Review: Toy Story 3 (U) (From Asian Image)

Review: Toy Story 3 (U)

4:11pm Thursday 15th July 2010 in

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Toy Story 3 (U, 108 mins) Family/Comedy/Action/ Romance. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, John Morris, Jodi Benson, Timothy Dalton. Director: Lee Unkrich.

The toys are back in town as the computer animation wizards at Pixar bid a fond farewell to Woody the cowboy, Buzz Lightyear and their other beloved creations.

Third time’s most certainly a charm — Toy Story 3 surpasses the 1995 original and its 1999 sequel for thrills, spills and belly laughs, delivering the most satisfying journey of the rootin’ tootin’ trilogy.

If the emotional upheaval of Pixar’s previous feature, Up, left you sobbing uncontrollably, then pack plenty of tissues. The final 10 minutes of Lee Unkrich’s film are sublime, guaranteed to wring floods of saltwater from audiences as the animators strike the perfect balance between laughter and tears.

As usual, Pixar packages the main feature with a charming animated short.

Day & Night is a master class in simplicity, proving dazzling visuals are nothing without a neat dramatic conceit and strong characters.

Toy Story 3 has it all.

Andy (Morris) is preparing to leave for college. He has packed up his belongings, setting aside Woody (Hanks) for life on campus, while the other toys are bound for the attic in a black bin liner.

Unfortunately, Andy’s mother mistakes the bag for rubbish and donates the toys to Sunnyside day-care centre, a bright paradise ruled by Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear (Beatty).

“You’ll never be outgrown, or neglected . . . no owners means no heartbreak!” smiles the bear, convincing Buzz (Allen), Jessie the cowgirl (Cusack) and the gang that they will be deliriously happy in their new home.

Barbie (Benson) is especially happy to meet Ken (Michael Keaton), who has dreamy abs and a walk-in closet to rival the Sex And The City girls.

Having said farewell to his buddies, Woody meets a stuffed hedgehog, Mr Pricklepants (Dalton), who reveals the truth about the centre.

“Sunnyside is a place of ruin and despair, ruled by an evil bear who smells of strawberries,” he booms.

So Woody races back to orchestrate an elaborate escape plan and return all of his friends to Andy’s attic.

Toy Story 3 opens with a breathtaking action sequence and tcontinues to dazzle with each brilliantly orchestrated setpiece.

The script sparkles with hilarious one-liners, like when Hamm (Ratzenberger) resigns himself to the dusty attic and quips: “Let’s go see how much we’re going for on eBay.”

Ken and Barbie’s courtship is hysterical — “You don’t know me from GI Joe, but I feel like we were made for each other,” coos the he-doll. And there are romantic sparks between Jessie and Buzz, the latter discovering his passionate side thanks to a malfunction with the language settings.

Hanks and Allen are in delightful form, sparking off one another as their characters go to infinity and beyond one last time.

So long partners.