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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Author
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Topic: Toy Story 3 (2010)
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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today
Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99
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posted 06-23-2010 01:32 AM
I saw it in 3D and here are my thoughts:
First of all, Randy Newman should not be allowed to sing. He sounds like his mouth is full of Jell-O. What an asshole.
Secondly, this movie is pretty good. I like it. But it is not as good as Toy Story 2, no how, no way. Everyone was hyping this quite a bit, but I don't think it lived up. I agree with Sam, the Day vs Night short in the beginning certainly wasn't as great as everyone was saying it was. I even kind of zoned out during it due to boredom. The message was clearly "Don't be racist because we'll soon breed ourselves so that we're all the same anyway". At least that's what I got from it, not that the two characters were even acting racist so they didn't need the lecturing by the radio voice. The short was clearly written by hippies. The 3D effect was there and there were a few good scenes in 3D, but the movie definitely did not need to be in 3D (neither did the short). It was incredibly dim and the Christie projector could not be bothered to fill the screen on any side (many inches of blank space). Maybe if they moved the projector BACK a few inches... Also, from the trailers I learned that every kids' movie from now until forever will be in 3D without exception. The sound was OK. I didn't hear much in the way of surrounds. Hell, I didn't hear much in the way of left, right or subwoofer, either. They were certainly on, just dialed way down. I am not sure why THIS had to be the movie to introduce 7.1 surround because almost every theater everywhere will turn the volume down to 4 because they think it is a god damn kids' movie. I think this was the case here. But of course the preshow must play at a volume level of 9.
quote: The Evil Sam Graham
So the movie is running and it's pedestrian Toy Story....pedestrian pedestrian pedestrian pedestrian pedestrian pedestrian pedestrian pedestrian...and then...oh my God.
Ummm, where did the "oh my god" moment happen? It was pedestrian from the first frame to the last. The ending was quite appropriate and nothing that people didn't see coming from 9 miles away.
Still, it is a movie I'll likely get on Blu-ray. I think it will be more enjoyable in the home (certainly brighter and better sounding). No theater in Denver sounds as good as my house. And my house could sound better.
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Stu Jamieson
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 524
From: Buccan, Qld, Australia
Registered: Jan 2008
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posted 06-26-2010 08:24 PM
Has it really been 15 years since the first toy story hit our screens? Not in my house it's not! With a toddler running around, the Toy Story films are spun up on the DVD player almost on a weekly basis so it feels like only yesterday that they were released. This is possibly the greatest testimony of Toy Story: it's enduring appeal to multiple generations and, despite 15 years being a long, long time in computer animation terms, it still looks great!
Something needs to be said about the preceding short, Day & Night, which is brilliant. In fact it is so good that I feel I should be writing about that rather then the feature which is almost disappointing by comparison in terms of conceptualisation and exploitation of the utilised 3D technology. The short film is a thesis on fear of the new and resistance to change; adult themes lovingly presented in a kiddie friendly format. This is, of course, what Pixar does best and it has never been done better than in Day & Night. It is also a theme which segues nicely into Toy Story 3.
As the feature opens we find Woody, Buzz and friends desperately vying for the attention of their now adolescent owner, Andy, whose interest in toys has naturally waned. Clinging to times passed, refusing to accept that their world has moved on without them, the toys are forced to accept change and realise that it isn't inherently bad but merely something different, opening up a cornucopia of new experiences and challenges. The proceedings mirror closely the plot of Richard Adams' Watership Ship: the toys leave their dying homeland (albeit not of their own choosing), enter the initially promising but ultimately oppressive Efrafa and finally find their everlasting bliss in a Watership Down. It's a successful formula if a tad darker than previous outings, including some of the creepiest elements to ever appear in a Pixar film. It will be interesting to see how a younger audience copes with it. In hindsight, the film is probably closer to a 'PG' rating than the 'G' it has been accorded.
The film eschews the usual slew of pop culture references past and present, including anime, westerns and Transformers which maintains the entertainment (and nostalgia) quotient at a high level. It is also destined to push toy sales to new highs as old toys of a bygone era are re-released to cash in on the films inevitable success - this is not necessarily a bad thing. Chiefly setting the story in a day care centre gives the crew licence to include just about every toy imaginable so unless you grew up under a rock in Siberia, you'll probably find a few of your toys featured. Indeed your Siberian rock toys are probably there as well.
All the elements of previous Toy Story stories are present here: another ingenious excuse to reboot Buzz to his pre-enlightenment programming is found (with hilarious results), a new romance blossoms, and the usual interplay between the (by now) well-defined characters plays out wonderfully. There's also a heavy hark (almost a cameo) back to Pixar's first Oscar-winning short, Tin Toy, with the character of Big Baby, a brutish stand-over baby toy.
Within the Toy Story canon, this third instalment does not exceed the second film in all round quality of story or implementation but, hey, this is Toy Story, y'know? It's only criticisms are as a result of the par for the Pixar course being so high. By any other measure, this is a great film. It does lose some marks, however, for adding to the growing body of redundant 3D cash-in projects but the brilliant exploitation of 3D technology in the preceding short is worthy in itself of the price of admission.
8 out of 10.
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Stu Jamieson
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 524
From: Buccan, Qld, Australia
Registered: Jan 2008
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posted 06-27-2010 05:44 PM
quote: Me
Something needs to be said about the preceding short, Day & Night, which is brilliant. In fact it is so good that I feel I should be writing about that rather then the feature which is almost disappointing by comparison in terms of conceptualisation and exploitation of the utilised 3D technology. The short film is a thesis on fear of the new and resistance to change; adult themes lovingly presented in a kiddie friendly format.
quote: Joe Redifer
Even under that pretext, the two outline dudes with scenes inside of them are having about as much fun together as they legally can until the radio tells them otherwise. In fact, the radio's inclusion doesn't make any sense. There is no reason for it to be in there. There were happy before, then they became the exact same (due to all of the races mixing) and then they were happy after. The short is lame. 3D doesn't help it at all.
They were having fun before the radio, to be sure, but they were merely enjoying the presence of each other, not truly standing in each others shoes which is the point underlined by the radio transmission. Then the sun goes down in one and up in the other and they experience each others world first hand. It's analogous to, say, reading a book about the Middle East vs actually going there to live.
The 3D is marvellously utilised here as the two guys live in a 2D world but their bodies are a window into their thoughts and feelings. So it is entirely appropriate to represent this view into something using 3D.
Whose was the voice on the radio, BTW? It sounded like a prominent speech by somebody notable.
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