Movie Review: Toy Story 3

TOY STORY 3 (2010)

Director: Lee Unkrich

Screenwriter: Michael Arndt

Woody... Tom Hanks

Buzz...Tim Allen

Jessie...Joan Cusack

Rex...Wallace Shawn

Hamm...John Ratzenberger

Ken...Michael Keaton

Lotso...Ned Beatty

MPAA Rating: G

Running Time: 102 minutes

Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang return for the third installment of Disney / Pixar's beloved 'Toy Story' series. After 15 years since the release of the first film, Toy Story 3 picks up with Andy, now 17 years old, preparing to leave for college. He has seemingly outgrown his favorite toys and must decide what to do with them before he leaves. After a series of misunderstandings, the toys end up at Sunnyside Daycare. After some serious conflict with the toys of the daycare, led by Lotso the strawberry scented Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear, the toys embark on a series of crazy adventures as they attempt to escape the daycare and return to Andy before he goes away to college.

As per usual, Pixar delivers yet another fantastic film that perfectly blends elements of witty comedy, edge-of-your-seat adventure, and genuine, heartfelt emotion. Much like Pixar's previous films, Toy Story 3 is not your typical family / children's film. With mature themes about adolescence, detachment, love, and friendship, people of all age groups will find themselves both laughing and crying throughout this film.

The introduction of some new characters adds something new and exciting to the story, while the original characters maintain their signature traits we've grown to know and love from the two previous films. In addition to the film's brilliant screenplay (by Lilttle Miss Sunshine screenwriter, Michael Arndt), the visual detail and art direction is absolutely stunning, and the use of 3-D successfully enhances the experience without going over-the-top.

At a time when Hollywood seems to be spewing out endless amounts unwanted and unnecessary remakes / sequels, Toy Story 3 provides us with a giant breath of fresh air and proves that it is possible to make a trilogy that really works. Toy Story 3 is hands down the best movie I have seen this year so far.

Rating: 4 out of 4 stars

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What did you guys think of Toy Story 3? Did it live up to the hype of the first two movies? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments!

Return of the Blog! - Summer Movie Thoughts (JUNE)

Hello everyone, sorry it's been so long since I've updated this thing. But now that summer is well underway, I thought I would get back to blogging and share some thoughts on some of the big summer movies coming out this year. Since we are already halfway through June, let's take a look at the big titles coming out the rest of this month:

JUNE 18

CYRUS
Starring: John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, and Jonah Hill
Directed by: Jay & Mark Duplass
Synopsis: A divorced guy John (Reilly) sparks with Molly (Tomei) and takes the initial steps toward a new romance; however, he soon finds himself engaged in a war for Molly's attention with her over-protective son (Hill) [IMDB.com]
Trailer:

Hermit Says: Looks like a decent indie comedy. Probably not the next 'Juno' or 'Little Miss Sunshine', but it will be interesting to see the dynamic / chemistry between its three stars.

TOY STORY 3
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, and more
Directed by: Lee Unkrich
Synopsis: Woody, Buzz, and the rest of their toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college. [IMDB.com]
Trailer:

Hermit Says: I'm usually quick to write-off sequels, prequels, and remakes...but this is a HUGE exception. I couldn't be more excited to see this!

JONAH HEX
Starring: Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, and John Malkovich
Directed by: Jimmy Hayward
Synopsis: In the Wild West, a scarred bounty hunter tracks a voodoo practitioner bent on liberating the South by raising an army of the undead. [IMDB.com]
Trailer:

Hermit says: Doesn't look too appealing to me. Seems kind of like 'Hellboy' meets 'Wild Wild West'...and that's NOT a good thing! However, there's one reason I would actually consider going to see this film...[see below]

JUNE 25

GROWN UPS
Starring: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Kevin James, and Rob Schneider
Directed by: Dennis Dugan
Synopsis: Thirty years after their high school graduation, five good friends reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend. [IMDB.com]
Trailer:

Hermit says: Pretty much an SNL cast reunion + Kevin James (It's like they replaced Chris Farley with a new, fat, funny white guy). Initially I thought this would be a poor excuse at reviving the careers of a couple irrelevant actors (*cough* David Spade *cough* Rob Schneider), but it turns out this actually looks like a fun and promising comedy and I will definitely be checking it out.

KNIGHT AND DAY
Starring: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz
Directed by: James Mangold
Synopsis: A fugitive couple (Cruise and Diaz) set of on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one - even themselves - are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust. [IMDB.com]
Trailer:

Hermit Says: While both actors seem very well suited for the characters they are playing, there doesn't seem to anything particularly interesting or original about this film. I'm likely going to skip it.

JUNE 30

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner

Directed by: David Slade

Synopsis: As a string of mysterious killings grips Seattle, Bella, whose high school graduation is fast approaching, is forced to choose between her love for vampire Edward and her friendship with werewolf Jacob. [IMDB.com]

Trailer:

Hermit Says: Though this Twilight film seems much darker and more action-oriented, I still have absolutely no interest in anything Twilight. SORRY!

SOUND OFF!

What movies have you guys seen this summer so far? What movies are you most looking forward to? Feel free to share your thoughts!