If there’s a definition of a sure thing it’s the new Toy Story 3, arriving June 18 of next summer. The trailer shows the gang getting ready for the next chapter in the adventures of the toys who changed Hollywood, ushering in the era of CGI animated feature films. I will never forget the night I saw Toy Storyin 1995; it wasn’t just the incredible animation, it was that the story worked so well that I had the sense I’ve had maybe two other times after movie: This is something New. Pixar, created by George Lucas in the 1980s to experiment with CG animation and sold to Steve Jobs who took it to the next level with wizards like John Lasseter, Peter Doctor and Andrew Stanton’s innovating the use of high-tech computer graphics perfectly melded to storytelling with heart. Last year, The Pixar Story, a documentary released on the Wall-E DVD, told the story of how the Pixar creative team, after being told by executives at Disney to make the characters “edgier,” (and thus much less likable) rejected the Mouse execs’ advice and decided they would tell the story they wanted to tell or not at all–the result was movie history and a string of ten hits and eventual merger with Disney with Lasseter overseeing much of Disney’s creative efforts.
This is bound to blow the doors off next summer’s box office, and be an even bigger Pixar hit, since a new generation of kids who’ve only seen Buzz, Woody and the gang on home video will come to this chapter to see what happens next. I can’t wait. And in anticipation for the 3-D experience, Disney is releasing the first two Toy Stories in 3-D as a double features for two weeks starting Oct. 2. Does it get any better than this?
See? I told ya!
Can you say PSYCHED OUT OF MY MIND?!
Though I worry the story may not carry through. There’s only so many stories to be told about one particular ensemble before it gets old.
But I’m holding on to the high hopes that Pixar preivews always bring. And as of this date, I have yet to be disappointed. I’m praying that all goes well and we wind up with another lesson teaching family classic.
Comment by Ashley — June 14, 2009 @ 8:11 pm |
I’m not too concerned about the story–Pixar’s integrity when it comes to guarding story quality is legend–they learned that lesson long ago to stick to their instincts and not exploit their audience. So far it’s one of the few things you can depend on in popular culture.
Comment by Alex — June 14, 2009 @ 8:15 pm |