Toy Story 3 (PG.)
Directed by Lee Unkrich.
Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, John Ratzenberger. 103 mins Opening on
Making a good sequel is hard enough but the real challenge is making a good third instalment. The Godfather, Alien, Star Wars, X-Men, Spider-Man have all come unstuck to varying degrees with part three. This new Toy Story is probably the best threequel since Goldfinger.
The wonder of the two Toy Story sequels is the way they stick rigidly to a winning formula without it ever seeming like it’s going through the motions. I’m sure the primary motivation for Toy Story 3, which is promised to be the last one, is business but watching it you’ll believe that it is because the makers wanted to give their most beloved creations the farewell they deserve and it certain comes though on that.
After the invention and bloody minded perverse originality of Up or Wall-e, it ought to be a disappointment that is Pixar has decided to play safe but the love and attention that has been put into it overrides it. (Plus it comes accompanied by a short called Night and Day- that may be the most wonderfully inventive thing Pixar have come up with.)
Despite some of the faintly hysterical praise coming from the States after its release, it’s not initially clear why anyone would see this as the best of the three. Most of the film is taken up with a prison break parody that isn’t any great advance on the originals.
There are though two sequences that look like they couldn’t have been achieved a decade ago: an early action sequence that is reminiscent of the pre-credit sequence in a Bond or Indiana Jones film and towards the end, Spoiler a sequence where the cast are in peril, heading towards an incinerator which are just beautifully realised. Even though it has a U certificate that last one may prove to be a little too intense for some children – the last ten minutes left me an emotional wreck.
A theme of the film is children discarding toys that they no longer love. Andy is preparing to go to college and the toys have been stuck in their box, not played with for a long time. The lack of appreciation of children seem appropriate theme because at times it seemed that the adults got it more than the kids.
Or maybe I was distorted by the girl sitting a few seats along from me who as soon as she wasn’t shovelling or slurping sugary confectionary was shifting awkwardly and wondering when it was going to end. I’m not one to give advice on parenting but if any child of mine did that during a Pixar film they’d be spending that the next week up in the attic on bread and water.
Directed by Lee Unkrich.
Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, John Ratzenberger. 103 mins Opening on
Making a good sequel is hard enough but the real challenge is making a good third instalment. The Godfather, Alien, Star Wars, X-Men, Spider-Man have all come unstuck to varying degrees with part three. This new Toy Story is probably the best threequel since Goldfinger.
The wonder of the two Toy Story sequels is the way they stick rigidly to a winning formula without it ever seeming like it’s going through the motions. I’m sure the primary motivation for Toy Story 3, which is promised to be the last one, is business but watching it you’ll believe that it is because the makers wanted to give their most beloved creations the farewell they deserve and it certain comes though on that.
After the invention and bloody minded perverse originality of Up or Wall-e, it ought to be a disappointment that is Pixar has decided to play safe but the love and attention that has been put into it overrides it. (Plus it comes accompanied by a short called Night and Day- that may be the most wonderfully inventive thing Pixar have come up with.)
Despite some of the faintly hysterical praise coming from the States after its release, it’s not initially clear why anyone would see this as the best of the three. Most of the film is taken up with a prison break parody that isn’t any great advance on the originals.
There are though two sequences that look like they couldn’t have been achieved a decade ago: an early action sequence that is reminiscent of the pre-credit sequence in a Bond or Indiana Jones film and towards the end, Spoiler a sequence where the cast are in peril, heading towards an incinerator which are just beautifully realised. Even though it has a U certificate that last one may prove to be a little too intense for some children – the last ten minutes left me an emotional wreck.
A theme of the film is children discarding toys that they no longer love. Andy is preparing to go to college and the toys have been stuck in their box, not played with for a long time. The lack of appreciation of children seem appropriate theme because at times it seemed that the adults got it more than the kids.
Or maybe I was distorted by the girl sitting a few seats along from me who as soon as she wasn’t shovelling or slurping sugary confectionary was shifting awkwardly and wondering when it was going to end. I’m not one to give advice on parenting but if any child of mine did that during a Pixar film they’d be spending that the next week up in the attic on bread and water.
