During the past week, reviews for Toy Story 3 started to come in, but on the eve of the film’s release, they’re flying in faster than you can read them all! As of this post, the new addition to the Toy Story franchise is still sitting at an astounding 100% on the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes.
It is not new ground for the franchise, as the previous two entries also finished with 100%. However, the two earlier Toy Story films were released in the 1990’s, when less reviews were published, and blogging was not as rampant as it is today. Today, big releases can get over 200 reviews, which makes attaining the elusive 100% rating extremely difficult.
Reviews are still pouring in, so we should resist the urge to get attached to that 100%. It would be an amazing finish to a trilogy that has been a critical darling as well as a fan favorite, but over the next few days, we should have a clearer picture.
Here are some quotes of reviews that I have collected from some of the biggest publications across the continent. I will ONLY be posting spoiler-free quotes here, but will include the links to the full reviews. Please, please, be careful if you decide to click the links. The full reviews will be a bit spoiler-y, and you have waited this long.
New York Times – Review By A.O. Scott:
“In providing sheer moviegoing satisfaction — plot, characters, verbal wit and visual delight, cheap laughs and honest sentiment — “Toy Story 3” is wondrously generous and inventive.”
USA Today – Review By Claudia Puig:
“How the animation wizards at Pixar keep coming up with innovative and rapturous stories is one of the miracles in modern film. How director Lee Unkrich, veteran Pixar writers John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton, and Little Miss Sunshine co-writer Michael Arndt devised a fresh plot and enchanting characters in this third Toy Story go-round is perhaps the most impressive feat of all.”
Entertainment Weekly – Review by Owen Gleiberman:
“…even with the bar raised high, Toy Story 3 enchanted and moved me so deeply I was flabbergasted that a digitally animated comedy about plastic playthings could have this effect.
“Toy Story 3 represents a virtuoso performance by the Pixar team, led by director Lee Unkrich (the codirector of Toy Story 2 and Finding Nemo). I think it’s the studio’s greatest achievement since The Incredibles, and — just maybe — since the original Toy Story.”
Detroit News – Review by Tim Long:
“Pixar married the world of modern computer animation and sophisticated storytelling with the original “Toy Story” in 1995, and since then it has been the hands-down leading studio of any kind in Hollywood.
“It has never made a film that could be considered close to weak; most have been outright great. “Toy Story 3″ continues that tradition.”
Toronto Star – Review by Peter Howell:
“Toy Story 3…completes a trilogy of the best that animation can be. This is a “3” that deserves a [rating of] “4,” the best Toy Story yet – and make sure you get there in time for the short opener Day & Night, another of Pixar’s finest moments.”
San Jose Mercury News – Review by Charlie McCollum:
“Pixar is the one studio that really knows how to use 3-D to its best advantage, never allowing the technology to overwhelm the storytelling.
“Toy Story 3 is a terrific film that ends with an emotional payoff that should satisfy all who have invested in the characters over the past 15 years. In a summer that will be littered with bad sequels, bad 3-D and bad storytelling, it is a movie to be heartily embraced.”
Toy Story 3 opens tomorrow, June 18th!
Can’t wait for Armond White’s negative review, because you know its coming.
You read my mind. That is why I made sure to mention that maybe we shouldn’t get attached to that 100%. We can still hope, can’t we?