by Sean O'Leary

Created on: June 23, 2010

Subtitled; “Why did I have to grow up?”

            As per my usual, I’ll try not to mention any spoilers. Toy Story 3 returns our friends Woody, Buzz, and many of the old toy crew back to the big screen, but things have changed. Time has passed, and Andy, their owner, has grown up and is preparing to leave for college. Many of the older toys are already gone, such as Bo Peep, Speak n’ Spell, and even RC, the remote controlled car, as Andy has whittled his collection of toys down to those closest to his heart. But as Mrs. Potato-head says, “College is no place for toys. Toys are for play-time.” The toys know that as Andy packs up for school, they’ll likely wind up in the attic, but when Andy’s mother accidently puts them out for the trash, they find themselves embarking on their greatest adventure yet.

            So I guess the first question anyone would ask is, “is it worth going to see in 3-D?” My answer is yes. (My girlfriend disagrees, stating she felt that Pixar forgot about the 3-D halfway through the film.) I thought everything was beautifully animated and fast paced, but things never got so hectic that I felt like I would lose my popcorn, and while I have a pretty strong stomach, I believe that people who are prone to vertigo, or motion sickness should be okay with this one. Likewise, nothing that happens in the film should be too scary for the little kids, with the possible exception of a very intense moment at the climax of the film, where even I found myself holding my breath and my heart pounding. I’m not sure that moment would qualify as nightmare material, but it is a pretty hot situation. Emotions will run high.

            So then, is it appropriately rated? Being a “G” film, I would have to say so. Yes, there are many “family” films out there that cater to the moms and dads but throwing in the occasional off-color joke (which always turns out to be the one the kids repeat…endlessly…in front of company,) but Toy Story 3 actually seems to make the effort to make jokes and gags that both parents and kids alike will enjoy without making Mom and Dad worry if their children will understand the context. Pixar clearly made an effort to put some original humor in the film, but wasn’t

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