Director: Lee Unkrich

Screenwriters: John Laseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, Michael Arndt

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty

There was a time when sequels to animated movies would most likely be found in the direct-to-video section at the back of Blockbuster. Now, with Shrek on its fourth lap of the multiplexes and even Madagascar getting a second run out, animated sequels are becoming as popular as their superhero counterparts. Toy Story, the undisputed granddaddy of CG films and the proudest feather in Pixar’s over-stuffed cap, has now reached its third and final instalment – and what a farewell it is.

Toy Story 3 sees Andy, the owner of Woody, Buzz and co, growing up and heading to college, leaving our heroes facing every toy’s worst nightmare – their beloved kid doesn’t need them anymore. They find themselves donated to day care, which isn’t quite the glorious haven of imaginative play that Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear (Ned Beatty) paints it as. There is only one thing for it – another dash across a dangerous human-sized world back to the safety of Andy’s house.

The film retains everything we loved about the first two without growing stale or feeling repetitive. Woody (Tom Hanks)’s failing earnestness and Buzz (Tim Allen)’s stiff machismo still make for a great double-act but the Pixar team don’t rest on their laurels. Among the dozens of new characters are Michael Keaton’s over-compensating Ken (“I am not a girl’s toy!�) and Timothy Dalton’s thespian hedgehog, Mr Pricklepants. The film is wonderfully funny (helped by Oscar-winner Michael Arndt – Little Miss Sunshine – at the writer’s desk) and filled with thrilling and imaginative set pieces, although the frankly terrifying Big Baby may be a little too much for young children to handle. If you thought the doll’s head on the spider’s body in Toy Story was unnerving, you might want to bring a cushion to hide behind.

The animation is perhaps not as showy as you’d expect from the people who brought you Finding Nemo and Wall-E. The animators stick close to the visual style established in the first two films, and CG has come a long way since 1995. The toys may still have the plastic sheen of the previous films, but now their simplicity is deceptive. Just look at the pitted surface of Mr Potato Head’s shell, or Woody’s lanky loping moves, which are even more gloriously loose than before. The animators truly show off their skills, though, on Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear. He’s the first plush toy Pixar have been able to do on Toy Story, and he is gorgeous. To look at him is to hug him. The 3D, like the rest of the film, is not over-compensating or sending objects flying at the screen. Instead, director Lee Unkrich uses it to give the film depth, making the human world look even more dizzyingly huge from the toy’s-eye-view we get.

It’s almost impossible to judge Toy Story 3 on its own – it comes with such a weighty and prestigious history. These days Pixar is garlanded with Oscars, but Toy Story is probably still its most-loved creation, with new generations of fans coming to it all the time. This isn’t a just a film – it’s the closing chapter in a definitive film trilogy. There’s no stunt casting nor tired rehashes (Buzz gets restored to his factory settings again and there’s another race across town, but both are approached in fresh, imaginative ways). Unlike some film franchises, where characters constantly go through the same adventures and learn the same lessons every time, the plot and the characters of Toy Story actually develop. Eleven years have passed since Toy Story 2, and the same length of time has passed in the movie too. The sight of a grown-up Andy will make those who remember the release of the first film feel very old. Toy Story 3 takes our beloved friends to new and unexpected places, making them as human as you and me, leaving audiences laughing, cheering and, yes, crying.

Watching Toy Story 3 takes you right back to childhood, a time when you didn’t need CGI to create a runaway train or a spaceship – imagination and a cardboard box did just fine. It makes you achingly nostalgic, and frankly, anyone who doesn’t come home from the cinema and head straight up to the attic to dig out those old toys simply doesn’t have a heart. A lot has been said about Toy Story 3’s ability to make even the hardest film-goer sob like a child who’s just lost their favourite doll. But that’s just the point – Woody and Buzz have entered the public’s hearts and minds. They are our favourite dolls, and saying goodbye was never going to be easy.

By Abigail Chandler

Toy story 3 is out now courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.