Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

With this movie, Pixar match the consistently high standards set by the previous Toy Story instalments, and I absolutely loved it.

Even though Toy Story 3 was released in 2010 - 15 years after the first film and 11 after the second, the sharp writing and the way the mythology is blended together makes it seem as if the creation of 3 films was the studio's plan from the start.

It seems to me that this was made not just for children but also fans like me who grew up with the previous films and are now older - watch for references to the 1st film, such as the brilliant opening Wild West action sequence, and the familiar song on the soundtrack that started it all - You've Got a Friend in Me, which is somehow now tinged with real sadness. Randy Newman's music is super.

No longer the child of the first 2 movies, Andy is now 17 and preparing to go to college, and has to decide what to do with all his old toys, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and the gang. His plan is to put them in the attic.

Unfortunately, they all end up getting accidentally donated to Sunnyside Day Care Centre, presided over by a pink bear named Lotso (Ned Beatty), who appears soft and huggable but is not all he seems....

I actually had a thought that, as if to emphasise the increasingly darker tone of each film and the fact this movie explores how a young person moves on in life - the daycare centre was more like an old people's home, not a happy place but more like somewhere where the toys would go if they weren't wanted by their owner. If this qualifies as social commentary from Pixar, it's just another example of how and why they elevate animation beyond simply "children's films" to a higher plain and produce films for everyone to enjoy.

As the toys find out Day Care isn't what they envisioned they all try to escape and break out, to find their way home.

There were some hilarious moments in this movie (highlights include when Buzz accidentally speaks Spanish, and one of the new characters, thespian hedgehog Mr. Pricklepants), various exciting action set pieces when the toys are trying to flee, and some scary, genuinely moving and heartbreaking moments as well which touch upon complex ideas of abandonment and even death, but also show the true meaning of friendship.

This is not just a great film in its own right but also a superb conclusion to the Toy Story Trilogy which ties the story up nicely. It's such a lovely, touching film. I think the film shows that however painful moving on and letting go is, it's something we all go through and it's shown in such a sensitive and mature way.

Pixar has crafted an exceptional motion picture which isn't really about anthropomorphic toys, but if truth be told, about PEOPLE and human emotions.

All I can say is - thank you Pixar. Thank you so much.
The film truly does look fantastic on Blu Ray with bright and colourful images. I could pick out subtle details like the feel of some of the clothing, the wood grain of Andy's bedroom floor, even the texture of the cardboard box the toys are put in, which looks incredibly lifelike.

The film is on one Blu Ray disc, with lots of extras on the other.

These are divided into 2 main sections, "Family Play" and "Film Fans", and include a commentary track with the filmmakers, a few interesting making of featurettes and Pixar's anecdotes about making the movie (known as "Studio Stories") and, in the Publicity section, some American and Japanese teasers and trailers. By far the oddest extra is a couple of adverts for the Lotso Huggin' Bear toy that are treated to make it look as if they're genuine commercials from the 1980's which are quite funny.

I enjoyed this a lot and can see why it's considered a classic, but it's not my favourite Disney. However, its impact on Disney and indeed, all cinema cannot be underestimated. This film was a milestone, it was the first full length cel-animated film in cinema history, as well as being the first full length animation produced in America.

Before Snow White, Walt Disney had mostly worked on animated shorts such as Mickey Mouse, and the Silly Symphonies series. The budget eventually ran to almost $2m - a massive sum for a film in 1937.

Some critics thought no-one would sit through an animated feature like this, calling it "Disney's folly" when it was in production. Some sequences are magnificent - the Queen in her castle at the beginning, the way the forest comes alive when Snow White tries to run away, and the part when Snow White (Adriana Caselotti)'s evil and jealous stepmother, the Wicked Queen (Lucille La Verne), makes the potion to turn herself into a beggar woman. These sequences of genuine darkness - which I think are what sets this apart from more modern Disney films - combine with cute scenes, comedy from the dwarves (each has their own distinct personality) and woodland animals, and timeless songs that I remember from when I was little and have passed into cinema lore, like Heigh Ho and Whistle While You Work.

Perhaps the darkness isn't surprising when you consider the source material was Grimm's fairy tales which could be quite dark and violent. Also there is some sadness and pathos in the film (at the time, considered unusual in animation) during Snow White's "sleeping death" sequence, when all the dwarves are crying when Snow White is lying in a gold coffin.

It's a shame also that the character of Prince Charming is rather bland - we never even find out his name.
I found Snow White's singing voice hard to get used to - maybe that type of voice was considered attractive in the 1930's but I found it very wobbly and thin. Her vocal style was very much "light opera" which was popular at the time.

While the build up and pacing of the film seems rather uneven (even at 84 minutes long, it takes a while to get going and also ends rather abruptly), I can see why it's so important. We must remember this was an early work for Disney that he was taking a gamble on. If the film had failed, the studio probably would have too.
The Blu Ray transfer is amazing especially considering the film is over 70 years old, with a beautiful restoration. I watched it with it's original Mono soundtrack.

The film was praised by film makers such as Charlie Chaplin, who immediately recognised it's impact (unusual for the time) - Sergei Eisenstein said it was the greatest film ever made. It even inspired MGM to make The Wizard of Oz in 1939, Snow White's massive success convincing them that a fantasy film appealing to both children and adults, could be popular.

Snow White won Disney a special Oscar "as a significant screen innovation which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field". Disney received a full sized Oscar statue and 7 little ones, presented to him by Shirley Temple.

I really enjoyed the film.

At the end of China`s warring states, the Kingdom of Qin is the most ambitious and ruthless of the seven states. Its` King is the target of assassins from all over China. Of all the would be assassins, Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) and Sky (Donnie Yen) are the most dangerous. When Nameless (Jet Li) kills all three of them, he is offered a chance to meet the King. Nameless explains how he used their personal relationships to expose and attack their weaknesses, but - in a similar scenario to Akira Kurosawa`s Rashomon (1950) the King tells a different version of the same story....

There`s no denying a lot of care was put into this film, it is amazingly shot and beautiful to watch (what do you expect when Wong Kar Wai`s cinematographer Chris Doyle is at the helm?). I liked the clever use of the colour scheme (green/red/white/blue) that was used by Zhang Yimou to emphasise different things.

An all star cast was assembled for this film - and everyone performs well in their own ways I think. Tony Leung and Maggie especially are excellent, turning in a performance which draws comparisons with the Wong Kar Wai movie In The Mood For Love (2000). Playing the role of Broken Swords servant Moon, Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Road Home) is gorgeous, though her turn perhaps reminded me of Jen Yu in Crouching Tiger too much, as if she`d phoned her performance in. Donnie Yen`s part is sadly also little more than an extended cameo, though his fight in the rain with Nameless (Jet Li) is very impressive.

Of course, comparisons are bound to be drawn between CTHD and this film - Maggie`s/Zhang Ziyi`s forest fight reminded me of the sword duel of the earlier CTHD, as did the balletic walking on water or flying through the air. To top it off, the composer Tan Dun wrote a score for Hero that is not too dissimilar to the one in CTHD (particularly at the beginning and end with the drums and violins).

If I have any complaints at all, I would have liked to have seen more character development and backstory. I also wasn't sure about the way the tyrannical King is portrayed as simply a misunderstood man, ignoring what he was really like in Ancient Chinese history and what he did to his people. This doesn't show the whole picture.

Plot gripes nothwithstanding, bear in mind that what we have here is essentially a Producer`s Cut of the film, assembled by American company Miramax and missing about 20 minutes from Zhang Yimou`s original vision. One can only hope the rumored Extended Edition of the film gets a release on DVD in Hong Kong or the US someday.

Overall though, I think this is an outstanding piece of cinema.

I feel this is an overlooked gem, and I've only just seen it for the first time -and loved it! It's got everything! Great sets; amazing make up; an all-star cast; intriguing plot; Danny Elfman music... what more could anyone ask for?
Beatty has managed to capture the old ‘40's comics perfectly and the movie oozes class and charm from every scene. Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino deserve special mention as both manage to deliver career highs (Hoffman, miraculously so as he only communicates through barely legible mumbles.. hence his name!) and even Madonna is damn fine!

This is one of the best comic adaptations, since Superman: The Movie (the others seem to lose something in translation to me) and definitely deserves to be given a second chance. More people need to see this film just for it's entertainment value!!

A timeless classic - a Disney film for the digital age. It's difficult not to like this film - from the truly amazing, breath-taking animation to the sharp and witty script to the wonderful acting. The story is your typical buddy movie material, but with toys instead of cops and has the predictable twists and turns you'd expect with a firm moral backbone (without it being rammed down your throat). What saves this film from predictability is the fast paced script and hilarious interplay between the two lead characters. It's great to hear Tim Robbins playing the "hero" Buzz Lightyear - he brings an almost "Mel Gibson" quality to the role, but with more sympathy and it was a delight that Tom Hanks was doing comedy again. One of my favourite Tom Hanks films was Big - he made that role completely believable - his character was child-like without ever becoming child-ish- and Hanks is able to bring those qualities to the role of Woody as well.

The supporting cast is inspired as well - having toys as the main characters obviously allowed the writers to run riot with their imagination -and they do!!! In the course of the film we see: a platoon of soldiers (with a drill captain straight of Full Metal Jacket); Mr & Mrs Potato-Head and, my own personal favourite, the dinosaur who hates confrontations.

The main highlight for me is Buzz realising who he really is. His story arc is fascinating. Believing himself to be the real "Buzz Lightyear", a space ranger, he initially becomes the leader of the group -much to Woody's chagrin. When he is faced with the reality that he is just a toy he goes to pieces -his world collapses- but he is able to fight beyond that and realises that he is not "just" anything. He is able to transform himself into something beyond the limiting confines of his "Buzz Lightyear" persona - he truly goes "TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!" and actually flies!

If this isn't about self-actualisation I don't know what is...

About the only thing that is a little cheesy -and also hugely ironic to me- are the songs by Randy Newman. Considering the songs he's written in the past (Short People; Simon Smith & His Amazing Dancing Bear), and his cynical, even caustic lyrics it was a source of amusement when I heard him sing "You've Got A Friend In Me.".

That aside, this is a really enjoyable film, and will appeal to the kid in everyone.