Mini-Review: Toy Story 3

Is Toy Story 3 the greatest trilogy in film history? Sounds silly at first, but you can make a plausible argument for it. "Godfather III" dragged down the two masterpieces that came before. "Return of the Jedi" and its Ewoks forever besmirched the Star Wars saga. And you could argue--though I might disagree-that the Lord of the Rings trilogy was a wee bit too pompous. The Toy Story films, by contrast, have been stellar from start to finish, winding up with the latest entry: "Toy Story 3."

The familiar (plastic) faces are back: Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Potato Head, and so on. But while they remain unchanged by time, their owner, Andy, is grown up and on his way to college. Fans of "The Brave Little Toaster" may detect some similarities. Through a series of Pixaresque misunderstandings--that is, involving a mix of physical comedy and genuine nail-biting tension--the toys wind up donated to Sunnyside Day Care, where they find themselves in the velvety grip of a courtly Southern-drawling dictator named Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear.

This bears repeating, no pun intended. The villain's name is Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear. And yet despite this handicap, he is still scarier than 99% of the villains in modern films. I'd much rather spend an hour alone with the Joker than with Lotso.

This being a Pixar film, the toys hatch an ingenious plot to escape, which is animated in full Pixar style. There are wacky hijinks, most notably Buzz accidentally getting flipped to Spanish mode. There are amusing sight gags, as when Mr. Potato Head transforms into his flatter and more edible altar ego Mr. Tortilla Head. There are plenty of new characters, too, including a metrosexual Ken doll, a muscle-bound giant baby, and a freakish Orwellian monkey. Trust me, it makes sense once you see it.

And there are also a few moments of genuine horror. Be warned: this is NOT a kid's movie. Yes, it might be from Pixar, but little kids who laughed at "Finding Nemo" might wind up screaming in fright during one particularly harrowing scene. No, the target audience are teenagers, the kids who grew up like Andy. They won't be disappointed by this film.