The Toy Story series of films is one of the most popular family film franchises of recent years. The main characters, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, have become household names across the world and their sayings that include "to infinity and beyond" have also achieved a remarkable standing and status. Many children have grown up with and come to love these characters that have taken on their own personalities in the films that they have featured in thus far.
Toy Story 3 marks the third outing for the Disney Pixar franchise of family films and once again the main protagonists are all involved. Set ten years after the events of the second film, Andy, the owner of the toys, is now a teenager and as he heads off to college the toys wonder what the future holds for them.
The series of movies has seen Andy grow up and the toys have been put in different situations along the way. The first production introduced the audience to the toys and was set in Andy's bedroom, where for the first time we see the toys come to life. This is also where we are introduced to the two main characters, who clash with each other at the start but in the end, Woody ends up trying to save Buzz.
It is a classic case of the worries of the old being thrown out for the new, but it's shown that there is a place for both old and new. Woody, the old-fashioned cowboy, didn't immediately see eye-to-eye with the slightly brash space ranger Buzz Lightyear, but they came to understand each other over the course of the first film. The story of jealousy was accompanied by one of love that also included Bo Peep and contributed to a multi-layered plot line that was played out over the course of the film.
Many of the characters, such as Slinky Dog and Mr Potato Head, returned for Toy Story 2 four years later, this time in a different situation. Whereas the first film saw Woody trying to save Buzz and the pair of them attempting to escape from Sid's House, the second film saw Woody in trouble this time after being stolen by a toy dealer.
The roles of the two main Toy Story characters were well and truly reversed and Buzz called on the support of his fellow toys to save Woody. Both situations saw the friendship between the two strengthen and the way that their different personalities bounced off each other pleased much of the audience.
The fans of the two Toy Story films to date have mainly been made up of children, but the stories can be enjoyed by adults as well. This is an important component of any family film, as there has to be something that every member of the family can enjoy. While the children will enjoy the action and adventure of the franchise, adults will be able to relate to the story of friendship that runs and develops throughout.
The third Toy Story film, which is being released this summer, will see the main personalities in yet another different situation and the development of the characters is sure to be continued. The toys are dropped at a day care centre and once more have to navigate some tricky situations, as they come across a new set of characters and toys.
The characters have become well-known since they first made their way onto our screens more a dozen years ago, and much of this can be attributed to the voices of the toys. The cast of the three films is a star-studded one and Tom Hanks leads as the iconic voice of Woody. Tim Allen is the voice of Buzz Lightyear and together they help the characters to bounce off one another and create a strong rapport between Woody and Buzz.
Over the course of the two films so far not only have the characters and the plot lines developed, but the technology used to create the films has also come on in leaps and bounds. The first Toy Story film was innovative itself in the respect that it was the first feature length film to be made using solely CGI, illustrating the importance that computer technology now holds in the animated film genre.
Toy Story 3 is also set push the boundaries of film animation as the movie, which was also made using CGI, will be released as an IMAX 3-D film. Therefore, the audience will be able to see Woody, Buzz and co in three dimensions and this should bring another element to the film to help make it even more visually stunning.
While the technology involved in making the film is of great importance, ultimately much of the credit for the Toy Story franchise has to go to its creator John Lasseter. Lasseter has the role of executive producer in the third film after directing the previous two, the first of which he also wrote the script for. As a result the American animator and Chief Creative Officer of Disney Pixar is one of the leading directors of animated films in his generation.
Lasseter has had a large influence on a number of animated films that Disney Pixar has produced in recent years. As well as his involvement in all three of the Toy Story films, Lasseter has also been the executive producer for Monsters, Inc. Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. He was also the executive producer of Wall-E, the 2008 film that won the Academy Award for Best Animated feature, and thus has plenty of expertise in the film animation industry.
This summer will see the culmination of three years of work on the third Toy Story film, and the production is likely to be another family favourite when it is released on July 21st. The franchise that has helped thrust characters Woody and Buzz onto the world stage, and make songs such as You've Got a Friend in Me widely renowned, will once again take centre stage this summer.