(2010) "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Revisiting a childhood landscape of imagination, involving a runaway train full of orphans, featuring many of the toys we've come to know from the two previous episodes of Pixar's animated adventures (score by Randy Newman), director Lee Unkrich - who collaborated on the story idea with producer John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton, transformed into a screenplay by Michael Arnett - also shows us a video of a boyhood past.

So Andy (voiced by John Morris) at 17, in getting ready for college, hears his mother's request that he decide what he'll take with him and what he'll put away in the attic or leave on the curbside for trash collection. The toys, led by their cowboy hero Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) put Operation Playtime into action, cleverly using Andy's cellphone, without success.

It's no use, the others fret; but hopeful Woody, though admitting, "We knew this day was coming," points out that they've survived yard sales and that Andy may have children of his own one day, urging patience and perseverance in the prospect of being stored in the attic: "Andy's going to take care of us; I guarantee it."

But when Andy retrieves only his favorite toy Woody, he says, "They're junk," dumping all the others from his toy chest into a black plastic garbage bag intended for the attic. After a close call with the trash collectors following a mix up, Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack) takes charge, leading Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), Rex the Dinosaur (voiced by Wallace Shawn), Hamm (aka Dr Porkchop, voiced by John Ratzenberger), Mr Potato Head (voiced by Don Rickles) and his wife, and the others into a box designated for donation to the Sunnyside Daycare.

"Daycare is a sad, lonely place for washed-up old toys who have no owners," cautions Woody. When the toys arrive at Sunnyside during recess, they're joyfully greeted by other castoff toys and heartily welcomed by Lotso the strawberry-scented teddy bear (voiced by Ned Beatty): "You'll never be outgrown or neglected, never abandoned or forgotten. No owners means no heartbreak."

In the box among Andy's toys is his sister Molly's Barbie (voiced by Jodi Benson), who when she lays her blue eyes on handsome Ken (voiced by Michael Keaton) realizes that they're "made for each other": "Love your legwarmers," admires Ken, while she pays a return compliment, "Nice ascot." Ken takes them on a guided tour through the Caterpillar Room, which looks like paradise to the newbies.

"We need to go home," insists Woody: "Our job is to be there for him," whether at college or in the attic. Alone the sheriff departs, leaving behind his faithful mount Bullseye, escaping through a bathroom window and into the air on a glider, landing in a tree where little Bonnie finds him hanging by his pull string. He's introduced to the girl's playthings - Buttercup, Mr Pricklepants (voiced by Timothy Dalton) aka "Baron von Shush," and Trixie - who remark: "We do a lot of improv here."

Meanwhile, back at the daycare Andy's old toys find themselves imprisoned in hell with rough, undisciplined toddlers. With one of her eyes left behind in Andy's room, Mrs Potato Head can see what's happening back home. When Buzz goes to Lotso to request on behalf of the others a transfer to the Butterfly Room, where older children play with their toys more gently, he gets switched from "play" to programmed "demo" mode.

"Sunnyside is a place of ruin and despair," Mr Pricklepants tells Woody upon learning where the cowboy had been, "ruled by an evil bear who smells of strawberries." The unicorn adds: "The guy may seem plush and huggable on the outside, but inside he's a monster."

How do these toys who'd never known mistreatment know about Sunnyside? After narrating a tale of woe, Chuckles the sad-faced clown, who had once been there as well as been Lotso's friend before the bear snapped when they were Daisy's toys, says ominously: "New toys, they don't stand a chance."

Woody returns to the daycare where Chatter Telephone provides a clue: "There's only one way toys leave this place…. Your real problem's the monkey." An Hispanic theme gets introduced when Mr Potato Head has to make do as a tortilla while Buzz, after an accident, speaks only Spanish. We're shown in dramatic fashion the inner operations of garbage being processed from a landfill.

Continuing a tradition in every Pixar picture, three aliens appear in a Pizza Planet truck. Stay through the credits for extra animation. I expect this film will be judged either the best or second best animation of 2010.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2011 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Patrick Ivers can be reached via e-mail at .