The Movie
Pixar saved the saddest, darkest and most emotionally complex chapter for last, with their 2010 global blockbuster Toy Story 3 3D. (Actually, I should choose my words carefully, there's a Toy Story 4 listed on IMDb.) But that's not to say that director Lee Unkrich (taking the reins from boss John Lasseter) and the gifted writers have not given us a wonderfully entertaining ride packed with wild gags and off-the-wall plot twists. They also give us a mean, dangerous stuffed animal, but I don't want to give away too much.
Andy--the young boy who grew up with Woody, Buzz, et. al.--is heading off for college, and when his favorite playthings take a wrong turn on the way to storage, they choose to find a new home at the local daycare center, where new kids will continue to arrive and provide the adoration they have been so desperately missing. This playplace is not what they were expecting however, and soon they find themselves planning a near-impossible prison break. Hold on for suspense, yuks, and at least a few tears.
The Picture
This was the only installment in the Toy Story Trilogy to debut theatrically with the option of 3D, and almost every shot exploits the stereoscopic illusion in some fashion or another, from the bold contrast of focus between background and foreground to the subtle differences of the relative position of characters within the narrow confines of a toybox.
The 16:9 image is bright and ecstatically colorful, and striking in its clarity. There are now more plastic, polyester and gelatinous characters than ever before, often active within audacious long shots brimming with detail, right down to precise blades of grass and Lotso's somewhat mangy strawberry-scented fur. The exquisite play of artificial light approaches photo-realism, too: I have a hard time imagining that I would ever getting tired of watching this disc, especially now in 3D.
The Sound
As a reminder, Toy Story 3 was the first movie released theatrically in Dolby's 7.1-channel Surround format. It is presented here in discrete DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, as well as DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (the default track, actually) for the more traditional home theater crowd. The "wow" scenes are few and far between, but definitely impressive, while the many smart, delicate cues in the multichannel mix, as well as the deliciously transparent quality, serve to ground this bizarre tale in a bit more reality, helping to make this track a winner.
The Extras
There are no extras on the 3D Disc One (well, a 2D/3D calibration tool) and just a handful on 2D Disc Two, which has been re-authored to include the latest Disney trailers but is otherwise the same as we saw one year ago. Disc Three is where the serious action begins, presenting the entire movie yet again, this time, only viewable only in either Disney's Cine-Explore mode--with director Lee Unkrich, producer Darla K. Anderson, and their many window pop-ups--or with the Alternative Commentary Track. This secondary audio rounds up supervising animators Bobby Podesta and Mike Venturini, supervising technical director Guido Quaroni, production designer Bob Pauley and story supervisor Jason Katz for their distinct take.
Disc Three's alternate movie presentations are also enhanced by solid little video featurettes in different categories. A complete listing of contents can be found below. Disc Four is a DVD of the movie with a subset of these features, notably the Unkrich/Anderson commentary but audio only. Disc Five carries a Digital Copy for iTunes or Windows Media.
Final Thoughts
Now, with the inclusion of a Blu-ray 3D disc, Disney has managed to make an award-winning set even better. This, or the new-edition three-movie bundle, is the only way to acquire Toy Story 3 in 3D, so if you've already purchased this movie over the past twelve months, weigh your finances and decide if the additional dimension is worth another investment. But from our point-of-view, it is highly recommended.
Don't Miss the Full Toy Story Series in 3D:
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