This movie is delightfully clever! Any trepidation about this franchise maintaining imagination and freshness after two earlier movies can be chucked out the window. The “Toy Story” franchise is alive and as enjoyable in this third installment as in the previous two films.
In this one, Andy is now seventeen years old and preparing to leave for college. He has some decisions to make regarding his old toys. Those which he doesn’t choose to place in the attic will be tossed into the trash. He debates on taking Woody to college with him. Due to a moment when he is sidetracked, a few toys are accidentally taken to the trash and have to instantly conjure up a plan to avoid being permanently placed in a landfill, or even some worse fate. Without plot spoiling, let’s just say some characters wind up at the Sunnyside Day Care and learn there is a room in which children play nicely with the toys, but another room where the young kids are brutal on toys, and our friends soon find themselves in danger of winding up there.
Our old friends like Woody and Buzz and Jessie the cowgirl and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are back for this particular journey and we meet new characters like Ken, who takes an instant liking to Barbie! Actor Ned Beatty voices a new character, Lotso the bear, and his character plays a pivotal role in the story. It is great to see wonderful themes such as loyalty and sacrifice displayed by the lovable characters on screen.
The film has an imaginative opening sequence, great gags and one-line quotable quotes throughout. At one point Hamm the piggy bank says, “Come on; let’s see how much we’re going for on eBay.” When Mr. Potato Head is flattened out by attempting a heroic deed, the laughter really begins to swell. And by the time a Spanish mode is switched on in Buzz Lightyear, the fun is really in high gear. There are a few intense scenes in which the characters find themselves in immediate danger, but rest assured that things work out in the end. We are more than pleased to recommend “Toy Story 3” as a delightful, family-friendly film for all ages. The 3-D version is fantastic and dare we say it? This movie was worth the wait! We gladly award our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal to this film.
