Toy Story 3 (2010)

It's no surprise that Pixar animation studios pretty much has a monopoly on the world of animated films. Each year they release a film that is even more successful than the previous year and they don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Dare I say that Disney might of went down if it wasn't for Pixar. So when I heard stories about a third entry in the Toy Story series, honestly, I wasn't all that excited. Then I saw the teaser trailer and, still, no excitement. However, every one else seemed to be excited about it. Don't get me wrong, I did love the first two. I just didn't see a reason for a third one and when I saw the actual theatrical trailer I was underwhelmed.

Toy Story 3 is a film directed by Lee Unkrich and stars the voice talents of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles, Michael Keaton, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, Jodi Benson, John Morris, and Laurie Metcalf. This film picks up ten years after the last one and now sees Andy, 17, bound for college. This sort of creates a crisis for the toys because now their future is uncertain. They are donated to a daycare called Sunnyside with new adventures to have and presumably to start a new chapter in their lives. The idea of always having kids to play with them for years and years is very strong plot point and a very valid reason for these toys to want to be there. After realizing that Sunnyside isn't what it seems, Woody and Buzz, along with the other toys, plan an escape that results in one of the biggest adventures in Pixar's lineup of films. That's the plot in a nutshell in fear of giving too much away.

Much to my surprise, I was completely blown away by this film. This is a five star animated film in every respect and I have to say that it could be one of Pixar's BEST. I should've never doubted Pixar for a moment. It's very rare for an animated film to make me emote and that's exactly what happened here. I laughed, I nearly cried, and was on the edge of my seat in the film's final moments. It was like going to a reunion where you expect the worst but it turns out to be the best time you've had in a while with people you love. These characters have been with us for fifteen years and I fell in love with them all over again and was reminded of why I loved them so much to begin with. These characters are as timeless as the story that's being told here and it was fun to spend time with old friends.

I'm amazed at what Pixar has done here. Every little detail is accounted for and fleshed out. Completely authentic in it's approach, there's a scene near the beginning where we see home videos of Andy growing up as Randy Newman's classic song "You've Got A Friend In Me" plays on. Brilliance. Years have gone by so the toys have wear and tear on them and it's so authentic and so real, that you can't help but admire it. They've really done their homework and have crafted a story that is heartfelt and very human. The validity of the human condition in this animated film surpasses any live action film that I've seen lately and that is both great and sad. The emotions on their faces are priceless and real. It goes to show you that animated films have come a long way and they are now in position to challenge live action film. They even pushed the boundaries in this film and actually went to a VERY dark place that I didn't even expect. All I will tell you is that the scene I'm referring to, takes place in a landfill and it's the one scene that, when you see it, you'll see the most human moment in the entire film. The fact that the filmmakers weren't afraid to go to a dark place and took that risk was both gratifying and refreshing.

Another thing that Pixar has done here with Toy Story 3 is that they managed to seamlessly put us back into this world that they created fifteen years ago. The dialogue is sharper, better, and wittier than ever and the film manages to cater to the most general of audiences. Adults and kids alike will cherish this film. There were moments when I thought, wow, this is very well written and whoever wrote this deserves some sort of award. It's even more relevant than it was fifteen years ago when we were first charmed by Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and friends. There was even a new song recorded by Randy Newman entitled "We Belong Together" which strongly captures the whole theme of this new story.

I strongly recommend this film for any age group. The message it sends is as timeless as the characters themselves which is, you can always get by with a little help from your friends. Never have I seen an animated film, besides "Up", that manages to capture the human condition and challenges it's live action counterparts. It was endearing and heartfelt and will bring out the kid in all of you. Toy Story 3 is now playing in theaters everywhere and I have included a trailer just in case you've been in a cave for the past year.

Sex And The City 2 (2010)

Sex And The City is a franchise that you either love or you hate. It started out as a ground breaking show on HBO and at the time no one was doing anything like that on TV. Then the series ended in 2004. Four years later, a film version of the show was made and the fans devoured it making it on the most successful films of the summer of 2008. It even beat out "Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull" in the box office. The characters are now more fleshed out and more evolved and even though these aren't the same characters from the show, they still manage to keep the magic alive by being taboo. The headlines and critics are a flutter about this new installment and truth be told, that's what makes Sex And The City what it is. It's always causing a stir.

Now, before I get into what I think will be a VERY lengthy review I have to say a few things. Yes, I am a HUGE fan of Sex And The City. I own the entire series on DVD and the first film on Blu Ray. I have watched all the commentaries on the selected episodes and the film. I've known these characters for ten years of my life and I really feel like they're my friends and I know them inside and out. Now, that being said, I do understand why people are saying what they're saying about this film and I just want to sort of give some insight as well as a review.

Sex And The City 2 is a film directed by Michael Patrick King and stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, and Chris Noth. This film picks up two years after the first film and the stories of the four women continue in New York City. Carrie and Big are working out marriage kinks, Samantha is on a mission to keep her sex life active, Charlotte is dealing with two rowdy kids and a nanny that she thinks will steal her husband, and Miranda is stressed over her new boss at work. Samantha gets an opportunity to go to Abu Dhabi for a PR trip and she invites the girls on a fun filled adventurous romp with temptations around every corner. First of all I have to say I've seen this film twice and I love it. I thought it was the fun romp that we miss seeing from the show. I'll get into more details later. Right now I want to talk about the politics of the film and talk about why it's getting so much flack. This is a "you either love it or you hate it" film.

First of all, the change of the cities was a big issue, I think. New York has been a staple on the show and it was practically the fifth character in the story. That's what people liked about it, it made New York this magical place full of love, fashion, adventure, and beauty. Most people that I've talked to seem to like the first hour of the film when they are in New York because they are more real there and don't like the second half because it's when they become fake and racist. I love how people and critics alike are making this film the end all be all of social commentary. I mean seriously people? It's a MOVIE meant for mindless escapist fun in a society dealing with recession and depression. It's eye candy, it's fun, it's camp. Get over it. Not all movies are meant to be Citizen Kane and make a statement for that matter. Then you have the fans complaining that they don't like it because the characters are different now and that they would never do the things that they do in this film. People change, people evolve over time. No one is going to stay the same forever and yes this is a movie but they have been following a pattern of growth over the years and these characters may not have acted like this in the past, but they have grown and are dealing with different shit now. Samantha got the most criticism for her behavior in this and I disagree with everything everyone said. Samantha has always been a woman who does whatever the hell she wants and when she wants. She has even gotten into arguments with her friends over it in the show. That being said, Samantha was in a place where she couldn't do what she wanted to do and at every turn she was being judged or told not to do something. So yes she acted crazy by the end, but it was a build up of frustration that any American would build up in a foreign country.

These women aren't doing things that Americans wouldn't do in a foreign country. People act differently when they go on trips. It's a bloody fact. I don't think this film was racist at all and it certainly didn't mean to be racist. Americans are always curious about other customs different from their own. That's what I saw. Just white women not understanding and questioning why things were the way they were there. They don't know any better and they didn't mean any harm. They were concerned and confused about what they should do there. My mom went to see this movie with people who were from the Middle East and they thought it was a hoot. They enjoyed it a lot and thought that it gave the audience insight into their culture. So how is it racist, then, if they felt that way about it? I think that goes with people being way too sensitive about things. I could see if it was blatantly racist but it wasn't. I also partly think that people who don't like Sex And The City in the first place are looking for a reason to bash it. Don't see the movie if you don't like it. Simple. Then you won't waste your time and blog space talking about how much you hate it and the reasons why when you already knew you were going to hate it. It's not for everyone. Everyone is way too serious about this film. This is what the fans wanted. They wanted a romp because they complained about the last one being too slow and dull. Now they get what they want and still don't like it. You can't please everyone.

I've listened to Michael Patrick King talk about the story and the characters over the years so much that I know exactly what his vision is. He's not looking to make a statement. He's just looking to make a fun movie while evolving his characters. That's all it is plain and simple. Then there's the fashion of the movie which people are complaining about too. Like I said before, it's eye candy. Why wouldn't anyone want to see nice things while we're dealing with shit. I question now do people even know what they want to watch anymore. This film was fun and beautiful to look at to boot. It was a breath of fresh air to me. Everyone has their thing that they like. Why can't people have their right to like fashion? Why is it so wrong to want or buy a Louis Vuitton bag? That's what they like. They work hard for it, they deserve it. People treat fashion like it's some sort of devil. Why can't people want to look nice and wear nice things? Yes the movie was fashion on steroids but that's the whole image of Sex And The City to begin with. It hasn't changed. So I don't know why everyone was acting brand new about it now. I'm just tired and frustrated of reading all these bad blind reviews. All they see is what they want to see and most of these people hate Sex And The City anyway. As for the fans who hate it, well maybe you were expecting something that you'll never get because these characters are different now. they're not gonna be the same as they were on the show, let it GO.

What I liked about the film is that the performances were very layered in this one. The actresses know their characters so well now that it seems effortless. Sarah Jessica Parker does an amazing job of portraying Carrie dealing with marriage and her dissatisfaction with her couch potato husband, Big. She has to go through what she has to go through in the movie to learn a lesson about marriage and I think that's one of the strong points of the film. Kim Cattrall is funny as an age battling Samantha and you can really see her frustration build up throughout the film. Her character is taken to a place that limits her abilities and Kim portrays that flawlessly. Kristin Davis really shocked me in this with her performance. There's a scene when she was crying in the pantry because of her overwhelming kids, it was AMAZING and real. I think that was the most real I've ever seen Charlotte and her facial expressions are fantastic. Cynthia Nixon does a wonderful job of portraying the now happy Miranda. It was so great to finally see Miranda without the stick up her ass and having a good time. She was neutral and beautiful and I loved how she played it. Chris Noth as Big had more to do this time and he displayed a very nuanced performance that I fell in love with.

The opening sequence as far as pizazz was a little bit of a letdown for me because I liked the first film's opening sequence so much. When I heard Alicia Keys' "Rapture" I was very excited to see how they would orchestrate it. They didn't really use the song the way I thought they were going to use it. I did like the flashbacks though. That was cool and funny. The cinematography was exquisite. New York and the clothes never looked so good and Abu Dhabi (Morocco) was stunning! I enjoyed every minute of what I was seeing on screen. The set design, the locations, and the story were all so well done. It was a definite upgrade from the first film. Bigger and better. They didn't feature the songs from the soundtrack that much, most of them were playing in the background, but that's not a big deal.

There were a couple of cheesetastic moments in this film that made me cringe a little but it's not a deal breaker for the entire film as a whole. You'll see what I'm talking about. All in all I recommend this film if you haven't already been scared off by the press. It's just a fun movie to see. That's all it is. Nothing more, nothing less than an escapist fantasy with a real story mixed in for balance. This film isn't racist or anything that critics are saying. If anything it just exposes our curiosity about other cultures and how we misunderstand them. So check your brain at the door and enjoy! I've included a clip from the movie...