond memories amassing the entirety of a Toy Story sticker album with my friend Colm O' Donoghue. We shared some serious interests at the time, and we managed to piece most of the collection together. I have a vague memory of the day he completed his edition; it was anti-climatic. Nonetheless, I do not believe any 3-D animated movie (except perhaps Shrek) has been able to replicate the magic.
Toy Story 3 re-unites our beloved heroes of the playroom: Woody, Buzz, Hamm, Slinky, Rex etc, all voiced by their original actors, thankfully.( Bar Varney for Slinky, but his replacement is impressively similar.) Andy is leaving for college and his room is being cleared out; divided into categories such as "attic," "trash" and "donations." Andy, engaging with his inner child, decides to bring Woody to college whilst the rest of the party must join their fellow inmates in the attic. However, chaos ensues and nothing goes quite as planned, as the toys try to discover their new role in Andy's life.
At heart, this is a kids' movie, but I challenge any adult to watch it and not grow nostalgic over their youth. Toy Story 3 reminds us of a continuous cycle, as we grow older and must put our past, at least partly, behind us. Though not as eye-ticklingly weepy as I had anticipated according to others, it is emotional at times, and the ending is the most touching of all. The story is nothing overly complex or sophisticated, but it suits perfectly, and I loved every minute of its telling. The laughs are relatively frequent- special mention must go to some of the fabulous additions to the cast like Ken (Barbie's Ken), Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton, whom I would have loved to see more of) and Lotso (leader of Sunnyside Daycare Centre).
Compared to the other Toy Story movies, I place it on a near parallel with the first. The second, though excellent, did not fix itself in my memory like the original (that said, Jessie's abandonment sequence is heart-breaking). Toy Story does not resort to the kind of drivel that characterised Shrek 2, for example; weak comedy such as fantasy versions of take aways and Pinocchio's ladies underwear secret. The humour is far more pure, relying on beloved characters and things we all know and can relate to. I highly recommend this movie, and it's a close call between this and Inception (another fantastic movie I recommend) as to the best movie of the summer.
I'll review Nolan's masterpiece next entry; a film with incredible depth and power that you must also go see.