Toy Story #3

When Toy Story first came out, it was the beginning of a new era of digitalized cinema. It was innovative and exciting. And it was fun. So much fun that there was no surprise that a sequel was in order. As almost all sequels go, Toy Story 2 was not as good as the first, but it was still nice to see our old friends again.

This go round our old friends have not aged much, but their beloved owner Andy sure has. Now 18 and off to college, the toys from his past face a new crisis; what happens to a toy once they are no longer deemed a prized possession?

Through a series of missteps Buzz, Woody, and the gang find themselves in a sort of toyland utopia – a daycare center, where they will be played with all day by children who will never tire of them and will never grow old, as a new set of enthralled youth will run through the doors for years to come.

However, the animated world is not lost to the saying “too good to be true.” Soon the toys find themselves looking to escape slobbering toddlers for their former owner even if the best scenario involves being tossed in an attic for years to come.

As Andy has matured, presumably the audience has as well, as there is a darker feel to parts of the movie that were not there before. Sure, we had the evil kids in the former films, but a sinister undertone is given to some of the new toys encountered along the way that may be a bit frightening for younger viewers. I mean one is a clown and let’s face it; those things can freak out some adults (ok, I’ll admit it, namely me).

The film is not as enjoyable as its predecessors, but can still be a lot of fun. The addition of Ken and Barbie bring freshness to the sense of nostalgia looking back on the toys we loved, not only from the series, but from our own childhoods.

Word on the street is that the 3D action is fairly tame and probably not worth the extra money (I’ll have to take the word of those that can actually see 3D as I cannot). But this is definitely worth seeing as a theater release. Even if you know it is time to move on (and it is Pixar, please don’t go “to infinity and beyond” with sequels) it still is nice to spend some quality time with those good childhood friends.

#2: Knight and Day

Like most summer blockbusters, there are a lot of reasons Knight and Day should not work. Full of plot holes and implausible scenarios, loud flashy action scenes, and time space continuum conundrums the smartest of academics would have trouble explaining. And yet there is something that catches the attention and lets you ignore all that and enjoy the ride.

June (Cameron Diaz) is on her way back home to her sister's wedding after picking up a car part in Kansas. On the flight, she meets Roy (Tom Cruise), a seemingly charming man she bumped into at the airport. Here is where the crazy impracticalities begin. After some plane mishaps, the action never really stops. Neither does the traveling to far away places in short amounts of time. And of course regardless of life endangerments and entanglements, there is still plenty of time for romance...between complete strangers who know nothing about each other...throw in some double agent like government officials, foreign bad guys, and a tagalong socially-inept genius and who wouldn't be thinking of making out rather than surviving.

Whenever a film goes through a stack of screenwriters like this one, there are always continuity issues. The overuse of CGI can only do so much to distract from those issues. The one thing that stops this film from being a complete disaster is the chemistry between Cruise and Diaz. Comic timing and facial expressions make the actors seem as if they are part of the joke; they know there are problems but are just going with it and asking us to do the same. And you should; it is a silly loud summer blockbuster in the best sense of the genre. If that is your kind of summer entertainment, take this one in.

Movie #1: (500) Days of Summer

Sometimes you can see a movie that tries to be sneaky and clever with the ending and you see it a mile away. Then there are movies like this one, which tell you upfront what you are in for, even if you don't want to believe it.

"This is not a love story," begins the story of Tom and Summer. Tom works at a greeting card company, depicting the perfect words for strangers celebrations, without words for his own. In comes Summer, just like the season, her warmth envelops him, accompanied by scorching heat waves one minute, a fierce storm the next.

We are taken through a non linear course of their entanglement, seeing all the ways that two people can bring each other up and tear each other apart. Brutally honest moments show what relationships are like in the real world. Not to say that emotions are always hidden beneath the surface. A post coital musical number in the park brings Tom's innermost feelings out into the sunshine reality of day.

Quirky, honest, not always pleasant, not always real, this movie is something to see for all those who have been through a non love story of their own. This movie reminds us how we may feel like we never want summer to end, but there is always a different season to embrace just around the corner.