Toy Story 3 Movie Review …

The creators of the beloved Toy Story franchise re-opens the toy box and brings moviegoers back to the delightful world of Woody, Buzz and all of our favourite gang of toy characters in Toy Story 3. Woody and Buzz had accepted that their owner Andy would grow up someday, but what happens when that day finally arrives? In the third instalment of Disney’s most successful franchise, Andy is preparing to depart for college, which means leaving his loyal toys troubled about their uncertain future. For all toys no longer played with, there are really only two options available: The garbage or the attic. But when the toys find a third option, get donated to a child daycare, the toys jump at the opportunity to get played with again. But when the toys discover there is more than meets the eye at Sunnyside Daycare, they need to group together to survive the hellish daycare and escape before it is too late.

Toy Story 3 is directed by Lee Unkrich, veteran director who co-director of Toy Story 2 and Finding Nemo, and Michael Arndt, the Academy Award winning screenwriter of Little Miss Sunshine, brings his unique talents and comedic sensibilities to the newest addition to the Toy Story films. But after 11 long years between films, the idea of a third Toy Story film seemed like a grasp at straws by Disney to re-hash an old story idea. In the history of cinema, there have been many three part film franchises and perhaps all but two or three of them have been utter failures. Add in the fact that I felt the second Toy Story was nowhere as good as the original, but the thought of a third made me groan to myself. But I am willing to take a stand right here, and right now to state the fact that Toy Story 3 is the BEST film in the Toy Story franchise.

Unlike every other Disney sequel ever made, the sequel is more often nothing more than a simple shell of the original; see the multiple Aladdin sequels for an example, but the director and writer of Toy Story 3 have kicked this newest segment up a notch. What Toy Story 3 actually happens to be, is a completely original prison escape movie. As one who studied writing in University, I learned that effective writing discovers the “dissonance”, when something is both one thing yet at the same time another, of a topic or subject.

The brilliance of Toy Story 3 comes from the dissonance of the Sunnydale Daycare, which is at both times the happiest place for abandoned toys and a nightmarish prison for the easily wooed toys. This contrast between the two versions is detailed but the sunny happy demeanour of the daycare when they first arrive compared to the chaotic camera speed of the toddlers playing with the toys, which is accented with canted camera angles. In a family oriented film, it is hilarious, and at the same time terrifying, when there are parallels between the Exorcist with the character Big Baby, a discarded, broken, unclothed, baby doll who’s head jerks around at the slightest noise behind it. Perhaps a bit dark for children to get the connection, but it jumped out of the movie screen.

For all of those who don’t like too much change in their Toy Story diet, all the original members return like the cowboy Woody (Tom Hanks), spaceman Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack), Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris), piggy bank Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Rex the T. Rex (Wallace Shawn), Barbie (Jodi Benson) and Slinky Dog (Blake Clark), but it wouldn’t be a sequel without a few extra additions. With their trip to the daycare, the ammount of characters nearly double in this feature with many new toys including clotheshorse Ken (Michael Keaton), sticky octopus Stretch (Whoopi Goldberg), and perhaps one of my favourites, a field-tested Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone (Teddy Newton).

A subplot of Toy Story 3 finds Woody briefly in the playroom of young Bonnie (Emily Hahn) and brings into the story three toys experienced with play-acting: Buttercup (Jeff Garlin), Trixie (Kristen Schaal) and Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton). For those toy keeners out there, Ken and Barbie are hilarious to watch because as most of us know, at least thanks to my lovely wife, that the toy Barbie had bendable knees where Ken never got the evolutionary upgrade, and it is for this reason that Ken is constantly shuffling around straight legged.

It never hurts to admit when you where wrong, but I will repeat it again now by saying Toy Story 3 is the best film of the Toy Story franchise. Just like the previous two films, it is heart warming, absolutely hilarious, action packed, and exceedingly clever and witty. Over the course of the past two films, there is a strong characterization of the characters and we can tell by watching this newest addition that there has been significant growth to the characters. It’s also wonderful to see that all the original actors have returned to replay a bit of their childhood that many of them acted out 15 years ago. Obviously there are not acting lightweights like Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Michael Keaton, and Timothy Dalton, and it’s simply outstanding that they are willing and able to explore what it means to be a kid. But more than anything else, this is a story about growing up.

Things come and things change right before your eyes. Just because you are going off to College doesn’t mean you can’t bring your childhood toy with you. But that child inside of you will always be there, and that is something Andy learns at the end of Toy Story 3. So powerful is the message that seeing the young Bonnie playing with Andy’s old toys will bring a tear to your eyes when you realized the story has come in a full circle. Toy Story 3 is a must see film that is the most rewarding film of the year.

Toy Story 3 Movie Trailer

Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is no stranger to this life. He’s been elected as a Texas liberal Democrat congressman and his life is simple and good. His staff is made up by voluptuous women, he’s filling some of his lonely nights with the right-wing Houston millionaire socialite Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), who is now alarmed of the attacks over Afghanistan by the Russian army. The USA cannot intervene officially, that’s for sure, but there’s gotta be a way to help the Afghans who are slaughtered like cattle by the aviation raids and the bombs planted on the ground.

The movie is based on George Crile’s book, published in 2003 and it looks like this Charlie Wilson is not a fictional character. Which of course will surely give us great confidence in our politicians.

So, back to the action.

Since they cannot send money and weapons without turning the “cold war” into a very nasty “normal” one, the USA have to look for another way. Because Joanne won’t settle with a “no” and Charlie, after a visit to a refugee camp in Afghanistan is so shaken he’s almost lost interest in late night boozing.

They need the help of the CIA and, since falling from his superior’s grace (after breaking the office window and impolitely asking the boss to f.. himself), Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman) doesn’t really have anything better to do, so he’s willing to support the cause.

The USA would have all the logistics, but they cannot afford to have any weapons marked “USA” in Afghanistan, so they need Soviet weapons. Paying for this is not an issue. From 5 to 10 million it takes just a meeting and people don’t really pay attention to what they are voting on. This is how Charles Wilson, as part of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, can get funding just with a call. Again, yet another showcase of how things are done by the people elected to guard the public interest.

Since the Israelis do have a lot of guns and could send them to Afghanistan through Pakistan, the only predicament is they cannot really be convinced to work together. Not to mention not even the Afghan people can know how they got helped. This is where Gust comes in handy. He knows the right Israeli guy to help them.

Charlie runs his little show from the shadow while also escaping arrest for coke-consuming in Las Vegas. How does he do it? The witness claims she’s seen him consuming in the Cayman Islands, out of the US jurisdiction. So, even if a proved sinner, he cannot be convicted.

This is the kind of politician he is. This is the kind many of them are. Still, when it comes to winning his secret war, Charlie did rise to the occasion. He was able to raise $1 billion to help with the war logistics. Still, the moment all was solved and the Afghan people could have used schools (half their population was under 14), the USA representatives who got involved in raising that billion, couldn’t be convinced to raise 1 million. Or, as Charlie had said:

These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world… and then we fucked up the endgame.

Even if a biographical political drama, the movie does have his funny scenes and is easy to watch, even by people who couldn’t care less about wars and politics. The cast is quite good and the 3 main actors are performing as expected. Totally recommended.

The Italian physicist, Leonardo Vetra, is murdered and the Harvard symbologist ,Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), is invited to help solve the case. Together with Vetra’s daughter (Ayelet Zurer) he finds out about a secret society, the Illuminati, and a quest for the world’s most potent — and deadly — energy source.

I had the pleasure of seeing Ewan McGregor in the movie, doing a very good job with his role, the action was fast paced and the plot required all the attention. There were times I could predict the next step, but overall the movie proved to be an entertaining one and nothing prepared me for the real end.

The special effects were more than decent (they were able to recreate St Peter’s and the Sistine Chapel in their studio), it felt engaging and thrilling. Some might say the action was a bit too “fast”, I think it’s a good idea to watch it for 2-3 times to get it all, but I have nothing against seeing it again to really understand everything, since the entire experience has been an enjoyable one.

The movie has received mixed reviews, but most critics and movie goers agreed on one thing: with its imperfections it’s a movie worth watching. You don’t have to believe anything from it, you don’t even need to try understand all the details, but you’ll surely enjoy a nice story and some good actors doing their job.