“TOY STORY 3” is (as of its release)the best looking blu-ray3d offering available!

This reviewer was somewhat skeptical as to whether the “3^rd” film of the series, made “15” years after the original, would still be able to capture any of the magic and unprecedented humor for all ages that separated “TOY STORY” from all of its peers. Well, it’s an honor to state that “TOY STORY 3” is not only as fantastic as the original, but it may even be slightly better!  Advancements in computer technology have certainly helped the power to some of the images achieved, however, at the root of any good film is its story, and the script to “TOY STORY 3” is so well crafted, it makes it easy to appreciate that the possibilities imagined in any script are only limited by the writer’s abilities to dream!  The previous “TOY STORY” films all had exciting, fresh opening scenes. However, what’s been achieved within the opening sequence of “TOY STORY 3” is nothing short of brilliant!  This scene pushes the dazzling impact of stunning computer imagination alongside terrific writing, in laying out the concept of what the “act” of imagination actually is!  It’s truly hard to describe, but a dazzling, yet simple action sequence unfolds, before all of the sudden, the hyped up level of effects is suddenly halted(in a sense) to bring the viewer into the “reality of the regular “Toy Story” world. Again, it’s hard to explain this, but it really needs to be seen to be fully appreciated and understood.

Years have passed. Andy is now going off to college. Woody and Buzz have managed to remain as part of the growing boy’s, smaller toy collection. Alongside them are Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, the army men soldier and more beloved characters from the previous films. However, turmoil arises when Andy accidentally confuses a bag loaded with toys with a bag of trash. The toys end up as part of a donation box for a daycare center, which is less than ideal due to the unruly, selfish toys in charge. There are plenty of well conceived points of conflict, as well as a fair amount of big laughs, but mostly, “TOY STORY 3” is deeply moving!  It’s definitely more of a tear-jerker than the previous films, but with the “good kind of cry” impact one can appreciate over the syrupy, overly-sentimentalized kind.

As grand as the most recent blu-ray3d releases from DISNEY have been, “TOY STORY 3” blows them all away!!! While the magic of the opening sequence mentioned looks stunning on blu-ray2d, it’s even more miraculous in its impact on blu-ray3d!!!  Those PIXAR employees have really gone to the limits with what could be achieved with 3d! Every frame appears maximized for 3d impact. The results of the increased depth and added dimension, make jokes much more funny, and the entire viewing experience much more captivating for the viewer than that of the 2d version, alone.

Colors are extremely vibrant, regardless of the somber tone to some of the plot’s more poignant moments. Contrast is flawless, and detail is just,…PERFECT! There isn’t a single flaw to be found on this image! A flawless 2d blu-ray presentation is terrific, of course! But, a “flawless” blu-ray3d presentation is actually unprecedented!  Anyone wanting to be blown away by the full potential of blu-ray3d should view this. Any store display not playing this for its customers is missing out on what should be a windfall of sales for the format! “TOY STORY 3” in blu-ray3d really takes the “3d” to the ultimate level!

DISNEY has provided a DTS-HD MA 7.1 mix. Sure, the lossy mixes for the previous mixes were awesome! But, what’s better than awesome? Well, the answer lies somewhere within what’s presented here! As aggressive and engulfing as this mix is, it’s also stunning for its nuanced effects. While most of the captivating moments surely lie in the action-oriented effects surrounding maneuvers in a daycare or the breakout sequence, there are beautiful ambient effects to be savored equally. Dialogue, music and multi-levels of effects are all balanced perfectly!

Along with a HD picture-in-picture commentary track, another commentary track and numerous featurettes in HD are offered. Add to these, a standard dvd, digital copy and blu-ray(2d)version, and this is a must-have for any film lover’s collection!