Sunnyside up

I have been waiting to see this film since I watched the first Toy Story movie when was 11-years old.

The franchise launched CGI animation onto a global platform, and has forever changed the way that movies are made.

It seems like so long ago that I first saw the potential of this platform and since 1995 there have been a number of fantastic films made using the same principles.

However, even with phenomenal movies such as Up, Avatar, G-Force, there will forever be a special place in my heart for anything with the Toy Story logo.

This film follows the adventures of Andy, a young boy from the first two films who has grown up and is now going away to college. He has outgrown the toys which once were the most important part of his life and Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang are far from happy about it.

Andy's mother is preparing her son for college and asks him to clear his room and decide what he's taking to college, what he wants to put in the attic, what is to be thrown away and what is to be donated to Sunnyside Day Care Centre.

Andy reluctantly sifts through his old toys and although he's outgrown them, he can't bear to throw them away. He packs Buzz and the gang away in a trash bag to be put in the attic but gets sidetracked by his younger sister Molly.

His mother mistakes the bag for stuff to be donated to Sunnyside and the toys are taken to the centre.

At first the toys are excited at the prospect of being played with again and getting some well deserved attention after being left in a toy-box for years. However, they soon find out that life at the centre is not all fun and games.

The children don't take care of the toys and each day becomes a fight for survival.

Sunnyside is run by a disgruntled cuddly bear called Lotso who basically controls what the toys do and divides them between the caterpillar room (where the toys are thrown around by toddlers) and the rainbow room (where they are played with properly).

Andy's toys end up in the caterpillar room and decide to try and escape back to Andy's attic where it is safe and they can all be together. However, the wicked Lotso doesn't make things easy for them.

This film is possibly the best of the bunch, it's just as sharp, witty and ridiculously funny as ever but the characters have been given a new dimension (and I'm not just talking about the 3D effects).

The film tackles an assortment of topics that are superbly blended into the fabric of the story. Abandonment, growing up, appreciating what you've got, friendship and determination are just some of the themes explored in this movie.

The animation is just as spectacular as ever and the 3D effects do nothing but add to the splendour and magic of the action on screen. All the original cast members have resumed their voice-over duties (giving the series a sense of continuity that it deserves) and the new additions complement the existing cast perfectly.

I was totally blown away by this film and I recommend that everybody in the world watches it, to save missing out on something really special. It will resonate with adults and children alike.