Toy Story 3 (June 18, 2010): G
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures.
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #1: $110,307,189
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $400,824,826
Gross Revenue: $940,515,022
Budget: Approx $200 million
Director: Lee Unkrich
During the summer movie season, animated movies are always a strong draw, but any Disney-Pixar collaboration has, time-and-again, proven to be nothing short of box-office gold. Shrek Forever After definitely generated a lot of media buzz, but given Disney-Pixar’s impressive track record of excellent summer films, Toy Story 3 was easily one of the most anticipated films of the summer. Beyond a laundry list of promotional tie-ins, Walt Disney Pictures made the clever move of re-releasing both Toy Story and Toy Story 2 as a Digital 3-D double feature in November. Considering that the first Toy Story was released 15 years ago, this re-release not only reminded college students of one of their favorite childhood movies, but it also introduced an entirely new generation of children to beloved characters…so, ticket demand was sure to sky-rocket.
After watching Toy Story 3, I honestly do not think that Disney-Pixar could make a bad film if it tried to, it’s near-impossible not to enjoy this latest animated adventure. Nearly all the beloved toys and voice-actors from the series return in this sequel, and considering the time gap between movies (Toy Story 2 was released in 1999), that’s quite an impressive feat. This time around, Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) must lead the rest of the toys (Jessie, Bullseye, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Hamm, Rex, and Slinky Dog) through a difficult transition as their owner, Andy (now 17-years old), is preparing to go to college. Though Andy is not entirely willing to part with his beloved toys, through a series of mishaps, the toys are donated to a daycare center. At first the toys delight in the prospect of playing with a never-ending line of young children (thus never facing the risk of being outgrown or neglected), but as time passes the other toys in the daycare are revealed to possess sinister motives, and so Woody and Buzz must try their best to save their friends and return to Andy.
Needless to say, for fans of the original series, Toy Story 3 is nothing short of an absolute delight, blending viewer nostalgia with a heart-warming story and considerable humor. I have maintained for years that animated movies just keep getting funnier and funnier, and that is because they utilize clever jokes that young children are unable to understand, but the jokes are highly amusing to those same children’s parents. Too often parents are forced to sit with their children through idiotic films, but with clever enough writers, some films can please both children and parents, and Toy Story 3 is no different. For instance, small children will enjoy seeing the Barbie and Ken dolls on screen, but the dialogue between the two contains some pretty mature jokes that reference the historical pairing of the two and the stereotypes associated with each character, which is sure to please older audience members. Impressive computer graphics are a given, but the all-star voice cast steals the show by bringing heart and depth to these established characters. You don’t even have to be a fan of the series to enjoy the film, though keen movie-goers will catch several references to the original Toy Story, the film’s engaging story deals with mature themes of acceptance and transition, and then sails past the finish line with a delightful ending that is sure to tug at a few heart strings.
With $110 million its opening weekend, Toy Story 3 is well on its way to being one of the top-grossing films of the summer, and it’s highly unlikely that Knight and Day or Grown Ups will be able to dethrone the animated feature from the top of the box-office this weekend. On an interesting note, Box Office Mojo reported that 40 percent of the non-family audience was aged 17-24, confirming my earlier speculation that Toy Story 3 will draw significant success from those who grew up on the original. With this strong opening weekend, Toy Story 3 has helped place the Toy Story series as one of the top 10 grossing movie trilogies of all time, and with the exception of one reviewer, Toy Story 3 holds a 100% positive review rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As a critical and financial success, Toy Story 3 should not be missed; Shrek Forever After was great, but I can't emphasize enough that Toy Story 3 is the superior animated movie of the summer.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
