Following the massive success of Toy Story and Toy Story 2, Pixar was becoming a force to be reckoned with. Instead of producing another sequel right away, they created films such as Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and more. Around the same time, tensions between Disney and Pixar were worsening, a possible split between the two seeming likely. In 2004, Michael Eisner, then Disney chairman, started working on a third entry at his Circle 7 Animation studio. Eventually, the studio fell apart, and Disney acquired Pixar in 2006, John Lasseter named head of Pixar and Disney Animation. Though Circle 7 had a concept planned, Pixar decided to scrap their ideas and start fresh with their own concept. Unfortunately, many of the files they had for the original were unusable, so they had to start from scratch. After years of work, 2010 finally saw the release of Toy Story 3.
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Years have gone by since the first two films, and Andy (John Morris) has grown up and going to college. He plans on taking Woody (Tom Hanks) with him to college, while taking the remaining toys up to the attic. His mother accidentally throws them in the garbage, so they escape, hop into her car, and hide in a box. Woody tries to convince them to stay, but the toys don’t believe him, so he goes along with them. They’re taken to Sunnyside Daycare, where they meet other donated toys, led by Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear aka Lotso (Ned Beatty). While the others are excited, Woody is skeptical and tries returning home, but is taken by young Bonnie (Emily Hahn). Meanwhile, the other toys are put in the toddler room, where they’re subjected to all sorts of rough play. They soon learn the truth about Lotso, and Woody must save them.
Coming out eleven years after the previous entry, Toy Story 3 certainly had a lot to live up to. Luckily, this entry not only lives up to the first two, but it works as a standalone fantastic animated film. Given that so much time has passed between films, Pixar made major advancements in their animation, and it really shows. Even several years later, the animation still looks incredible, really showing how far they’ve come since Toy Story. Like before, the characters are what makes these films so memorable, and this one is no exception. Several of the original toys return, all doing a great job, and the new ones are more than a match. Much like Stinky Pete in Toy Story 2, Lotso initially comes off warm and welcoming, but quickly takes a turn. Ned Beatty does a great job going between these moods and is perfectly cast.
Some minor characters from before, notably Mrs. Potato Head (Estelle Harris) and Barbie (Jodi Benson), are further expanded upon. The scenes between Barbie and Ken (Michael Keaton), in particular, provide some of the biggest laughs. Another stand-out gag is when Buzz (Tim Allen) accidentally gets set to Spanish and basically turns into Antonio Banderas. The climax is a mixture of suspenseful and exciting as the toys try to escape from Sunnyside. Once it gets towards the last act, there are some really emotional moments that will leave most audience members crying. Without going into spoilers, it’s a perfect metaphor for taking your childhood things and passing them onto a new generation. It’s a perfect way to cap off the overall story, while also leaving open opportunities for future installments. Overall, Toy Story 3 continues the legacy of the previous films and ranks as one of Pixar’s finest animated features.
