***** (G)
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Director: Lee Unkrich.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles, Michael Keaton, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger.
PIXAR have had an impossibly impeccable run, creating a swag of hits with no real misses but in the Toy Story films they've achieved another seemingly impossible feat - they've made a trilogy that actually gets better with every movie.
The fond and teary final chapter of this endlessly charming saga is another example of Pixar's brilliance.
Not only do we get a fitting farewell to such much-loved characters as Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and Mr Potato Head (Don Rickles), but we get a story filled with heart-string-tugging moments, heart-stopping action sequences and more laughs than the last two Shrek movies combined (although that probably isn't saying much).
With the toys' owner Andy about to head off to college, it's time to say goodbye to his childhood playthings. After almost ending up in the trash, Buzz and co are eventually bundled off to Sunnyside Daycare Centre and placed at the mercy of some rampaging three-year-olds and a heirarchy of toys led by the deceptively named Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear (Ned Beatty).
Toy Story 3 escalates into a witty and clever escape movie that will have you on the edge of your seat and eventually reaching for the tissues. But it's the final moments that are the real tearjerkers, as the film celebrates the importance of childhood memories and imagination.
The Toy Story movies have always been impossible to not love, thanks to their mixture of heart, humour and action, but this last goodbye is the best yet. And if you aren't feeling the tears welling up by the film's conclusion, then you might want to check you're still alive.