TOY STORY 3
US, 2010, 103 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles, Michael Keaton, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, John Morris, Jodi Benson, Emily Hahn, Laurie Metcalf, Timothy Dalton, Whoopi Goldberg, Bonnie Hunt, R. Lee Ermey, Richard Kind.
Directed by Lee Unkrich.
Once upon a time (well, way back in 1995!), Pixar Studios created a contemporary fairy tale about a boy and his toys and the rest is not history because it is still going on in this third sequel to Toy Story.
Actually, this one has a lot to commend it because, while it relies on familiarity with characters and some repeats of plot about lost toys, it has some interesting new plot developments. Andy is now 17 and on his way to college, more than a little off-hand with his mother and sisters and referring to his toys as ‘junk’. Needless to say, he has the opportunity to repent and redeem himself before the end!
This is the adventure of the toys who are nearly collected by mistake as trash (instead of being stored in the family attic, except for Woody who has been put in a college carton) but who escape and find that they are donated to a child care centre (child care being one of the least things going on there as the rampaging tots wreak havoc on toys). The toys are presided over by a large pink bear, Lots O’ Huggin (voiced by Ned Beatty) who is not what he seems and has a back story which puts a more sinister light on his benign welcome (and his comeuppance). The toys feel imprisoned and stage something of a coup but their adventures are further complicated by extreme peril, not only in a garbage truck and crusher but in a blazing furnace to deal with land-fill. The adventures are quite exciting for adults and for children.
Most of the old toys are back again, led by Tom Hanks’s Woody (who does get a little tiresome in his persistent declarations of loyalty and urging the toys to go home to Andy). Recently this reviewer took the opportunity to watch the original on a plane and found that Woody was fairly one-dimensional then compared with Buzz Lightyear and his ingenuous pomposity. Tim Allen’s Buzz is the same here only more so and more endearingly so as the leader of the toys who don’t want to go home and as the hostage in the coup. The scene where they try to restore his buttons and they turn on his Spanish version which leads to Buzz’s dialogue in Spanish along with songs and tango and romancing Jessie is good fun.
Also good fun is the introduction of Barbie and Ken (one of Lots -O’ Huggins henchmen, voiced by Michael Keaton) and poking fun at the Ken image, especially, in some sly dialogue.
The film opens with the toys involved in a re-enactment of the old west and the runaway train, the cliffs... and that is good fun as well.
Probably worth repeating, this second sequel is good fun.
1. An enjoyable film? In itself? As a sequel?
2. The power of imagination, the toys and their variety, their personalities, voices, interactions? The new story and their adventures?
3. The animation style, the drawing, the characters, the layouts, home, action, the Sunnyside Care Centre, the landfill tunnels, the fire?
4. The musical score, the songs, the familiar ‘You Have a Friend in Me’, the Spanish version?
5. The qualities of the voice cast, the variety, characteristics?
6. Andy, at seventeen, going to college, some surly attitudes towards his sister, towards his mother? Packing, working on the computer, the toys going into the attic, taking Woody to college? Referring to the toys as junk? The final change of attitude, Woody writing the note, his care for the toys, going to Bonnie’s house, the explanation about the toys, urging her to treasure the toys and play with them, the happy ending?
7. The theme of play, toys – beyond artificial entertainment and technology?
8. The action adventure in the west, the conventions, the way they were used, excitement, the train, the cliff, the fall, the heroism? The humour?
9. The toys and their belonging to Andy, their being boxed, the plan to alert Andy, the mobile phone, the failure of the ruse? Woody accepting this? Andy selecting Woody? The box, for the attic, his going off with Molly, his mother picking up the bag by accident, their being put on the kerb, the truck coming, Woody trying to get the scissors to let the toys out, Rex and his point bursting the bag, their escape?
10. Woody and his tenacity, strident, loyalty to Andy, in action for him? His speeches? His being taken from the day care centre, at Bonnie’s house, meeting the other toys, the English toy, their explanation about Lots O’ Huggin? His fears, his return, the difficulties, the strategy, Buzz as hostage, the approach of the garbage truck, his heroics, in the truck, in the tunnel, stopping the toys from being crushed, the magnets? Lots O’ Huggin and his presence, Woody going to save him, Lots O’ Huggin’s betrayal? The restoration of the toys? Going home, Woody leaving the note for Andy about giving the toys to Bonnie?
11. Buzz Lightyear, the same, loyal to Woody, his siding with the toys against Woody, being a leader? Going to the day care centre, his being caught, held prisoner, the rescue, trying to fix him, the Spanish button, the Spanish song, dancing with Jessie, Hispanic romantic? Back to himself? His bewilderment about what had happened? His place in the finale? His performance during the final credits?
12. Jessie, her background, in the re-enactment of the western? Her attraction towards Buzz, concern about him, the romantic aspects with Buzz?
13. Mr and Mrs Potato Head, their voices, Mr Potato Head and his strategy, being crushed, putting himself together? Mrs Potato Head and her eye? The little potatoes, their heroism and saving the day? The dinosaur and his attitudes? Stretch, Slinky Dog? The other toys?
14. The three little potatoes and their heroism and saving the day?
15. Lots O’ Huggin, the bear, the welcome, imprisoning the toys, domination, his resentments? Bonnie’s toys explaining the background story and its being visualised for Woody? Ken as one of his henchmen, the octopus? Their frightening tactics? Ken, the confrontation with Barbie, his decision?
16. Ken and Barbie, the humour at their expense – the images of each, Barbie and her glamour, the poking fun at Ken and his vanity? His being on the side of Lots O’Huggin? Barbie and her appeal, his decision to rescue her, to be with the other toys?
17. The children at the day care centre, their rough treatment of the toys? The contrast with Bonnie?
18. The final donation, Andy and his speech, Bonnie’s mother, Bonnie and her playing with the toys, the exhilaration of the toys wanting to be played with? A happy ending for the toys?
