A solid children’s film isn’t really a children’s film at all. We all know that. But it takes a group of people working together toward that aim like Pixar to make this deceptively complex truth a reality. Time and time and time again, they succeed. And Toy Story 3 is yet another in a long line of “children’s films” that are anything but. They are films directed at the child in each of us, and films to which we can all relate, regardless of childhood or background. And, yet again, it’s hard to find one better than this one.

The saga of Woody, Buzz, Slinky, Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, and the whole gang goes back more than a dozen years (it all began in ’95). Since then, they (and their imaginative and fearless leader, Andy, who is about to head to college) have given us a riot of laughs and tears and everything in between. Here, our hapless group of toys finds themselves stuck in a daycare center, among other foreign lands, constantly within inches of mutilation or simply being covered in fluorescent green paint.

They come to find that the children that play with them on an hourly basis are the least of their worries, as Lotso the Bear, Ken (of Barbie fame), and a host of other malevolent toys have it out for their imminent demise. Working together, they must find a way out of the daycare and back to Andy, back to the life they once knew, however fragile it might be.

The voice acting is as good as we remember. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen lead the troupe, of course, playing Woody and Buzz Lightyear respectively, and Ned Beatty joins them as the maleficent teddy bear. The animation design team is equally wonderful, bringing to life the loveable band of plastic misfits. And who better to direct it than Lee Unkrich, who directed the second film in this series (the other obvious choice is John Lasseter, who directed the original film)? The whole team works so well together, so seamlessly, that the end result is nothing other than what it must be: an incredible film on all levels.

Near the roll of the credits (and the floodgates), as this epic coming-of-age tale comes to a close, we reflect on our childhood, on the life we are living, the friends we have made (both physical and imaginary), and, if we have them, children of our own, who are learning to understand the world around them, weaving their very own sigils in the air, and giving to their stories a local habitation and a name, as the creators of this film have done beautifully over and over again.

Toy Story 3 is a must see. It is this year’s Up, captivating people of all ages, touching us, coaxing us into a vulnerability in ways that much passing as film these days doesn’t even dream of. We were all children once, and inside each of us a child continues to live, continues to play and to create immense worlds of adventure out of wooden blocks and tuberous dolls, out of cotton cowboys and space invaders, out of magic and the stuff of the imagination. If you see an animated film this year, please make it this one. You’ll thank yourself (and so will your kids).

Rating: 4/4 Stars

AWARD   –   WINNER    -   MY PICK

Best Picture – Hypedog Millionaire – Anything But (I really wanted Ben Button.)

Best Director – Hypedog Millionaire - Anything But (Ben Button or Milk would have appeased me.)

Best Actor – Penn – Penn

Best Actress – Winslet – Winslet

Supp. Actor – Ledger – Ledger

Supp. Actress – Cruz – Henson (Robbed. Cruz should be arrested for…for that.)

Here’s a link to all the winners.

I just watched the Animated Short Films nominated for this year’s Oscars.  Well, four out of the five.  I can’t find the 5th one.  Google doesn’t have it anywhere.

Watch the other four, though, right here, and then you can read my review, or vice versa, whatever you want to do.  Or neither.

Here’s the link to go watch 4/5:  http://cinemascopian.com/2009/02/05/watch-the-oscar-nominated-animated-shorts/

When I find the 5th, I’ll update this post.

Lavatory/Lovestory (Russia): It’s about a woman who runs a Russian restroom.  She seeks love and romance.  In what seems a futile search for the man who keeps putting flowers in her coin jar, she nearly loses her mind.  Well, kind of.  I won’t spoil the end for you.  It’s very simply animated, which means it won’t win, but it’s a good story, and albeit simple, has a neat way of using the almost childlike animation to tell its story.

Oktapodi (France): Extremely short.  Less than three minutes, if I remember correctly.  Definitely less than five.  Two octopi (or are they squid?) are separated, and the orange one goes after the pink one, to save it from imminent death.  What ensues is essentially a chase scene, albeit a hilarious one.  It’s a fun story, surprising, and absolutely hysterically funny.

Presto (US): If you saw Wall-E, you’ve seen this one.  If you haven’t, then here’s what it’s about: a rabbit wants a carrot, which its magician owner won’t give to it.  It retaliates by making his show a miserable and painful failure.  The audience eats it up, though, and in the end, so does the rabbit.  Because it’s Pixar, it has fantastic animation, what we’ve come to expect from them.  It might win just for that.  The story is very enjoyable and fantastical in a Looney Tunes kind of way.  It’s just a lot of fun to watch.  I think it’s my pick.

This Way Up (UK): Two men need to transport a dead body in its casket across the world (it seems) to its final resting place.  Trouble ensues when their car is destroyed.  They must literally carry it to the grave.  When they finally arive, they find they are not only carrying her body to the grave, but her soul to the afterlife.  It’s a neat and intriguing story that has a chance to win because of great animation, an intersting story, and fun twists.  I liked it a lot.

La Maison de Petit Cubes (Japan): I can’t find it.  When I do, I’ll let you know.

Thanks for listening,
Neal