Review: Toy Story 3

Woody, Buzz and friends are back for their final and enigmatic performance in Toy Story 3.

We grew up. They couldn’t

Toy Story 3

Director: Lee Unkrich

Voiced by: Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Robbins (Buzz Lightyear), Joan Cusack (Jessie) and Ned Beatty (Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear)

Rating: ****

It is rather with an allusion that Toy Story 3 succeeds as a realm of childhood fantasies. Whether it is the pre-title sequence or the play put up by Bonnie, the animated girl who tries to act shy, Toy Story 3 definitely succeeds in terms of reminding you of your toys. I was very much reminded of my G.I. Joes. The humans in the film grow up while the toys still pretend to see them in the same light.

But, with a succumbed charm, Woody and Buzz Lightyear return for their last dance and the two characters do a pretty good job. Voiced by Tom Hanks and Tim Robbins, the two toys hold the key to the life of the Toy Story trilogy. It is Woody’s “Phone Home” struggle and Lightyear’s defiant character mode that fuels the movie throughout. When you find Toy Story 3 to be less satisfactory near the end, the filmmaker launches Lightyear’s Spanish mode. I tell you, even Ace Ventura wouldn’t have made me laugh like the way I did to Lightyear’s Spanish mode.

The climax shows the toys ending up in a landfill where they are about to be galloped by an incinerator. As the toys accept their imminent demise and join hands in a dramatic scene, no one would have come to a conclusion that toys are eternal pieces of plastic. But, Lee Unkrich, the director of this dramatic marvel, gives you the right kind of move and no wonder you’d be drenched with tears. It is of strange nature that these animated films about plastic pieces of junk, rusting robots, a sewer rat and even a small fish in a big sea invoke more emotions and move people deeply. Yes, I agree, much like other grown men, I did shed a tear or two. It’s because this fifteen year old saga comes to an end and what an end this is!

For once, I believe that second sequels do actually work the charm of the original. Toy Story 3 with its deftly blending comedy definitely does.

Review: Angels & Demons

Vittoria Vetra and Robert Langdon run around Rome in Ron Howard’s Angels and Demons

ANTICIPATIONS & DECEPTIONS

Angels & Demons (PG-13)

Director: Ron Howard

Cast: Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer, Ewan Mc Gregor

Rating: *

Ron Howard is known for a talent. No, we’re not talking about filmmaking, we’re talking about deception. He can easily deceive the viewer into enjoying the movie. His technical team helps a lot in this area of context. Perhaps, he should’ve read the book before making it into a film. Well, I guess book reading wasn’t his talent after all. We’re talking of the deceptions which make us sit through and watch his latest offering – Angels & Demons. Yes, the book by Dan Brown who wrote The Da Vinci Code which was previously made into a film by the former.

The film offers you sheer entertainment throughout. Ron Howard has made sure that Robert Langdon doesn’t turn into a superhero and perform godly things as he did in the novel. Hence, he saves the day. But, he still ruins the day with an unclear detail whether the antagonist in the film was a religious terrorist. Visual Effects save the day again. The imagery of the antimatter is sensational. However, it is again a notice that Ron Howard pulls up another large crowd in front of the Vatican church. The story starts pretty dull and turns a little exciting which again turns dull and thanks to the effervescent twist in the tale, the film ends with dual climaxes. The first was what we thought would be and the second was what Ron Howard’s deception has made.

The story has a few changes from the book – Langdon is summoned to the Vatican City where he works with Swiss Guard helps unravel four yet-to-be-done executions. He is also informed that the religious terrorist has stolen the antimatter from Switzerland and regarding this, CERN specialist Vittoria has also come to the Vatican land and will assist him and shower us with her rigid smile and quaint beauty. The story moves at breakneck speed till a couple of murders put the brakes and bring in the unnecessary slowness. How Langdon solves the mystery and finds the antimatter forms the story. Also in this story is Carmelengo Patrick Mc Kenna who provides them with the necessary dialogues that dampen their spirits and help music composer Hans Zimmer bring the sad violins.

The film has no humour. Yes, that’s right. The film is too focused on its plot that it doesn’t give way for the humour The Da Vinci Code had contained. Nevertheless to say, Tom Hanks does his best in bringing Robert Langdon to life. Ayelet Zurer, the Israeli beauty who portrays Vittoria has also done her best. Ewan McGregor stuns the audience as the Carmelengo.

Ron Howard as I said is a master of deception. How? The Carmelengo portrayed by Ewan McGregor loses his acting skills and blabbers at several points. Well, these points are then put together and we see the Carmelengo playing the game very well. Hans Zimmer returns with the Robert Langdon Theme and very much to our surprise, we have his sinful violins playing a riot.

Angels & Demons fills us with Anticipations and Deceptions. We get highly anticipated to see the visuals of Vatican Rome while we’re deceived to watch an action replay of the Ron Howard-type dramas. Angels & Demons is a movie filled with splendid visuals. However, it fails to impress one’s mind as a captivating drama.