And Pixar wants us to pay premium prices to watch 'em with 3-D glasses on.
It kind of defeats the purpose. CG-animation technology has gone into hyper-drive over the last 15 years - the images are more dimensional, more detailed, more alive. Donning those black plastic stereoscopic glasses may enhance the visual experience here and there, but more often it detracts: The tinted lenses rob the film of its brightness, and even the illusion of depth becomes less satisfying. Disney-Pixar rereleased Toy Stories 1 and 2 in 3-D last year to prep audiences for Toy Story 3 - and the added gimmick felt like just that, a gimmick.
As for the second sequel - 3-D or 2-D - it may not have the emotional resonance of its precursors, but it certainly dazzles: When Woody clambers onto a rooftop, framed by leaves and sky, it's an exhilarating cinematic experience, and the new character Lotso (voiced by Ned Beatty), a strawberry-scented plush toy bear, has "fur" that's slightly grimed from years of use, and abuse, in a day-care center. The mix of photorealism and playful design elements is beyond deft.
And speaking of that day-care center, it's called Sunnyside; one of its longtime toy residents describes it as "a place of ruin and despair." With Andy, Buzz and Woody's no-longer-a-kid owner, packing up and heading for college, his toys (Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Hamm, Jessie, Rex, Slinky Dog, et al.) find themselves in this new, unfamiliar home. It looks pretty good at first, until a swarm of terrorizing tots descends, hurling, banging, and madly maiming Andy's collection of trusty playthings.
