This Story Ain’t Over

The Return

Not since The Good the Bad and the Ugly have I seen the a good “#3” movie in a trilogy (well, maybe Return of the Jedi, but we try not to speak of Star Wars movies anymore since Lucas ruined all of his film franchises, and I’ll give you The Return of the King, but really, it was 2 movies within itself).

Toy Story 3, however, comes out on top.  Buzz, Woody, and friends are back, and this time they are stuck in a nazi prison camp in WWII (no wait, that’s the Great Escape — but same deal).  They have to sneak past the guards at Sunnyside daycare and return to Andy, even though they aren’t sure if he even wants them anymore.   Laughs are guaranteed throughout, as with any Pixar movie, and the humor remains witty yet accessible for all age groups.

The only downsides to this movie (if Pixar films have downsides) are: 1) slightly predictable, but who cares? It’s freakin’ about toys.  and 2) there is a scene near the end of the movie where the toys are headed for a furnace.  They hold hands in slow-mo for what seems like 38 days.  It made me roll my eyes, but didn’t take away from the total package.  Oh, and also, if you cry easily, bring your hanky.

Minimal downsides, characters we all love, and witty humor make this a welcome addition to the Toy Story narratives.  If you like Pixar at all (assuming you have seen a Pixar film), you will like this.  Go see it.