I’ve never really been sucked into the world of animated films. I’ll always cling to the memories of my Disney-infused childhood, and I’ll continue to re-watch the first Shrek on those rainy days; but for me it’s difficult to watch an entire animated film in one sitting. Now, I’m definitely not knocking the likes of Cars, Meet The Robinsons, or even, dare I say it, Finding Nemo, it’s just not my thing. Each of these cutesy films is served up with intentions to please both young and old -- yet I find my tastes lingering, most of the time, somewhere in between.

Animated films surely have an edge over regular films when it comes to sequels and threequels. I tend to sway towards the mindset that those animated films with sequels are the better ones. (This of course excludes the Disney classics like Beauty and the Beast, Robin Hood, Little Mermaid, Bambi, et cetera.) This is why I am genuinely intrigued at the prospect of the third installment of Toy Story. The word on the street is that after some heavy debate, a plot has officially been laid out and the final product will be unveiled in the summer of 2010.

As the plot of the new movie shows, the Toy Story world progresses at the same pace as our own. 11 years after the release of Toy Story 2, the threequel will find the lovable Woody and his toy friends dumped in a daycare center now that little, toy-loving Andy has grown up and gone off to college. Now I really think they’ve got something here. Not to get all technical on you, but I like how the character of Andy actually grows up within the films. Beyond that, this is a fresh new twist to the typical Toy Story plot in many ways.

Compared to one of the other plots that was seriously considered -- centering the third film around a recall of the Buzz Lightyear toy -- I think the creators have chosen a sellable idea. I’m hoping to see the cruel realities of daycare through the eyes of these upper class toys. Germs everywhere, too many children in small spaces, not enough adult supervision, mealtimes that could easily compare to trough feedings, and an overall sense of chaos. That’s where previous daycare victims will find the humor, as those traits are an unfortunate fact of daycare in many cases. The film only needs to illustrate the feeling of daycare insanity briefly to instill the overall sense of never wanting to be in one. (Sorry working, single moms everywhere!) Either way, this will fuel the fire for Woody and his friends' inevitable attempt at a memorable escape. Moving on.

I really don’t want to see this film tie a sweet and predictable little ribbon around the ending -- in other words, I don’t want to see Andy coming back and reclaiming his toys. What G-rated use would a young man possibly have for his childhood toys in college? I can guarantee you, toys are the last thing on his mind. So, I propose some sort of "finding another home" approach. Maybe you say that’s predictable and sweet too, but I think I would like it. That kind of ending would send a positive message and leaves room for all kinds of fun and games as the toys search high and low for a new owner.

In the end, I’m no movie creator -- my thoughts are shamelessly elementary in comparison. I’d say the challenge isn’t in attracting the children or even getting butts in seats at the theaters, because the Toy Story brand already has the strength to do just that. The challenge is in making room for the adult jokes and the adult attraction. Shrek does this, and I’m hoping the Toy Story franchise has enough momentum stored up by the time 2010 rolls around to knock all our socks off. I’m not too worried; it’s Pixar after all.

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