By Milford Reid It's been 11 years since the last installment of the Toy Story franchise. But the latest, "Toy Story 3," shows that little has changed. Like it's predecessors this Toy Story also gives you a tight, well written story featuring toys that become animated when humans aren't around. You get lots of exciting adventures. And we're treated to loads of well-rounded, engaging characters.
The movie opens with a rousing sequence that quickly re-introduces the prime Toy Story players: There's the always heroic, stoic and often flabbergasted cowboy Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks. Then there's his comrade-in-arms the rascally spaceman toy Buzz voiced by Tim Allen. Most of rest of the old gang of toys also is back including cowgirl Jessie voiced by Joan Cusack, Mr. Potato Head voice by Don Rickles, Rex the dinosaur voiced by Wallace Shawn, Mrs. Potato Head voiced by Estelle Harris and Slinky Dog voiced by Blake Clark.
This time out the toys' owner Andy, voiced by John Morris, is headed to college.
Andy plans to take Woody to college with him and put the rest of the toys along with newcomer Barbie, voice by Jodi Benson, in the attic. But the toys are inadvertently shipped to a day-care center and Woody manages to follow along.
Initially, the toys, except for Woody, don't view this as a bad deal. Andy hadn't been playing with them much lately and they were feeling underused. The center has lots of kids. And the leader of the center's toys, Lotso, a cuddly teddy bear voiced by Ned Beatty, seems friendly and welcoming, as does his chief lieutenant, Ken, voice by Michael Keaton.
But all is not as it seems. Lotso has actually established a class system at the center, forcing the newcomers and toys he doesn't like to be in the toddler room where the kids are rougher and abusive. He and his minions hangout in the older kids room. Buzz tries to confront Lotso, but he's rewired and turned against his friends. It's up to Woody, who had escaped the center, to find a way to defeat Lotso and his gang and get the toys back home. The chemistry between the characters is solid as usual. The newcomers, especially Barbie and Ken, blend in well. The action sequences are well done and keep the movie rolling along.
However, there are a few nits. The movie is shot in 3D but it doesn't add much. And at 103 minutes it's the longest "Toy Story" so far, besting the original by 23 minutes. It will be a test of younger kids' usually short attention spans to watch it without fidgeting. Still, at the showing I attended the kids - young and older - were enthralled. Most of the adults were, too.
