DVD Reviews

Toy Story 3 (Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) - Blu-ray Review

By Dana Rae Nov 11, 2010, 14:53 GMT

The creative minds behind Disney Pixar\'s groundbreaking animated blockbusters invites you back inside the Toys\' delightful world for a heartwarming and hilarious Hi-Definition movie experience you\'ll never forget. All the original voice talent returns (including Tom Hanks and Tim Allen) plus new talent including Michael Keaton as Ken and Ned Beatty as Lots-O\'-Huggin\' Bear. It\'s the biggest, best, most exciting Toy Story of them all, raves Access Hollywood. As Andy ...more

Toy Story 3 comes to Blu-ray and the high definition is spectacular. A sequel to 1995’s Toy Story and Toy Story 2, the third installment really delivers in terms of story, re-visiting of favorite characters, 1080p animation, and family friendly fun.

The film is presented with an eye-popping HD picture along with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound. For fans that love the Toy Story franchise, this is a don’t-miss. And if you are unfamiliar with the Toy Story films, you are in for a treat. When I watched this with my boys (ages 6 and 11), I was amazed at how great the picture is.

This first movie introduced us to its many toy characters: the cowboy doll, Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), the space toy Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), Mr. Potato Head (voiced my Don Rickles), Slinky Dog (that was voiced by the late Jim Varney in previous films, now voiced by Blake Clark), the piggy bank Hamm (voiced by John Ratzenberger), and that lovable Tyrannosaurus dinosaur with the small arms, Rex (voiced by Wallace Shawn). The humans in the mix are: Andy’s mom (voiced by Laurie Metcalf), and Andy (voiced by John Morris).

The second movie followed up and introduced us to Andy’s new baby sister, Molly. At the end of the second one, she takes her first steps. The second movie also introduced up to other characters: Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl (voiced by Joan Cusack), Bullseye, Woody’s horse, who doesn’t speak and reminds one of a lovable puppy, and Mrs. Potato head (voiced by Estelle Harris). In this one, Molly (voiced by Beatrice Miller) is now the age Andy was in the first two films, and Andy is going away to college. Which presents a problem for the toys: they haven’t been played with in a long time, and Andy’s mom is after him to do something with the wagon chest of toys in his room. Pack them up? Donate them? It’s his choice.

This sends the toys into a query: what will Andy do? He intends to put them in the attic in storage, but mistakenly uses a trash bag. The toys get put on the curb for the garbage truck. They have to escape that fate doing what they do best, using teamwork of course, and they end up in the back of Andy’s mom’s van still arguing that Andy meant to throw them out.

They climb into a box meant to be donated and end up at the Sunnyside Daycare (even the name sounds ominous, like an old folks’ home or something of the like). They meet some new characters who first appear to be friendly, but their stint at Sunnyside turns dark pretty quickly.

Sunnyside’s toys are run by the seemingly gentle Lotso Bear (voiced by Ned Beatty). Lotso has a good thing going for himself as he stays in the Butterfly Room and is played with gently by the older kids.

But the toys quickly find out that new toys are thrown into the Caterpillar Room to be drooled on, covered in play dough, broken, etc. Escape is imminent and the toys quickly began to plot but they realize that the doors are locked at night, and that a screaming monkey with cymbals watches the security cameras at night.

Also, other toys of the daycare help Lotso keep new toys in check. There is Big Baby, who has some disturbing back scenes that tell Lotso’s story as he calls for ‘Momma’, and Ken (voiced by Michael Keaton), who probably has some of the funniest moments as he tries on clothes for Barbie (voiced by Jodi Benson).

Barbie was one of Molly’s toys that she threw in the box for donation and she ended up with the others in Sunnyside. She and Ken have some ‘ahhhhh’ moments of pure comedy as they team up and decide if they want to help each other.

Meanwhile, Woody has escaped Sunnyside because he is sure that Andy has not thrown them away on purpose. He ends up at Bonnie’s house (voiced by Emily Hahn). Bonnie is the cutest thing to grace animation! She has big brown eyes and chubby cheeks. She plays with her toys nicely.

Here we meet some more characters, toys that she loves and plays with, and ones that Woody finds likeable. Bonnie plays with them like Andy did, and the audience gets the sense of … well, no spoilers here.
 
Woody has to get back to Sunnyside to rescue his friends when he finds out that they are in trouble, that Sunnyside is not the place is should be. A rescue attempt ensues with Buzz getting reset (yet again, Lotso reset him in an attempt to turn him into a toy guard) and speaking in Spanish (Spanish Buzz voiced by Javier Fernandez Pena).

Special features include a series of shorts, one of which includes the amazing Day and Night, which you won’t want to miss if you didn’t see it at the theater. It’s very original and will make you laugh! You might want to watch it several times, it’s that good.

Other bonus features include a trivia game, making-of featurettes such as Beyond the Toy Box, and Bonnie’s Playtime which is a round-table discussion with director Lee Unkrich. The three discs are packed with special features that will keep fans happily entertained with behind the scenes extras.

This is great family fun, only enhanced by the technology of Blu-ray. Fans will be amazed at the quality of animation here. The animation was great before, but now it is spectacular. It is so good it sparkles.

Combined with an excellent story that follows well with the other two, and the familiar voice talents of Hanks and Allen and others, and the technology of high definition, Toy Story 3 is a must-have to collection your collection to this excellent animated franchise.

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