The third instalment in the Toy Story series is as poignant and meaningful an animated film as you’re likely to see. Let’s hope it’s the last, as it rounds off nicely what has been a fascinating journey for all ages.
Andy is going off to college and so the toys, already out of use for the past few years, now face their destiny in the attic, with only Woody (Tom Hanks) getting to accompany Andy to the next stage of his life. But as luck would have it, they get mistakenly packed in a box with other toys to get donated to a nearby Day Care Centre - the optimistically named ‘Sunnyside’. And optimistic is how most of the toys feel on their arrival at the centre, until they discover the true evil nature of the maligned bear Lots-o (voiced by Ned Beatty), the ringleader of a gang of evil toys that includes the very metrosexual - and quite funny – Ken (Michael Keaton).
In the eleven years since the previous Toy Story movie, animation technology has of course advanced considerably and this is obvious right from the beginning of the new film. I chose to see it in 3D, which didn’t really add anything to the quality of the action. However, from the opening sequence right through to the harrowing incinerator scene, we are exposed to animation far more sophisticated than in any previous Toy Story film. But this improvement is not at its most noticeable when it comes to explosions and intense action. When the characters need to show real human emotion and when the script is at its most tender is when the animation really shows its pedigree. And director Lee Unkrich has not been afraid to let the story shine through the visual effects.
The story, I think, has a much deeper implication than just a group of toys feeling let down after being thrown away by their owner. John Lasseter, creator and executive producer of the trilogy, was interviewed after Toy Story 2 came out and explained that Jessie’s song about her previous owner was actually an ode to how his daughter had gotten older and had eventually outgrown him - that she was too old to play with him now. It seems to me that this idea has further been explored in the third part of the series with the Day Care Centre perhaps representing a real life Old People’s Home. After all, this film is written by adults, and in this case I think mostly for adults.
Another reason why I believe this instalment was aimed more at adults is because it just isn’t as funny as the previous two films, in my opinion. It is of course very funny, but just not as silly. Characters like Ken and the delight that is Spanish Buzz provide huge laughs but the film is darker in general there are some characters that turned out to be very evil, far more so than say Andy’s neighbour Sid from the first Toy Story. But what it acutely lacked in humour it more than made up for in sensitivity and maturity. The aforementioned incinerator scene is some of the most heart-rending cinema I have ever been exposed to, and the fact that I can be made to feel that way by the eyes of a cartoon cowboy is again credit to the incredible animation.
All in all, I believe this film is a truly conclusive finale to the Toy Story series, with even more memorable characters to add to the already comprehensive roster. Perhaps one could say it takes advantage once again of the same plot basis of the other films – the search and rescue idea – but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it and all that. It has action, it has humour, it has drama. Most importantly, it is thought-provoking. Just try not to get any tears on your 3D glasses.
Aaron Devine
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