Last updated at 12:00, Tuesday, 06 July 2010

Advertising feature. The Toy Story franchise of animated films is set to grace British cinemas again this summer, with Toy Story 3 being released on July 21st. The third film in this successful family franchise has a hard act to live up to after the success of the previous two films and audiences will be expecting a lot from the film that will see the saga shown in 3D cinemas across the country.

The evolution of 3D films has been one of the major transformations that cinema has undergone in recent years and it is something that audiences across the world have really taken to. The experience of 3D films is something to behold and it's likely to be a feature that more and more films use in the future, especially those that are animated.

The Toy Story franchise has always been at the forefront of modern technology and each film has been innovative in its own way. The first Toy Story film was the first feature length production to be shot using only Computer Generated Imagery (CGI). This gave the film a look that at the time had never been seen before and thus was ahead of its time in many aspects.

Toy Story 2 also used CGI and the sequel was released alongside the original film in Disney Digital 3D last year as a double feature, ten years after it was first seen in the cinema. With Toy Story 3 set to build on the 3D experience and take the franchise firmly into the three dimensional world, audiences can look forward to seeing their favourite characters in a whole new light.

Although the technology behind the films is very important, it is the characters that the audience are really interested in and has helped to make the films and Toy Story DVD releases such big hits. There are a number of characters that have been used throughout the two films to date, with another 150 characters set to be introduced to audiences in Toy Story 3, but it is a handful of the toys that have taken centre stage.

The toys really are the stars of the films and the two main protagonists are Woody and Buzz Lightyear. When they are first introduced to us in the original film it appears that the two characters couldn't be less alike and they seem set to lock horns throughout the film.

Woody represents the past as a cowboy who we are led to believe has been Andy's favourite toy for a number of years. But at the start of Toy Story, Buzz enters into the reckoning and looks set to upset the status quo in the bedroom as the astronaut action figure is much newer and has more features than the old and tired Woody.

Voiced by Tom Hanks, Woody sees Buzz as something of a threat and is incredibly jealous of him before his feelings change and he tries to save his rival. A friendship develops and it is this bond that forms the backbone of the first movie as well as the sequel that followed. The roles are reversed in Toy Story 2 as Buzz has to save Woody, further strengthening the friendship and importantly giving viewers of all ages something they can relate to in their own lives.

This is a very significant aspect that needs to be taken into account when making a family film. This genre of movie can be successful if it just appeals to children, but if it draws in their parents as well then it can become popular in a range of different demographics of people. This is something that the Toy Story franchise does successfully and consequently the films have been praised by both critics and audiences alike.

Much of this is down to the scriptwriting and ideas that director John Lasseter put together for the original film. Lasseter is the man behind a number of successful animated films including the likes of The Incredibles and Cars as well as the soon to be trilogy of Toy Story films. Lasseter has huge experience in the animation film genre and as the chief creative officer for Disney Pixar he will have undoubtedly used his expertise to good effect in Toy Story 3.   

Lasseter has taken on the role of executive producer for Toy Story 3, with the equally experienced Lee Unkrich the director. Unkrich has previously worked on the franchise before, being a co-director in Toy Story 2, as well as Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. He has also been able to call on the assistance of Producer Darla Anderson who herself has a rich past in animation as well.    

After setting the majority of the first Toy Story film in Andy's bedroom and Toy Story 2 in Al's apartment, Toy Story 3 will see the toys land in a room of untamed toddlers as they try and stay together and ensure that no toy gets left behind. The toddlers will try and get their hands on the gang and the difficult situation that they will find themselves in will no doubt have some hilarious results throughout.  

The film centres round the theme of what happens to toys when children grow up, as Andy has become a teenager and is going to college. He hasn't been able to bring himself to get rid of his old toys but they are no longer brought out to play with and he is set to decide their fate. This is part and parcel of life as you are bound to grow out of things and toys that you liked in the past which no longer provide you with entertainment they once did.

The third Toy Story film will continue the adventures of the much-loved toys and put them in position that toys experience in real life. Being cast aside is something that they will have to battle against and work together to overcome, a sentiment that has been constant throughout the saga. Now in glorious 3D, viewers will be wrapped up in the action more than ever before when Toy Story 3 heads to the cinema this summer.

First published at 12:10, Monday, 07 June 2010
Published by http://www.workingtonlocal.co.uk