Toy Story 3

I have very little to add to the Toy Story 3 debate, other than the fact that this was one of the best films I've seen this year. Funny and touching, Disney & Pixar have bought the curtain down firmly on a trio of films that have captured the hearts of numerous people.

This final installment sees Woody, Buzz, Jessie and co, facing the fact that Andy, their owner, is growing up and leaving for college. They end up in Sunnyside Daycare, a place that seems to be a dream-come-true; lots of children day after day wanting to play with them, and a Ken doll companion for Barbie.

Yet things are not all what they seem, and soon the toys set about returning to their house, before Andy leaves for college.

The people at Pixar are genius at creating films that speak to both children and adults. Toy Story 3 has a huge amount of funny moments-Buzz getting stuck on Spanish mode, Mr Potatoe Head as a tortilla and a montage of Ken trying on his various outfits.

This is juxtaposed with moments of real threat, there are quite scary scenes involving a broken baby doll, who looks huge compared to the toys, the ruling cuddly bear also comes across as quite frightening at times as well. The greatest moment came when the toys got trapped in the incinerator, I had a horrible feeling that Toy Story 3 would end with all the characters being melted down.

I also cried. A lot. Andy is seventeen, and leaving for college. The moments that got to me most were the parts where they tackled the idea of children being too old to play with toys anymore. The very final movement, which invovles Andy describing the value of each of his adorded childhood toys, had me blinking very hard behind my 3D glasses.

Me and my family have grown up with these toys-the second film having such an impact on my parents that they refuse to give away my Jessie and my brother's Woody and Buzz Lightyear toys. The fact that the book has finally closed on Woody and his friends, comes at a time when many people around my age are either moving away from home, changing schools or are preparing to enter their final years at school. Whilst I'm sure Toy Story will live on, as seen by the number of young children in the cinema today, it would seem that the things I remember from my childhood are slowly fading away.

On a lighter note, the short animation before, Night & Day was lovely. I also found it interesting to read (I can't remember where) that John Morris has voiced Andy since the first film back in 1995, and reprised his role this year.