Toy Story 3

Like most Pixar films, it's magical mixture that splits its focus between the themes of loneliness and fitting in. From the clips and trailers you know that Andy is now 17 and headed off to college and Woody and the gang wind up at a place called Sunnyside Daycare where they're ravaged by toddlers. You can probably guess that there's an escape plan involved, but honestly, all of these things are the very basic, least interesting elements of the film. It's a beautiful, vibrant story about memories, the passing of time and how you treat the people in your life. As with everything Pixar does, the attention to detail here is incredible. The split-imagery within the daycare/Alcatraz is great. How the slide in the playground becomes a watchtower at night. How the bead mazes double as razor wire. How marker smudges become prison tats. The level of detail, in things like Woody's rounded-down hairline, is astounding. And yes, that's the voice of John Morris, now 23, playing Andy once again. Why get the same actor when only a few might notice? Because everything is everything here. Joining the clique at Sunnyside are some new faces: Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear (Ned Beatty), a strawberry-smelling patriarchal teddy, and the fabulously groovy Mattel Ken (Michael Keaton). We're also introduced to a little girl named Bonnie, who shows us all that the tradition of whimsical and inspired playtime isn't dead as she delightfully frolics with her group of misfit toys; the lederhosen-wearing porcupine Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton), the triceratops Trixie (Kristin Schaal) and the sooty-unicorn Buttercup (Jeff Garlin). Three movies have now shown us that the story of a toy is, overall, a sad one. But not one without pride. And not one without joy.