Toy Story 3 (2010)

In the third chapter to the original computer animated film (and the first of the now dominate Pixar) Woody, Buzz, and the gang are dealing with the issue of no longer being wanted. Andy, the playful and lovable owner of America's favorite toys is all grown up and on his way to college. Like most teenagers he has grown apart from his favorite things and has neglected them for years. With the big move just days away, and the college and attic marked boxes in the room, the toys begin to worry about where they'll go and if they'll be together. After a series of events the toys end up in a daycare (ran like an internment camp) and are forced to make a daring escape.

This movie does the impossible, surpasses the already great and legendary original. I hate to say it but Pixar does it again and in a big way. First off, Tom Hanks does great voice work and the film has up to date creative and visually stunning animation, and that's just the cherry topping on the sundae treat. The directing was flawless. He captured every scene to its fullest. He also never subjected his storytelling for cheap 3D thrills (thank God). His impact comes out huge by the end of the film. The screenplay... SUPERB! More thought out than any film I've seen this year. It delivers a continuous flow of surprises, thrills, laughs, honest and heartfelt drama, emotional beauty and all in a plethora of creativeness. This animated film does more for me than any animated picture I've ever seen.

In this already high octane best animation Oscar race, Toy Story 3 earns a firm slot and is certainly my favorite for this year. How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek Forever After were very good. Strike that, they were great animated pictures. Toy Story 3 has no problem joining those ranks and quite possibly jumping to the front of the pack. This is a see it on the big screen movie, for sure. No need for the 3D, though. I saw it in 3D and at no point did I say, "wow, that was cool in 3D." It's a nearly perfect film and like all great films in history, you don't need to have seen it in 3D to have loved it, and that's exactly what I did... LOVED IT.