ShoWest Day Two: Pixar's Big Ten

By Kevin Lally

For this Pixar fan, the highlight of day two of the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas was the premiere of an unfinished, 2Dversion of Toy Story 3, the eagerly anticipated, likely final chapter in the series that debuted with the very first computer-animated feature in 1995. Pixar and Disney Animation chief creative officer John Lasseter was on hand to accept a special ShoWest "Big Ten" Award in honor of the studio's remarkable streak of ten consecutive critical and box-office hits, which altogether have earned $5.5 billion.

Lasseter promised to "keep delivering great movies" and made good on that pledge within minutes. Before the main feature, he introduced the world premiere of Day and Night, the 3D short that will play before the 3D Toy Story 3 in theatres this summer. It's a strikingly original short with an abstract quality unusual for Pixar, reminiscent of some of the standalone shorts Chuck Jones did for Warner Bros. during its theatrical cartoon heyday.

As for Toy Story 3, Lasseter pretty much encouraged viewers to disregard the ShoWest embargo by posting their comments online, as long as they didn't give away the plot. I'll just say that it's an immensely satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, with at least triple the toys, choice opportunities for new players Barbie and Ken, a delightful nod to caper movies, a truly scary action climax, and a poignant conclusion that had me wiping away tears. Pixar has been celebrated for not repeating itself from film to film, but the Toy Story franchise is a welcome exception and, with its beloved 15-year-old characters, this is bound to be a huge summer blockbuster. And I can't wait to see the finished movie in 3D.