To be perfectly honest, I don't know how to start this off. I'll just say that I absolutely loved this movie. It's wonderfully sweet, endearing, cute (in a good way) and touching. It continues the story from the first two movies in an excellent way and brings it to a nice, logical close.
As Andy prepares to go to college, the toys (those who have survived the years of spring cleanings and garage sales) fret their fates – trash or attic. Going to the trash means their death. Going to the attic means they're saved, will stick together, and be there when they are needed again. They've also heard talk of a thing called 'day care,' where other toys have gone.
When they wind up on the street (with the exception of Woody, who Andy has picked to accompany him to college) as a result of a misunderstanding by Andy's mom, they sneak their way into the donation box. Woody, who had tried to save them from the street and the approaching garbage truck, gets stuck in the box as well after trying to convince them to go back to the attic so they will be there when Andy needs them. Woody is totally devoted to Andy (as he was picked to go to college, that's pretty easy for him), the others are more concerned with being played with rather than whose they are.
So they go to day care and it looks like a wonderful place – a constant stream of kids who will never out grow the toys. Woody, unable to convince the others to go back home, leaves and makes his way out of the day care, but is found and taken home by Bonnie, the daughter of one of the employees. He gets played with for the first time in a long time, but can't enjoy it because he just wants to go home. The others still at day care find out that it isn't what it first appeared. It's ruled with a cotton-stuffed iron fist by the bitter Lots-O-Huggin Bear (Lotso for short). Woody finds this out too, then it becomes a prison break as he goes back to rescue them.
This is where the movie breaks away from the first two. It's not just about the toys wanting to be played with (Toy Story being about Woody's fear of being replaced and no longer being played with; Toy Story 2 being about Woody's fear of being broken and no longer being played with; the rest of the toys' concern is being played with), but, now, their destruction and death in a landfill crusher and incinerator.
Heavy stuff for a family film. But Pixar has never been afraid of using unconventional subjects in their family films – The Incredibles is, in essence, a mid-life crisis family drama; Wall-E has almost no dialogue in the first act and paints a picture of a destroyed Earth. That's why Pixar is Pixar, the pinnacle in modern family films – they get that there is more to it than being cute or playing down to what you think kids want or can handle. They make sure there's story, character and depth. They're not just making something to pacify the kids for 90 minutes.
Needless to say, the toys don't die. And they're able to make it back home before Andy goes away. But after going through that ordeal with his friends, Woody gets second thoughts about joining Andy at college. He secretly plants the idea of donating the toys rather than putting them in the attic and leaves an address. Andy thinks it's the day care, but instead it's Bonnie's house. The scene between Andy and Bonnie as he introduces her to the toys is incredibly sweet and just plain wonderful. When he gets to the bottom of the box and finds Woody...the tears will flow. And they are well-earned, genuine, honest tears. That is how much you care about these characters, toys and humans alike.
The voice cast is wonderful, both the returning actors and new ones (Michael Keaton's Ken is just fun). The animation is superb. The story and characters are outstanding. There's lots of fun references to the previous two movies, but never verges into playing on nostalgia. It's not likely you'll find a better family-friendly movie this year (you may find ones you think are better suited for kids, but they won't be as well done overall and enjoyable for all age groups, because there's more to a family than just the kids, isn't there?).
5 out of 5
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