Upcoming Films: Tron Legacy

If it seems like years ago that Tron Legacy was officially announced that’s because it was. A teaser trailer was first shown at the 2008 San Diego Comicon that didn’t confirm anything but did hint heavily that Disney were interested in developing a sequel to the cult classic. Since then we’ve had trailer after trailer, many featuring essentialyl the same footage reedited to look new. Now we’ve got what Disney have called the ‘final’ trailer.

 

Avatar

Unlike some film critics (or snobs if you so wish to daub them) I have a lot of time for James Cameron. His 2 Terminator films revolutionized the thriller genre (as well as starting the career of now-governor of California Ah-nuld Schwarzenegger); The Abyss used pioneering technology and Titanic though an hour too long, was riveting from the moment an iceberg came into view. T2 shows him capable of directing action sequences as deftly, if not even more so, than any director and you can’t deny Titanic’s record-breaking success had something to do with his ability of crafting a believable love story. Avatar, at it’s most basic, is a mix of these 2: star-crossed lovers interwoven with tremendous action scenes. Jackpot at the box-office? The film redefined what is possible for a film to achieve; critical success? I remain unconvinced.

 

Toy Story 3

Toy Story has been with me since childhood, the first 2 films setting the bar immeasurably high for future animation films and comedies aimed at children in general. Although we’ve seen a few films match the series for immediate crossover appeal between children and adults, they’ve fallen by the wayside with more recent outings (Shrek and Ice Age). Imagine my fear then when they announce the oft-rumoured Toy Story 3 as an addition to the series, what would they do to my beloved Woody, Buzz and Jessie?

If you were like me then have no fear! What has emerged from the genius of Pixar is not only a charming comedy, a fitting end to the toys who have been with us so many years but also a lament on what it is like for all of us to grow up and leave our childhood behind. A sobering thought and one that hangs heavy over the end of the film. Doubtless this is a melancholy film, a meditation on loss and love but jokes are abound as always, and even if you don’t get the side-splitting laughter that you expect, the end is sure to move you in ways you never thought possible.

Don’t get me wrong, this is still a children’s film at heart but that doesn’t limit it to 3-13 year olds, it’s aimed at the child that is still inside of all of us and reassures us that it is okay to let go of the past, just don’t ever forget it. Pixar, flawless with all of their output, never talk down to there audience and that is perhaps the reason for it’s massive appeal to new and old fans of the brand with each film building on the success of the last.

An unlikely triumph Toy Story 3 is heartwarming end to the series that I really can’t recommend enough, even if you haven’t seen the previous 2 installments or any animated film this will delight and charm anyone who is willing to watch.