Toy Story 3 | SpoutBlog

Toy Story 3 Trailer: We Keep Getting Older and They Stay the Same Age. Today in Film Bloggery 10/12/09

By Christopher Campbell posted 1 month ago

The last line of the new Toy Story 3 trailer speaks to my usual fear with sequels. “Return of the Astro-Nut,” says Hamm the piggy bank, referring to the fact that the pompous, delusional Buzz Lightyear of the beginning of the first movie is back in a kind of amnesia-induced excuse for recycled plot and humor. Only now he’s speaking in Spanish, so it’s different. I guess.

But when it comes to this franchise, just as when it comes to toys, familiarity and the revisiting of the past is completely acceptable. It’s part of their point. And so, even though the concept of these lovable characters being left behind and/or discarded seems a rehashing of Toy Story 2, you have no reason to believe this is going to be a lesser movie than its predecessors.

Maybe it’s just that I recently had the experience of going through boxes of old toys at my mom’s house as she packed up to move out. And I couldn’t help playing with some old favorites, fondly thinking back to the innocent years, and taking some toys back to my apartment with me in order to forget just how old I’m getting.

In addition to the nostalgia and familiarity, though, this threequel already has me thinking what the whole movie will have me contemplating more fully (and more depressedly): we all get older and eventually die, while the toys junk remains, immortal. Wait, is Toy Story 3 a prequel to Wall-E?

Check out what other film bloggers are saying about the trailer, and maybe about the circle of life, after the jump:
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Mild Excitement from the Disney Expo. Today in Film Bloggery 09/11/09

By Christopher Campbell posted 2 months ago

Disney probably should have saved its Marvel acquisition news for this week’s big D23 Expo (”The Ultimate Disney Fan Experience”), because nothing announced at the event could possibly top it. Plus, many of us would rather now hear about Disney’s plans for the comic company’s film adaptations instead of plot details on Toy Story 3 and Cars 2 and a title reveal for the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean installment. The fact that Guillermo Del Toro’s secret “D” project ended up being just some animation production company rather than a Deadman movie doesn’t help fanboy reactions, either.

Still, I was glad to hear that the screening of the first 30 minutes of The Princess and the Frog was well received. I’m also grateful for comedian Paul Scheer for this image of a robot Abe Lincoln. Although it’s probably just a relic from the Halls of Presidents exhibit at Disneyland, I’ll be dreaming tonight of the Lincoln film I wish Steven Spielberg would make.

Oh, and umm, any update on the next Muppet movie is obviously going to put a smile on my face. Presumably this is the Jason Segal project we’ve been excited about for 18 months now. And it’s title is: The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made. Hopefully this means Gonzo will be directing and that it will therefore be as silly as possible.

Check out the other film blog reactions to the D23 announcements after the jump:

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Toy Story 3 Trailer Teases Perfectly. Today in Film Bloggery 05/29/09

By Christopher Campbell posted 6 months ago

After yesterday’s look at misguided viral marketing, it’s actually refreshing to spotlight a teaser trailer, especially one that presents us with nothing of the movie its advertising. Really, this is all we could ever need as far as marketing goes for Toy Story 3. We’ve got an enjoyable skit featuring all the familiar characters, a release date and, most importantly, no spoilers. I’m guessing this teaser is being shown with screenings of Up, which means it might actually be 3D where applicable. And that makes me excited, knowing we finally get to see our favorite animated toys in this format. Can anyone verify, and tell us what it’s like to see Woody, Buzz and the rest in 3D?

Take a look at what the rest of the web is saying about the trailer (and watch the thing) after the jump:

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