'Toy Story 3' Review

Opening in a vast, Western-themed play-world of Andy's imagination, the beginning of Toy Story 3 is not entirely successful. It is, instead, somewhat laboured and lacking in the wit of Pixar's past excursions. In terms of appearance, it seems the animators simply wanted a way to show off their skills, whereas story-wise it just feels lazy, the creators seemingly working in the vein of the turgid Shrek franchise by introducing the main characters as caricatures of their former selves while spouting tired catchphrases (does anyone still find "the claaaaw!" funny?). This is, admittedly, not a promising set-up.

It also does not represent the rest of what turns out to be one of Pixar's best films.

Plot-wise, the typical heist scenario of the Toy Story pictures is slightly tweaked as the toys seek to break out of Sunnyside Daycare via a thrilling prison break scenario, but, essentially, the central themes of Toy Story 3 are the same as Toy Story 2. Again, it's about growing old, in Lotso's case, and falling apart, in the case of some of the more unfortunate toys here. Our human protagonist, Andy, is also no longer a boy, but a man, and the toys, Woody, Buzz et al, are much wiser and, yes, grown-up, than before.

Which is why I'm not sure how much kids will relate to this film. Even the set-pieces are much more menacing and threatening, while the time spent captive at the hands of the bullying playthings at the prison-like Sunnyside shouldn't sit too well with children. It's as though the film's creators have made the film for now grown-up fans of the 1995 original first and kids second.

It's a brave move, but not one untypical of the always bold and daring Pixar, for Toy Story 3 to be, primarily, a fans' film, and not one that panders just to newcomers. Throwaway references to previous Toy Storys are numerous, with much of the emotion and humour drawn from knowledge of the last two films - the disposal of Bo Peep, the aged family dog and, most importantly, the sight of a grown-up Andy growing up and moving on from "junk" like Woody and Buzz. If nothing in Toy Story 3 reaches the emotional height of Jessie's back-story in Toy Story 2, it comes damn close.

As ever, you can rely on Pixar for quality storytelling and animation and, although many regular ingredients lack originality (but why fix what isn't broken?), the introduction of new elements give the film a shot of energy. The majority of the gags mostly come from the setting relocation to Sunnyside, with its nightmarish toddlers, seemingly inescapable grounds and, most significantly, countless new toys.

Pixar's ability to craft unforgettable characters is incomparable, which may be why Toy Story 3's creators have avoided any repetition by introducing more new toys than in the first two films combined. While they may not all be given much time to shine - Timothy Dalton's thespian hedgehog Mr Pricklepants and Michael Keaton's hilariously smug Ken doll are but two of the criminally under-used new toys - they nonetheless bring a vibrancy and originality that easily trumps the previous Toy Story sequel. And as a bonus, the new member given the most screen-time, Lotso, is a far more terrifying villain than the last instalment's flimsy Prospector - you know he has it in him to destroy our heroes, and he has the means to do it, too.

Aside from an average opening few minutes, Toy Story 3 is a solid effort. As laugh-out-loud as the first Toy Story, as moving as the second, better animated than and as creative and fun as either, Toy Story 3 is further proof that Pixar can do no wrong. The now complete Toy Story saga stands as one of the best and most consistently inventive trilogies that Hollywood has ever produced.