Toy Story 3 (2010)

Coming to a Happy Meal near you.

There is such a thing as a good kids’ film. Last year, Where the Wild Things Are and Fantastic Mr. Fox provided significant examples of how to make excellent children’s movies. So, how is it that the output of Pixar, Disney’s ground-breaking animation studio and darling of many highbrow film critics, leaves me so cold?

I should preface this by noting that I am yet to see Wall-E or Up, Pixar’s two most critically acclaimed productions to date. Still, considering the similarly gushing critical praise lavished upon Toy Story 3, I can’t help but wonder if there’s something I’m not getting.

Perhaps it comes down to how much worth you place on the technical. I can admire the immense amount of work that goes into these productions, and note the significant advances that have been made in animation techniques in a relatively short time; in the same way, I can appreciate the special effects of a Hollywood blockbuster for what they are. Yet, for me, these are peripheral concerns in comparison with a film’s entertainment value, complexity or worth as a work of art. Under these criteria, Toy Story 3, like The Incredibles and Finding Nemo, strikes me as another fairly mediocre studio production.

One of Disney’s most frustrating aspects tends to be the absolutist morality that pervades practically all of its children’s films. Thus, in Toy Story 3 we are once again presented with heroes and villains; the latter, as in any Disney film, completely incapable of any sort of redemption. It’s almost as if the Hays Code were still in place: the ‘bad’ character must suffer for his past wrongs, and thus will inexplicably prove his wickedness in several climactic scenes in order to justify his inevitable comeuppance. Not only does it make for poorly developed characterisations, it’s a tactic that treats the audience with a certain degree of contempt.

The inclusion of ‘Barbie’ as a character also raises eyebrows. While one would think that this particularly dubious child’s toy, active promoter of body fascism and sexist gender roles that it is, might warrant a little bit of satire – but no, the character’s portrayal turns out to be far more homage than parody. Needless to say, Mattel would not have assented to anything but a positive portrayal of their product – which is not to imply that Pixar necessarily had any contrary intentions, but serves to highlight the creative drawbacks inherent in this kind of brand-subservient cinema.

Some will contend that a kids’ movie should be immune from political or ideological criticism. I disagree. Given the greater vulnerability of a young audience to brainwashing, I would argue that films like this should be scrutinised more thoroughly as opposed to less so. Indeed, I have often wondered if the cartoonish morality promoted by the Bush administration could be sourced to a population raised on popular media like Disney (and its constantly reiterated good/evil dichotomy). As a whole, media like this can make a powerful contribution to the process of socialisation, and it would be naive to argue otherwise.

On face value, Toy Story 3 isn’t a terrible film. Apart from a rather quaint reliance on ethnic stereotypes and gay jokes for humour, it does have some genuinely amusing moments. On the most part, it’s a fun, if not particularly challenging, kids’ movie, and even carries a few vaguely positive messages about loyalty and leaving childhood behind. This being the case, is the above criticism unduly harsh?

Perhaps, but it needs to be said. At the time of writing, Toy Story 3 sits at number 8 on the IMDB top 250 of all time. While it is inadvisable to take that list too seriously, it does suggest that a vast number of adult viewers have given the film very high ratings. Most film critics’ reviews have followed a similar pattern.

Is it really possible for so many people to be wrong? I have to wonder if this kind of fawning reaction can be at least partially explained by the lacklustre, unimaginative fare that has come to define mainstream American cinema. It seems as if viewers are clinging onto every barely-tolerable film as a validation of the movie-going experience, when the products (in most cases sequels, remakes or simply turgid rubbish) are struggling to justify the ritual. For better or for worse, I’ve come to expect a little more from cinema than this.

Directed by Lee Unkrich
Starring Tom Hanks (voice), Tim Allen (voice)

RATING:
★ ★

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