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Toy Story 3TOY STORY 3 Anyone who has seen the third parts of The Godfather and Back to the Future trilogies, will know that second sequels have a surprisingly decent track record, but still tend to fall well short of the glory of their predecessors. Unlike those examples though, Toy Story 3 could easily be presented together with 1 and 2 as part of a back-to-back triple bill, and it would take a very discerning, not to mention cold eye to notice any drop in standard. The reason that Toy Story 3 succeeds so well — the main reason at least — is the fact that the focus is firmly on stretching the well-established characters to their limits, and on giving each of them a credible and satisfying resolution to their story arc. The screenwriter refuses to give the loveable characters an easy time of it, as their owner Andy, a child in the first two films and now almost grown up and ready to leave for college, seems uncertain whether he wants to keep any of his old toys any more. Flirting with schmaltzAs a whole, the picture doesn’t perform quite as solidly as the previous two; in places the plot’s progress is hampered by overlong, though never less than enjoyable action sequences, as the toys continue their adventures navigating through their relatively gigantic surroundings, using methods so ingenious that even Wallace and Gromit would be taking notes. The degree to which the story flirts with schmaltz may not be to some people’s taste, but long-time fans will be hard pressed not to find a tear in their eyes, as things draw to a close for the final time. The incineratorEverybody is talking about the ‘incinerator’ scene. While Toy Story 3 doesn’t break any of the family friendly rules that Pixar stories rightly follow, this scene is almost shockingly intense, and probably more so for adults than for children. Any more information would spoil it but be intrigued that this was the only stretch during the film when the audience at the screening I attended remained dead quiet, while for the rest of the film the sound of kids murmuring and popcorn rustling were a constant distraction. Christian qualities of loyalty, sacrifice and even forgiveness are compellingly presented, which is not as rare a thing as one might think in modern cinema, but what is unusual is how soberingly these themes come across. The child you once wereThe Toy Story films can claim, alongside the likes of Harry Potter, to be a series that a generation have grown up with; and the parting message, on top of the obvious ‘never give up on your friends’, is to remember the child you once were; because being that innocent and carefree is a luxury that most can’t afford beyond their school years. The third part is the icing on the cake for Toy Story’s magic act of slowly presenting the world of adults to children, while never compromising its refreshingly childlike ‘high hopes’ outlook. Peter D. Marsay,
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