Sequels are a tricky thing; especially the ones which are supposed to end a movie series. Try and do too much, and the audience will be left with a sour memory, do too little and the audience will be left unsatisfied. A good sequel is one which presents something new and interesting to the audience but still manages to mesh seamlessly with the previous installment. Unfortunately, there are very few movie series which can claim to have enthralled the audiences with each new installment. Some of the more recent ones that come to mind are the Lord of the Rings series and the Jason Bourne series. The latest entrant into this category is the Toy Story series.
Ever since Woody and gang entered our consciousness, they have enthralled us with their pranks, idiosyncrasies, and their camaraderie. Toy Story 3 has probably been one of the most delayed - and the most awaited - sequels of all. After the second movie released in 1999, all the fans - including yours' truly - were waiting for the third movie with bated breath. As it turned out, it was a good thing that no one held their breaths for a long time; because the third movie took a really long time to come. But what was finally dished out was absolutely sumptuous and fulfilling. It ensured that Toy Story would remain eternally ensconced in our hearts as one of the finest animated movies ever made.
The movie starts with most of the toys' - and I guess a lot of fans' - worst nightmare coming true; Andy is all grown up and ready to go off to college. The question confronting the toys is 'Where now?'. Most of the toys have been given away in the yard sale over the years. The only ones who remain are Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye, Slinky, Rex, Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads, and the three-eyed space aliens from the Pizza Planet. The moment when Andy's mom puts the toys - except Woody, whom Andy is taking to college with him - in the trash can instead of the attic, is when the fun begins. Though the toys do manage to escape the getting crushed in the trash collecting truck, they end up in a day care center where they meet a lot of new toys including Lots-O'-Huggin' bear, Big Baby (an actual big baby doll), and Ken. Then follows a nightmare that makes the attic in Andy's house look like heaven. Their eventual escape from there is classic sequence with lots of nail biting moments. And the ending? Well, let's just say that by the end of the movie, it will be hard not to feel goosebumps. The movie is a perfect balance of hilarious moments (none more than Buzz getting reset to Spanish settings), dark moments, and really touching moments.
The central characters still continue to enthrall you. All the previous actors/actresses return to reprise their roles. And the actual characters still retain their freshness. Woody is still the tough-but-kind cowboy of the first two movies. Buzz is still the boy-scout space ranger, though he seems to be a bit tongue-tied when speaking to Jessie (not the Spanish Buzz though). Rex is still trying - and failing - to look menacing. Mr. Potato Head is still the eternal pessimist with a sarcastic humor. So what has changed? For starters, the toys are no longer facing a threat from Sid the evil-neighborhood-kid or Al from the Al's toy barn, but from Andy himself. And for once Woody is not showing as much confidence in Andy as he once used to.
Somehow, the plight of the characters is synonymous to the situation that each of us has to face at some time or another. Whether it be getting selected for the school play, or in a sports team, or being accepted by your peers during the day of school/college/work. And the similarities don't end here. Time and again you will be reminded of the various 'last days' that you have had. Last day at the school, last day of your graduation, last day at an office you have worked in for a long time, the day when you moved out of your home, and so on. The empty feeling that you tend to get, the sad farewells that you might have had with your closest friends, the fond memories of the times - good or bad - that you might have shared, the uncertainty of whether you will ever meet your friends again; all these feeling somehow fight their way up amongst all the worries that the modern day life tends to heap upon us. If nothing else, watch the movie for just reminiscing those moments.
Pixar's animation is awesome as usual. The direction is great. The security arrangements made by the toys at the day care center is very cleverly done; trucks for watch guards, and slides for watch towers. The escape sequence of the toys from the day care is cleverly directed. Randy Newman provides great music once again, kicking off the movie with the familiar 'You've Got a Friend In Me' track. The rest of the music provides good support to the movie.
It's very difficult to point out any flaws in the plot of the movie, except that it gets a bit serious too many times. But then, it's ok considering the fact that it was essential for the movie to end the way it did.
All-in-all, it is one of the finest animated movies I have ever seen. And Toy Story is definitely one of the best trilogies I have ever seen. When the release of the sequel was announced, my greatest fear was whether Toy Story 3 would be able to stand up to the first two movies; considering the fact that it was being made after more than a decade. But, not only has it stood up to the first two movies, in my humble opinion, it has surpassed the first two movies.
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