Toy Story 3

Happy Father's Day to all of you fellow Daddy's out there. It's been a hot and humid day today, my brain was feeling all melty and I was seriously contemplating turning on the air conditioner, my wife's Mediterranean warm blood be damned. On this hot day I thought it would be a great idea to take my son to see a movie at the theatre. Not any run of the mill movie, oh no, for you see this is his first theatrical experience and it has to be of top quality, and of course it can't scare the snot out of him either, I'd be sleeping on the couch for at least a month. Toy Story 3 fit the bill perfectly. We arrived fairly early, got our tickets and popcorn, which he couldn't stop eating and went inside to wait. This is always the problem with these big summer flicks on opening weekend you never know how big of a crowd you're going to get. It was full but not packed in, and thankfully they were mostly kids about my son's age. The parents probably had the same dilemma I had, my little guy will never go for sitting 2 and half hours wearing 3D glasses. So thankfully they had some 2D screenings. I've heard the 3D is really awesome so I may have to check this one out with the adults some time soon. After the bajillionth trailer we finally got to the Pixar short which was as always outstanding, called Day & Night. Nathan really dug the Battle Royale between night and day. It was really great visually, very funny. Of course once the credits start rolling on the short he looks up at me with a half cocked head and said, "We go home now?" I smiled and leaned in telling him this was just the beginning.Woody, Buzz and the gang of Andy's toys find themselves in the twilight of their playtime. Andy is about to head off for College and they are uncertain what will become of them when he leaves. They are accidentally sent to Sunnyside Daycare for their retirement, where they discover that all may not be as it seems.This by far is the most adult themed Toy Story yet, thankfully, that idea was lost on my son who seemed to just enjoy the pratfalls and hijinks the toys get in and out of. We follow Woody and Buzz as they try to keep the hope alive that they still mean something to Andy after all this time, as well as pulling a "Great Escape" from Sunnyside. It's got great pacing and dialogue as usual for a Pixar flick. These guys truly understand how to make family entertainment. I'll admit it, it's damn hard to find any flaws in this extremely well put together film. It was nice to hear the voices of Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Wallace Shawn (Rex), John Ratzenberger (Hamm), Don Rickles (Mr. Potato Head), Estelle Harris (Mrs. Potato Head) & Slinky now voiced by Blake Clark. They also had some great new additions with Michael Keaton as Ken, Ned Beatty as Lotso and Jodi Benson as Barbie. The Ken and Barbie stuff had me rolling, if they were to do a spin off I could totally see them working that one out at the Sunnyside Daycare. It's a fun, clever and very moving third installment and a fitting end to these characters if this is truly the end of the road. I have to admit I found myself getting a little choked up near the end. I, like Andy, have a very fond recollection of my childhood and my favorite toys and I also had difficulty putting the toys in the attic. This was also fueled by the fact that I was holding onto my 2 year old son at his first movie at the theatre, so yes, I got something in my eye.

Grade: 5 Buckets