Film Review: TOY STORY 3 (2010) – [3rd Re-watch]

Director: Lee Unkrich
Writers (Story): John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich
Writer (Screenplay): Michael Arndt
Running time: 103 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): U

Genre: Animation/Comedy/Drama
UK Release date: 19^th July 2010

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 19^th August 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

NOTE: What follows is my original review of the film when I first saw it in July 2010 with a few additions. It recently showed again on TV and I must love this film a lot because I felt I should see it yet again (for the second time this year!). Fortunately my opinion has not changed, hence yet another repeat outing for this review (with a couple of alterations). It was good to watch it in the privacy of my own home because there was something in my eye towards the end and there was a handy box of tissues nearby… Hope you enjoy the review.

-o0o-

The toys are back for their third outing. And as the 3D debate rages on I took the high ground and stuck to the supposedly outmoded two dimensions for this one. After all that’s exactly the number of dimensions the screen has. But enough of this I hear you say, tell me more about the film.

Andy is growing up fast and is on his way to college soon. He has not played with his toys in quite a while and, quite frankly, they’re worried. With talk of the attic, and even worse, the trash, even Woody is getting apprehensive. Andy’s mum tells him to sort out his room, things for the attic, things to go to college with him and things to go out for the trash. His sister Molly also gets a box to put toys in to donate to the Sunnyside day-care centre (yes I know I used the English spelling, I’m English, what can I say?). By some mix-up all of Andy’s toys end up in the donation box, I won’t say how because I don’t want to spoil it. All seems very pleasant when they arrive. They are greeted by a bear called Lotso who is very nice to them, but all is not what it seems at Sunnyside. I think that’s enough of the plot to whet your appetite. You wouldn’t forgive me if I gave too much away would you and those Spoiler Police (Toys Division) are really strict these days.

As we have come to expect from Pixar, this is an exceptionally well made film with a great plot, endearing characters, lots of adventure, comedy and one or two tear-jerking moments along the way. I also have to give a mention to Randy Newman whose songs throughout the series have been tremendous, always fitting the mood perfectly, there’s even a Spanish number this time around! Great work, as ever, from the voice talents of, Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Ned Beatty as Lotso, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Michael Keaton as Ken, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenberger as Hamm, Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head, John Morris as Andy and Jodi Benson as Barbie.

Everything from the exciting opening sequence to the rather poignant ending works so perfectly. There are some great moments, like when Ken met Barbie for the first time, Mr. Potato Head as a tortilla and Buzz Lightyear in Spanish mode has to be seen to be believed! I really enjoyed this film and really engaged with the characters I know so well for the previous two films and found myself quite choked at the end. All three films have been tremendous and I really hope they don’t make a fourth, finish on a high guys!

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My score: 9.3/10

IMDb Score: 8.5/10 (based on 229,809 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0435761/

MetaScore: 92/100: (Based on 39 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 99/100 (based on 252 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 91/100 (based on 286,431 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/toy_story_3/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
[Mr. Potato Head, portraying One-Eyed Bart, jumps out of a train while carrying money sacks]
Mr. Potato Head: [laughs evilly] Ah, ha ha ha! Money, money, money!
[Woody lassoes a rope to grab the money from Mr. Potato Head's hands, then trips him]
Woody: You've got a date with justice, One-Eyed Bart!
Mr. Potato Head: Too bad, Sheriff! I'm a married man!
[Mrs. Potato Head jumps onto the train, giving karate yells]
Woody: One-Eyed Betty?
[Mrs. Potato Head chases Woody across the train tops, then uses nunchucks to knock him off. As the Potato Heads look and laugh evilly, Woody suddenly reappears, riding Bullseye with Jessie]
Jessie: I think you dropped something, mister!
Mr. Potato Head: Jessie?
Woody: Give it up, Bart! You've reached the end of the line!
Mr. Potato Head: I always wanted to go out with a bang!
[Mr. Potato Head presses a button on a remote, causing dynamite to blow up the bridge]
Jessie: Oh, no!
Woody: The orphans!
[cut to a group of Troll dolls riding the train]
Mr. Potato Head: Hate to leave early, but our ride is here!
[Three aliens drive up in a pink Barbie Corvette]
Aliens: Ooh!
Mr. Potato Head: It's me or the kiddies, Sheriff! Take your pick!
[the Potato Heads jump into the convertible and drive off]
Woody: Ride like the wind, Bullseye!

Buzz Lightyear: Hold on, this is no time to be hysterical!
Hamm the Piggy Bank: This is the perfect time to be hysterical.
Rex the Green Dinosaur: Should we be HYSTERICAL?
Slinky Dog: No!
Mr. Potato Head: Yes!
Buzz Lightyear: Maybe! But not right now!
Hamm the Piggy Bank: C'mon. Let's go see how much we're going for on eBay.

Lotso: Ken? New toys!
Ken: Far out! Down in a jiff, Lotso.
[goes down the elevator]
Ken: So, who's ready for Ken's dream tour?
Lotso: Let's show our new friends where they'll be staying!
Ken: Uh, folks, if you'll just want to step right this way...
[he sees Barbie]
Ken: Hi, I'm Ken.
Barbie: Barbie. Have we ever met?
Ken: I would have remembered.
[she laughs]
Ken: Love your leg warmers!
Barbie: Nice ascot!
Lotso: Come on, Ken, recess don't last forever.
Ken: Right on, Lotso. This way everybody.
Lotso: Got a lot to look forward to, folks. The little ones love new toys.
Buzz Lightyear: What a nice bear!
Rex the Green Dinosaur: And he smells like strawberries.
Woody: Ugh.

[last lines]
Woody: So long... partner.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site (US): http://disney.go.com/toystory/
Official Site (UK): http://www.disney.co.uk/toy-story/#characters
Trailer:

Film Review: THE OTHER GUYS (2010)

Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Adam McKay, Chris Henchy
Running time: 107 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Action/Comedy/Crime
UK Release date: 17^th September 2010

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 6^th May 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

You know how sometimes you’re not too sure if you’ll like a particular film, but then you listen to all the talk about it and decide to watch it anyway. About twenty minutes in you realise you were right to have doubts in the first place… but now you’re committed. Well that’s just how it occurred with this extremely disappointing pile of fetid dingo’s kidneys of a movie. They say there’s a ‘six laugh rule’ with comedies; i.e. if you don’t laugh six times or more whilst watching it, it’s not funny. Well, one brief smile is all this got from me and that was a sight gag involving a kid sliding about on the back seat of a police car… not a good omen. Well, I think I’ve held you in suspense long enough, here’s a brief summary before I really rip into it.

When hero New York cops P.K. Highsmith and Christopher Danson are accidently killed in the line of duty by jumping off a 20 storey building (yes, it IS THAT stupid), the other cops in the department are immediately in competition to take up the mantle. Amongst them are Allen Gamble, a forensic accountant, and Terry Hoitz, a regular cop who feels he has to prove himself. Terry makes no secret of the fact that he doesn’t like his partner and has to go to the extreme of kidnapping him just to get him out of the office. By some contrivance they latch on to the case of a British businessman, David Ershon, who is planning on defrauding a lot of people to cover up an even bigger loss. As you can imagine, from here on its all car chases and the usual buddy movie stuff (I won’t bore you with the details).

Quite well made with some nice stunt work in the car chase scenes and some decent cinematography in the outdoor scenes. Performance-wise, the pick of the bunch (for me) were; Mark Wahlberg as Terry Hoitz, Michael Keaton, underused (IMO) as Captain Gene Mauch and Steve Coogan as David Ershon. Also worthy of note were; Will Ferrell as Allen Gamble, Eva Mendes as Dr. Sheila Gamble and nice cameo’s from Samuel L. Jackson as P.K. Highsmith and Dwayne Johnson as Christopher Danson.

There are many things that let this movie down, not least is the dialogue, it’s terrible! I can’t remember when I’ve watched a film where a joke is performed and then explained afterwards! It has a 12 certificate here in the UK and (I guess) if I was twelve I might have found it funny(ish), but I’m not and it most certainly wasn’t. If you want a decent cop based comedy/drama then I can recommend any of the ‘Lethal Weapon’ films, they are SO much better than this, which most definitely does not get my vote!... NOT Recommended.

My score: 4.3/10

IMDb Score: 6.6/10 (based on 76,191 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1386588/

MetaScore: 64/100: (Based on 35 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 79/100 (based on 191 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 57/100 (based on 137,002 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/other_guys/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Captain Gene Mauch: You know what, I'm going to hang onto the wooden gun.
Allen Gamble: To give me back my real gun?
Captain Gene Mauch: No. I'm going to give you this... It's a rape whistle. You blow that if you're in any trouble, and someone with an actual gun will come and help you out.
[Quietly blows the whistle]

Terry Hoitz: What is this?
Allen Gamble: It’s my car, it’s a Prius.
Terry Hoitz: I feel like we're literally driving around in a vagina.

Dirty Mike: How you fellas doin'? We about to have us a little screw party in this red Prius over here if you wanna join us.
Allen Gamble: Hey, are you Dirty Mike and the Boys?
Dirty Mike: How you know who we are?
Allen Gamble: You left a note in that car!
Terry Hoitz: [shows his badge] Police, shithead.
Dirty Mike: He's a copper, we gotta go. C'mon! Hey, grease it, boys! They're cops!
[He and the Boys run off]
Allen Gamble: You turned my beautiful Prius into a nightmare!
Dirty Mike: We are gonna have sex in your car! It will happen again!

Fosse: Hope you like prison food... and penis.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/catalog/catalogDetail_DVD043396365346.html
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otherguysmovie
Trailer:

Film Review: TOY STORY 3 (2010) – [2nd Re-watch]

Director: Lee Unkrich
Writers (Story): John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich
Writer (Screenplay): Michael Arndt
Running time: 103 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): U

Genre: Animation/Comedy/Drama
UK Release date: 19^th July 2010

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 29^th April 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

NOTE: What follows is my original review of the film when I first saw it in July 2010 with a few additions. It recently showed again on TV and I must love this film a lot because I felt I should see it yet again. Fortunately my opinion has not changed, hence the repeat outing for this review (with additions, oh, and I upped the score a bit too). It was good to watch it in the privacy of my own home because there was something in my eye towards the end and there was a handy box of tissues nearby… Hope you enjoy the review.

-o0o-

The toys are back for their third outing. And as the 3D debate rages on I took the high ground and stuck to the supposedly outmoded two dimensions for this one. After all that’s exactly the number of dimensions the screen has. But enough of this I hear you say, tell me more about the film.

Andy is growing up fast and is on his way to college soon. He has not played with the toys in quite a while and, quite frankly, they’re worried. With talk of the attic, and even worse, the trash, even Woody is getting apprehensive. Andy’s mum tells him to sort out his room, things for the attic, things to go to college with him and things to go out for the trash. His sister Molly also gets a box to put toys in to donate to the Sunnyside day-care centre (yes I know I used the English spelling, I’m English, what can I say?). By some mix-up all of Andy’s toys end up in the donation box, I won’t say how because I don’t want to spoil it. All seems very pleasant when they arrive. They are greeted by a bear called Lotso who is very nice to them, but all is not what it seems at Sunnyside. I think that’s enough of the plot to whet your appetite. You wouldn’t forgive me if I gave too much away would you and those Spoiler Police (Toys Division) are really strict these days.

As we have come to expect from Pixar, this is an exceptionally well made film with a great plot, endearing characters, lots of adventure, comedy and one or two tear-jerking moments along the way. I also have to give a mention to Randy Newman whose songs throughout the series have been tremendous, always fitting the mood perfectly, there’s even a Spanish number this time around! Great work, as ever, from the voice talents of, Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Ned Beatty as Lotso, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Michael Keaton as Ken, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenberger as Hamm, Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head, John Morris as Andy and Jodi Benson as Barbie.

There are some great moments, like when Ken met Barbie for the first time, Mr. Potato Head as a tortilla and Buzz Lightyear in Spanish mode has to be seen to be believed! I really enjoyed this film, I really engaged with the characters I know so well for the previous two films and found myself quite choked at the end. All three films have been tremendous and I really hope they don’t make a fourth, finish on a high guys! Over all, highly recommended.

My score: 9.3/10

IMDb Score: 8.5/10 (based on 205,628 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0435761/

MetaScore: 92/100: (Based on 39 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 99/100 (based on 253 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 91/100 (based on 286,431 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/toy_story_3/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
[Mr. Potato Head, portraying One-Eyed Bart, jumps out of a train while carrying money sacks]
Mr. Potato Head: [laughs evily] Ah, ha ha ha! Money, money, money!
[Woody lassoes a rope to grab the money from Mr. Potato Head's hands, then trips him]
Woody: You've got a date with justice, One-Eyed Bart!
Mr. Potato Head: Too bad, Sheriff! I'm a married man!
[Mrs. Potato Head jumps onto the train, giving karate yells]
Woody: One-Eyed Betty?
[Mrs. Potato Head chases Woody across the train tops, then uses nunchucks to knock him off. As the Potato Heads look and laugh evily, Woody suddenly reappears, riding Bullseye with Jessie]
Jessie: I think you dropped something, mister!
Mr. Potato Head: Jessie?
Woody: Give it up, Bart! You've reached the end of the line!
Mr. Potato Head: I always wanted to go out with a bang!
[Mr. Potato Head presses a button on a remote, causing dynamite to blow up the bridge]
Jessie: Oh, no!
Woody: The orphans!
[cut to a group of Troll dolls riding the train]
Mr. Potato Head: Hate to leave early, but our ride is here!
[Three aliens drive up in a pink Barbie Corvette]
Aliens: Ooh!
Mr. Potato Head: It's me or the kiddies, Sheriff! Take your pick!
[the Potato Heads jump into the convertible and drive off]
Woody: Ride like the wind, Bullseye!

Buzz Lightyear: Hold on, this is no time to be hysterical!
Hamm the Piggy Bank: This is the perfect time to be hysterical.
Rex the Green Dinosaur: Should we be HYSTERICAL?
Slinky Dog: No!
Mr. Potato Head: Yes!
Buzz Lightyear: Maybe! But not right now!
Hamm the Piggy Bank: C'mon. Let's go see how much we're going for on eBay.

Lotso: Ken? New toys!
Ken: Far out! Down in a jiff, Lotso.
[goes down the elevator]
Ken: So, who's ready for Ken's dream tour?
Lotso: Let's show our new friends where they'll be staying!
Ken: Uh, folks, if you'll just want to step right this way...
[he sees Barbie]
Ken: Hi, I'm Ken.
Barbie: Barbie. Have we ever met?
Ken: I would have remembered.
[she laughs]
Ken: Love your leg wamers!
Barbie: Nice ascot!
Lotso: Come on, Ken, recess don't last forever.
Ken: Right on, Lotso. This way everybody.
Lotso: Got a lot to look forward to, folks. The little ones love new toys.
Buzz Lightyear: What a nice bear!
Rex the Green Dinosaur: And he smells like strawberries.
Woody: Ugh.

[last lines]
Woody: So long... partner.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site (US): http://disney.go.com/toystory/
Official Site (UK): http://www.disney.co.uk/toy-story/#characters
Trailer:

Film Review: TOY STORY 3 (2010) – [Rewatch]

Director: Lee Unkrich
Running time: 103 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): U

Genre: Animation/Comedy/Drama
UK Release date: 19^th July 2010

Watched on Sky+ Thursday 2^nd June 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

NOTE: What follows is my original review of the film when I first saw it in July last year (2010). It recently premiered on TV and I felt I should see it again. Fortunately my opinion has not changed, hence the repeat outing for this review. It was good to watch it in the privacy of my own home because I got something in my eye towards the end and there was a handy box of tissues nearby… Hope you enjoy the review.

-o0o-

The toys are back for their third outing. And as the 3D debate rages on I took the high ground and stuck to the supposedly outmoded two dimensions for this one. After all that’s exactly the number of dimensions the screen has. But enough of this I hear you say, tell me more about the film.

Andy is growing up fast and is on his way to college soon. He has not played with the toys in quite a while and, quite frankly, they’re worried. With talk of the attic, and even worse, the trash, even Woody is getting apprehensive. Andy’s mum tells him to sort out his room, things for the attic, things to go to college with him and things to go out for the trash. His sister Molly also gets a box to put toys in to donate to the Sunnyside day-care centre (yes I know I used the English spelling, I’m English, what can I say?). By some mix-up all of Andy’s toys end up in the donation box, I won’t say how because I don’t want to spoil it. All seems very pleasant when they arrive. They are greeted by a bear called Lotso who is very nice to them, but all is not what it seems at Sunnyside. I think that’s enough of the plot to whet your appetite. You wouldn’t forgive me if I gave too much away would you.

As we have come to expect from Pixar, this is an exceptionally well made film with a great plot, endearing characters, lots of adventure, comedy and one or two tear-jerking moments along the way. Great work, as ever, from the voice talents of, Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Ned Beatty as Lotso, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Michael Keaton as Ken, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenberger as Hamm, Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head, John Morris as Andy and Jodi Benson as Barbie.

There are some great moments, like when Ken met Barbie for the first time, Mr. Potato Head as a tortilla and Buzz Lightyear in Spanish mode has to be seen to be believed! I really enjoyed this film, I really engaged with the characters I know so well for the previous two films and found myself quite choked at the end. All three films have been tremendous and I really hope they don’t make a fourth, finish on a high guys! Over all, highly recommended.

My score: 8.7/10

LINKS:
(RT=Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0435761/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/toy_story_3/
Official Site: http://disney.go.com/toystory/
Trailer:

Film Review: BEETLE JUICE (1988)

Director: Tim Burton
Running time: 92 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 19th August 1988

Watched on DVD Sunday 31st May 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I know this is a pretty old film, but believe it or not, I had never seen it before. It’s one of those that somehow managed to escape me. I’ve seen bits and pieces of it when it’s been on TV, but this is the first time I’ve sat down and watched it all the way through. I’ll admit to being a bit of a fan of Tim Burton’s work over the years and so I was keen to have a look at this one.

Adam and Barbara Maitland Live in a beautiful country house that they have decorated themselves. When they die in an accident they return to the house as ghosts. To their horror, the house is bought by a couple from New York, Charles and Delia Deetz, who move in with Charles’ daughter Lydia. Delia considers herself an artist and, with the help of her friend Otho, proceeds to re-model the house. The Maitland’s are now really distressed, what with coming to terms with being dead as well, it’s all proving a bit much. Lydia can see the ghosts and, after talking for a while, the Maitland’s take a liking to her. Help is at hand in the guise of the crazy spirit known as Beetlejuice. But the Maitland’s, at first try to scare the Deetz family away themselves. This all goes wrong when they are enthralled by their efforts and want more! Can Beetlejuice save the day? Guess you’ll have to watch it to find out.

Although it looks quite dated by today’s standards, this is unmistakably a Tim Burton film. A lot of stop-motion animation is used for the special effects which reminded me of the much later Corpse Bride from 2005. Decent performances from all of the main cast, Alec Baldwin as Adam Maitland, Geena Davis as Barbara Maitland, Catherine O'Hara as Delia Deetz, Jeffrey Jones as Charles Deetz, Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz and Glenn Shadix as Otho. And, of course, a special mention for Michael Keaton who was great as the mad-cap Beetlejuice.

A pretty entertaining film with some nice touches. It looks a little dated now but it still works. It has the unmistakable mark of Tim Burton and will always be synonymous with Michael Keaton’s portrayal of the over-the-top Beetlejuice. Over all, good stuff, if a little dated: Recommended.

My score: 6.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0094721/
Official Site: N/A
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi2800222489/