Questionable Review: Toy Story 3

I know I said that my next blog post would be regarding trying new things, but first I believe it is imperative that we re-visit the familiar. Amazingly, it has been 15 years since the first Toy Story movie put Pixar on the map. I myself was just 7 years old at the time, and my younger brother hadn't even been born yet, and somehow after all these years, the franchise has managed to stay relevant and to shine in every aspect.

From story-telling to characterization to comedy to visual flair, Toy Story has and always will be Pixar's darling child. Now here in the year 2010, the final(?) chapter of the Toy Story has been released, and not only does it rocket passed all expectations, it will easily become a long-cherished movie for infinity and beyond.

SO WHAT'S THIS MOVIE ABOUT?

We pick up the plot of Toy Story 3 relatively chronologically from where Toy Story 2 left. A large chunk of time has passed, and with it have come many changes. Andy is 17 years old now and is headed off to college, and understandably his toys have been neglected for quite some time now with some even having been thrown away or sold off in yard sales. Those that remain are led by Woody and Buzz Lightyear who attempt to keep their fellow toys' spirits up, but when a mistake leads to a majority of them ending up on the curb with the garbage, they decide they are better off being donated to the local daycare center. Although Sunnyside Daycare seems like a paradise at first, it is soon becomes clear that it is more prison than retirement home. Now it's up to Woody and pals to attempt to get out of dodge and return to Andy, where their fate may be even more uncertain.

SO WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT THIS MOVIE?

EVERYTHING.

SO WHAT SUCKS ABOUT THIS MOVIE?

It eventually ends. Despite your complete desire for it to continue, it will eventually end.

ANYTHING ELSE?

I cried during the closing scenes of this movie. I think that says enough about the level of sentimentality, nostalgia, and overall emotion that this movie brings to the table. If there is anything closer to a perfect film or a perfect conclusion to a series than what Toy Story 3 brings to the table, I would love to see it.

SO WHAT'S THE FINAL VERDICT?

Pixar are geniuses. How they somehow made a movie about toys feel like a gripping human drama is just all part of their film-making magic, and in my opinion, not only is Toy Story 3 arguably the best in the series, but it is in the top 5 of best Pixar movies ever. I usually use this space to qualify my verdict and say "If you like this or that, then you should probably go see this movie", but this film requires no qualification. If you are a HUMAN (maybe even if you aren't) you need to see Toy Story 3,

The Summer of my Discontent (2010 Edition)

As amazing as the summer time can be for movies, it seems more and more that it is the exact opposite for video games. Sure, E3 is in the summer and with it, the promise of boat loads of sweet titles to come, but actual game releases? Those seem relatively non-existent in the warm summer months. Is it because game developers really think that we nerds are going to the beach or having barbecues or something? Because I can assure them... WE'RE NOT.

It can be tough to be sure. These are the months to go back and re-play those games which you really enjoy, or to dig through the back catalog from earlier in the year, but few things of any real note are coming down the pipeline which is extremely unfortunate.

Regardless, with release calendar in hand, I have taken it upon myself to name a few games that might bring myself (and hopefully YOU, the nonexistent audience) some solace from the summer storm. I'll go ahead and give a brief explanation of why each game might be worth your time.

TOY STORY 3: The Video Game

No, I'm not trying to derail my list from the get go. I'm dead serious when I say Toy Story 3 looks like a hoot. It looks fun! After all, isn't that why we love video games in the first place? Not only is it sporting plenty of Toy Story flavor packed into a cute and polished little platformer, but there's actually a genuinely interesting element going into Toy Story 3: the Video Game.

Called the "Toy Box" mode, what we essentially get is one of three playable characters (Woody, Buzz, and Jessie) in a Toy Story-themed open world and city-building game. Not only will you be collecting toys and various other goodies that can be dropped into various playsets in your toy box, but you can then jump into said playsets and complete missions in an free-roaming style. That sounds pretty fun to me.

And again... isn't that the point?

TRANSFORMERS: WAR FOR CYBERTRON

Another licensed game?! Well, yes... it IS summer, people! If I'm being honest, this is probably a much more legitimate choice to be a decent game than Toy Story 3, but whatever. Transformers has always been something that should be fairly simple to make a good game out of, yet it is constantly gotten wrong. This game, by taking it away from the movies and new continuity and moving it into something that is closer to the original series (combined with what looks like fun gameplay and some sweet multiplayer), it's difficult for even the most tame of Transformers fans to not get excited about it.

Oh, and because Gamestop's new TV spot hints at it, they better sure as FUCK be putting Stan Bush's "The Touch" in the game!

Crackdown 2

I was never a big fan of the first Crackdown. There just wasn't enough to the actual game to sink my teeth into, and although I liked the kind of progressive superhero in an open-world vibe they were going for, I just never find it super compelling. The new one looks to be more of the same, but with an improved multiplayer and some tweaks to the gameplay.

For all intents and purposes, that shouldn't mean I'd get excited about this, but I'm a different gamer than I was when the first game came out. With its improvements, I think Crackdown 2 should not only be more accessible, but more enjoyable as well.

And there ya have it. There are a few other games coming out that... I suppose could be cool. Singularity comes to mind, as does that Mafia game that is FINALLY supposed to be coming out, but those are the games that, in all honesty, have MY attention.

What that says about me, I don't even wanna go into. However, when these games end up being either successes or instant cult classics, you know who said it first! Until next time.