The third instalment of Pixar’s landmark series promises laughs – and tears. By Raven Snook
 

It’s been 11 years since Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the gang last romped onscreen, and during that time fans of the first two Toy Story flicks have grown up and started families of their own – as have the creators of the series. “Most of us [at Pixar] were in our twenties when Toy Story 1 and 2 [came out],” says the director of the third film, Lee Unkrich, whose 15-year history with the studio includes co-directing gigs on Finding Nemo and TS2. “Now many of us are married and raising kids, so that’s had an impact on the stories we want to tell.”

Inspired by the theme of maturing, Toy Story 3 finds Andy, the owner of the playthings crew, leaving for college, and his mother donating his toys to a daycare. Industry bigwigs who’ve seen an incomplete version of the movie have reportedly been moved to tears. Unkrich isn’t surprised by their reaction. “The film is very emotional in a way that the first two weren’t,” he says.

Like all Pixar fare, TS3 appeals to viewers of all ages. Preschoolers will coo over the characters, especially newbie Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear. Tweens will love the comedy, like Ken and Barbie meeting cute. And teens and parents will be affected by Andy’s journey.

Although Unkrich says they “took great pains” to make the movie stand on its own, he admits that TS3 “will probably have the most impact if you’ve seen the others. I thought of this film as part of a larger story split over three movies.”

As for whether this will be the final instalment... “Anything could happen in the future,” says Unkrich. To quote Buzz, we fans say: “To infinity... and beyond!”

A self-professed movie geek, Unkrich – who regularly updates his 80,000+ Twitter followers on Toy Story 3’s progress – shares a bit about his own Hollywood story.

On deciding to become a filmmaker:
“My mom took me to see lots and lots of movies when I was growing up, probably more than most kids. But my father was a fine artist, so I thought that was what I was going to do with my life, too. Somewhere in high school I started thinking about filmmaking as a career. The Shining, actually, was the pivotal film for me. It made me fall in love with the idea of making movies. There are actually a handful of Shining references in TS3. They’re very obscure, though, so parents need not worry. Some of them may never be discovered.”

On joining Pixar:
“I had a weird journey that brought me to Pixar. While I always appreciated animation, I’m not an animator. I came from a traditional live-action background. In fact, I’m the first non-animator to direct a film at the studio.”

On helming TS3 without franchise creator John Lasseter:
“To be honest, I think people who are big Pixar fans are aware of the fact that John directed the first two movies and not the third. But most people in the world don’t know that. They’re just looking forward to a new TS installment, regardless of who’s making it. John was involved throughout the making of the film, so he’s very much a part of it. In fact, John, Andrew [Stanton, TS1 and 2 co-screenwriter] and I came up with the story, and [Little Miss Sunshine scribe] Michael Arndt wrote the screenplay.”

On his children:
“My kids are 12, ten and five. I never thought I’d have three children. I’m an only child, so every day is a new adventure. We have a crazy dynamic in my house. They’re excited about me finishing the film because they’ll get me back again! It’s been all-consuming for the last four years. I definitely think my kids influenced the movie. Just having kids and living with kids brings a lot of truth to the storytelling. I personally haven’t gone through the experience of having my kids go off to college, but that’s just around the corner. My daughter’s going to be in high school next year, and I feel like we just brought her home from the hospital, so I know that college is just a hiccup away. Time goes fast, and we explore a lot of those feelings in the movie.”

Toy Story 3 opens July 15. See the Review here.