Toy Story 3 Steelbook - Zavvi Exclusive

To produce the first fully computer-animated feature film was a surprising triumph for those at Pixar in 1995, but to then produce a follow-up film that was even better... These guys must be good. What I'm still trying to get over is how Toy Story 3, fifteen years after the saga began, is the best of the trilogy. These guys are something else.If we are to ever see true 'Special Editions' of which ever coloured 'Ray' disc there is in the future, this film saga deserves to be up there with any animated classics from the past. Pixar have proved time and time again that original ideas simply trump whatever technological advancements may lay in the eye-candy department. Perhaps what makes Toy Story 3 such a perfect film is that it is a feast in both visuals and storytelling.This third film takes quite a leap from Toy Story 2, as Andy is now 17 years old and much of his glorious childhood is summarised in a series of Camcorder edits, quick to pointing out however that along with leaving his youth, the toys themselves were soon forgotten and destined for a life in a Chest. They have resorted to testing Andy's affection and attempting to get his attention from the Chest (by placing his mobile phone there!), yet their latest plan would have appeared to have failed. Andy is soon to be leaving home for College, and his mum laid the law down by sorting the contents of his room between either going in the trash or going with him to College. Not surprisingly, his affection to Woody is rewarded as the Cow Boy doll is placed in the College box, but when the other toys are left in a bag ready to go into the loft (an adequate residence!), they are mistakenly taken to the trash pile!Once over-coming the feeling of being abandoned by their longtime owner, they seek the seemingly perfect retreat of a 'Sunnyside Day Care Centre" box in the back of Andys car - part of series of donations for a play-school. Woody can only rejoin the clan in attempt to reassure the toys of Andy's affection, but it is already too late. The journey begins, and upon arrival at the wonderful looking complex, the toys must pick their own destiny once more as things don't crack up to how they once imagined...Its fair to assume that the story is tighter than ever, and is testament to the 5 years of development that Pixar required to better the two previous movies. Although I have set the basis for what is to come, it would be unfair to even touch on the adventure that the toys entail - going well beyond anything that I've mentioned and, indeed, what we've seen from the previous films. Old toys are lost and new ones appear, but the originality is never lost. The very fact that the film begins in such creative fashion, witnessing the toys in an epic adventure from Andy's imagination, to the final scene in which they have rekindled a true love with someone special is quite magical and so well thought out that, in affect, it places the likes of 'Shrek' in an almost amateurish category (Don't even mention 'Shrek The Third). Even that very first scene in which Andy's toys are a part of a wonderful 'Cops and Robbers' role-play in the middle of a dessert has its act of genius, as it is, in fact, a re-telling of the very same story that Andy plays at the beginning of the original 'Toy Story' film.I've always felt that the Toy Story saga could just go on forever, but I found it very re-assuring that, after what is a very emotional ending that reduced even grown men to sobbing, this could very well be the last film. Fans shouldn't need to be disappointed however, because a return (which is not all-together off the books) would only de-rail what is otherwise a perfectly feel-good ending to this three-part story. And thats what it is. Toy Story 3 takes the best elements of the former films and provides everything you could want from a movie; huge laughs, action, tension, sadness and love. The most important attribute, however, is that of friendship. It is clear by the very end of the film that, no matter how a toy is constructed or packaged, it will always be loved by someone out there. This relationship is made all the more sweet when you consider how it applies to us as beings. We are matter - nothing more, nothing less - but regardless of our origins or appearances, there is always someone out there who genuinely needs you.For this, there is a sense of relief by the end of the film. Andy may have grown up, as we ourselves have done, but it only takes a single memory to realise how thankful we should be for that little partner in our lives. The phrase "Thank you", is the all important message of what is a beautiful ending.To this extent, the film breaks boundaries in what we have come to expect from an animated film, and is credit to Pixar that they focus on originality and down-to-earth ethics, not the standardised Fairytales that Disney seem to cling on to because of one mans legacy.What is Pixars legacy? A team effort.There is also a simple matter that, although the visuals present are ahead of anything else out there (quite often, almost photographicl), it is the story development and layout that makes Pixar a leader in film-making. We may have come to expect such wonderful eye candy this day and age, but Pixar are relentless are creating original ideas that are aimed for not just a younger audience, but for adults too. In Toy Story 3, the reaction from these two different audiences was completely evident as the morals that had been set in stone from the very first film had been re-discovered in this finale. Whereas children will find this film to be, primarily, non-stop entertainment, its no secret that adults will feel an all more different set of emotions upon witnessing the values that are demonstrated.On a note of soundtrack, it was also wonderful to hear that roughly 80% of the music is the same score from the original Toy Story film. This was a fantastic move as Randy Newmans work has never ceased to become tiring or aged. Many of the orchestral sections took me straight back to 1995 and my own experiences of that original performance, which when you consider how prominent the characters of this saga have become, seems like a perfect choice.I would have to say that the Disney company were rather clever by 'acquiring' Pixar in 2006. Their marketing paradigm has shifted from the art of quality animation to moving with trends and more specific target audiences; this being almost garishly demonstrated with the likes of "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical". By taking on Pixar, the branding and images of these wonderful characters are now apart of the Disney company (in fact, prior to production, Disneys terms meant that all the characters Pixar had produced were now property of Disney), and yet they can still continue to focus on glamorising popularity and modelling young boys with Antarctic-white teeth without considering their roots, unless involves their 8-year re-release schedule. Something went wrong somewhere, but the upshot is that Pixar have filled a void that Disney once had - forging some important lessons of life with undeniable entertainment, and all the more for adults as well as the kids.

If we are considering the medium at first, which is of course a Blu-Ray for this product, then you absolutely won't be disappointed. Toy Story 3 is by far and away one of the best High Def films I've watched to date and undoubtedly the most beautiful looking of the Toy Story saga. This is likely to be expected since it is a modern production, but we should also consider that the original Toy Story (1995), whilst looking sharper than ever in High Def, also reveals the older technology that produced the film. Toy Story 3, however, almost looks good enough to touch.One of the greater aspects visually is the use of colour, and its of course amazing to see how far Pixar have come in just 15 years. Every environment has its own specific colour timing; the grass and tree leaves pierce out of the TV, but most astonishing is the scene at the Waste Depot, where the small shards of metal seem to roll on endlessly as if each one was designed and rendered separately. Along with Disney's release of 'Fantasia' earlier this month, these two films would be the only demonstrations I would personally need for Blu-Ray technology. And thats without describing the lossless soundtrack that, as with every Pixar Blu-Ray, just fills the room with a wonderful dynamic range. During the 'Freak Out' scene where Ken models his clothing, the kick-drum sounded as if it was being hit in front of me.I'm holding back from talking too much about the film itself, given it has been talked of so much already. All I will say on this matter is that it does indeed take a different direction to the previous two films, but does so in such a way that is more bold. Toy Story 3 features more moral values and heart than its former films, and thats what won me over as it being the best of the trio. From a technical stand point, it is an entirely clever film from start to finish and manages to touch the hearts of viewers from all ages. The ending alone forced me to hold back the tears through gritted teeth!So, whats all this "Triple Play" and "Double Play" business? Its merely a confusing effort from Disney to encourage buyers to go for the Blu-Ray format. The "Double Play" edition of Toy Story 3 features 3 Discs;- 1 Blu-Ray [Feature Film]- 1 Blu-Ray [Bonus Content]- 1 DVD [Feature Film]Therefore, the product exists so you can watch the film in either Blu-Ray or DVD. If you've moved over to Blu-Ray, then the DVD is very handy for lending to friends or for back-up!This product is "Triple Play", which means that you not only get the 3 discs mentioned previously, but you get a forth disc that has a "Digital Copy" of the film. This 'Digital Copy' is neither a DVD nor a Blu-Ray; it is designed to be placed into your PC/Mac and imported into iTunes, where after the film has been copied from the disc, can be played from your computers hard drive, or best of all (if you actually watch films on-the-go), on iPods, iPads, iPhones, any iDevice or mobile device that supports a media player.The 'Digital Copy' is somewhat negotiable. For an extra two pounds and the fancier cover, I'm sure many will be tempted by this 'Triple Play' product because its the top of the line, but please think again. Will the 'Digital Copy' really come in handy for you? Because after all, every computer has a DVD drive, so for the sake of watching this film on a mobile device, the extra two quid can be argued.My personal opinion? Both PC's and Mac have software readily available that enables one to copy a film directly from a DVD to a computer. And its free... So i'm arguing that the 'Digital Copy' is somewhat a waste of a disc.In short, this has to be not just one of the films of the year, but also one of the Blu-Rays. The extra features are plentiful, the presentation is beautiful, and I couldn't be happier with the way the Toy Story saga has been wrapped up. Top marks to Pixar for continuing to make such wonderfully original films, but shame on Disney for taking most of the credit for these efforts when, quite frankly, their own films these days don't stand up anywhere near as tall.

£15 to 'own'/access a digital file is a rip off, but there you go. It's a lovely film.

One of the favourites

The end of an era (until they decided to make Toy Story 4!). TS3 is simply superb. Pixar have always been at the front of animation and they prove it time and again, and TS3 is no exception.It is funny and engaging for both kids and adults alike, (really we're all kids when we watch Toy Story). It has everything, thrills, spills, drama, comedy, and tragedy.Keep an eye out for easter eggs here and there, harping back to the earlier Toy Story films.This is one of my favourite all time animation films, 10/10

Love this film!

Good entertainment for the kids

Alright, I'm a fully grown male, but I could not stop bawling at the end of this film. Without spoilers, you'll soon see why.Every time I think Pixar's going to stumble with a film, they somehow produce something absolutely brilliant. If you have any love for the original Toy Story and can put up with Toy Story 2 being slightly weak, things get pulled around perfectly by the third (and final?) film.A great mix of firmly establishing the original characters, introducing a bunch of interesting new ones (Lotso the bear is awesome, someone give Ned Beatty a hell of a lot more work in future!) and really tightening up the animation (some of the sequences later on in the film are just jaw-dropping when you consider just how much rendering that lot must've taken).Utterly brilliant and a perfect christmas present