Product Description

When their owner clears out his bedroom in preparation for starting college, Woody, Buzz and the rest of the toy-box gang are dumped in the donations box at a local nursery school and find themselves at the mercy of a horde of wild, sticky-fingered toddlers. As they struggle to stay together while coping with the chaos, the gang meet a new bunch of toys led by pink teddy bear Lotso, while Barbie is at last united with her male counterpart, Ken. The yearning to return home cannot be ignored, however, and many comical adventures ensue as the toys make a series of elaborate escape attempts.

Three little letters, one little word: wow. It seems like only yesterday that I was suggesting that Cars 2 3D might just be the best 3D presentation of 2011. (Literally. My review of Cars 2 3D posted last night.) And now, less than twenty-four hours later, here I am with a new, more definitive statement: Toy Story 3 3D is hands down the 3D Blu-ray presentation of the year. Disney's 1080p/MVC-encoded trilogy-capping transfer serves up a veritable feast of delicate 3D delights, the least of which is a wholly engrossing three-dimensional world that boasts tremendous depth and exacting dimensionality. Behold the soft curve of a plastic face, the terrifying maw of an incinerator, an avalanche of shredded trash pouring into its fiery pits, the expanse of an enormous daycare center, the cavernous closet that is Ken's wardrobe, the enveloping spectacle that is the film's opening train rescue, the looming face of a hyperactive preschooler, the suburbs that spill away from Sunnyside, and the full breadth of Andy's room. It's impossible to talk about "showcase sequences" simply because every sequence is a showcase. Every scene is gorgeous. Every shot and frame makes the most of the 3D presentation. It's all inviting and immersive; a startlingly convincing 3D stunner that had my son stretching his hands toward the screen, beaming a grin to end all grins, and laughing out loud at the sheer wonder of it all. Hyperbolic? I'm actually trying to restrain myself, even if it isn't working out so well for me. So let me go one step farther: the 3D was so magnificent that I forgot I was wearing 3D glasses. No exaggeration. The film's emotional punches actually hit harder. The adventure was that much more enjoyable. The jokes seemed funnier, the drama more intense, the environments richer, the heart more palpable, the animation more striking, and the characters more alive than ever. Watching Toy Story 3 in 3D is a whole new experience.

I also didn't catch sight of any significant ghosting or crosstalk -- very, very few instances even occurred, come to think of it -- and, aside from the tiniest bit of easily dismissed, even more easily overlooked banding and aliasing, the presentation is as Pixar perfect as anyone could hope for. While the story itself is an increasingly dark trip down Buzz and Woody's once-colorful halls, there isn't a single frame of Toy Story 3 that suffers in any way. Primaries are incredibly bold and vivid, black levels are dark and savory, contrast is impeccable and the dazzling dreamscape of Sunnyside Daycare has been rendered with absolute care. Meanwhile, detail -- straight from the digital tap and polished with meticulous precision -- is immaculate as well. Every frayed tuft of Lotso's weathered fur, every discolored stitch and fading piece of plastic that adorns our faithful heroes, every texture that peppers Rex's tail and Jessie's hat, every fleck of glitter and speck of dust, every playroom scar, large and small... if Pixar animated it, it's alive, well and on full, wondrous display. Edge definition is sleek and sophisticated, fine textures are exceptionally well-resolved and clarity is, you guessed it, flawless. Artifacting, noise, digital clutter, ringing and other common anomalies are nowhere to be found, and the whole of the picture is as pristine as they come. In fact, if I weren't staring at every inch of the film's backgrounds, searching for the smallest hiccup (the same thing I did when originally reviewing the 2D release of Toy Story 3), I doubt I would have noticed a hint of the split-second banding and aliasing I mentioned earlier. Ultimately, the only way Toy Story 3 3D could look any better is if you hopped in a DeLorean and picked up a copy of the film's 25th Anniversary re-release (complete with sparkling lossless video). Prepare to be floored by Disney's 3D presentation, dear readers. I know my entire family was.

Having exhausted so many glowing adjectives on Disney's video transfer, I'm at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to conveying the sheer sonic strength of Toy Story 3's arresting DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. Simply put, Disney has outdone itself. Voices are sharp, clean, warm, perfectly prioritized and masterfully integrated into the mix. Lines are never lost, whispers are never buried beneath any ensuing action and every nuance of the cast's deliveries is present and accounted for. Which is a relief considering just how chaotic Toy Story 3's set pieces become. A bustling daycare center finds dozens of toys scurrying from channel to channel, a thundering charge of pre-K warriors shakes the very ground, a garbage truck rumbles and belches exhaust like a great steel beast, and a waste disposal facility roars with indignation as if the gates of hell have been flung open for our trembling heroes. Through it all, LFE output is decidedly powerful and prescient, lending convincing weight, heft and resonance whenever called upon. (In a world of eight-inch toys, where even the most common household item can suddenly present tremendous danger, that turns out to be quite often.) Rear speaker activity is aggressive and entertaining, teasing the ear with the tiniest elements, taking full advantage of a veritable sandbox of ambient effects, creating believable acoustics no matter the environment and further immersing the listener in an already immersive world. Directionality is precise, engaging and enveloping, pans are prison-break smooth and dynamics are both playful and punchy. My thesaurus doesn't have any more synonyms for "perfect." Toy Story 3 3D is an AV powerhouse, one you should be eager to invite into your home.

3D Blu-ray DVD Movies Disc - Toy Story 3  Features

Video
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio

Subtitles

Discs
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)

Package Content

3D Blu-ray DVD Movies Disc(50GB) - 3D Blu-ray DVD Movies Disc - Toy Story 3  x 1