Around the same time last year Pixar -an animation giant- released Up, that film got a rapturous reception from critics and audiences. Actually, anything Pixar has released over the past decade got drooled upon by us film lovers. Toy Story 3 is no exception & expect it to get nominated come Awards time. It's quite a feat in how it mixes its dramatic and comic undertones so damn well & gosh, how serious & dark & scary it is. In fact its got such deep darkness that some online bloggers and critics are saying that somewhere in the movie there's an allegory to the holocaust. Watching the picture on Friday, I could see why some folks would think in such a way, but I highly doubt first time director Lee Unkrich and his Pixar peers had this idea in mind while making the film.
All the characters we've come to love are back but -as I said before- there is an extra layer of darkness added. The idea of being trapped and imprisoned looms deeply in the movie, giving the viewer an almost claustrophobic feeling throughout its 100 minute running time. Not a dull moment or second pops up in this fascinating film, the best of the series. It all comes together in a finale that divides the gap between what it means to be innocent and what it's like to let go of the things we love and welcome adulthood. Heavy stuff for the kiddies he? That's why Toy Story 3 -and for that matter Pixar- is such a special gift, it is wrapped on the outside with vibrant colors that pop out and stun your eyes but it is layered deep inside with adult themes and a darkness that cannot be shaken.