Pixar is an incredible company, in my opinion. Not only did they lead the way for computer animated films, they did it with Toy Story, one of the best family-friendly films of the 90s. And among their later films is Toy Story 2, one of the best sequels I’ve ever seen. If anyone can make three consistently great films in one series, it’s Pixar. Which is why I’m glad Toy Story 3 is on the way. Watch this trailer.

I was 10 when the 1st movie came out. I grew up loving these characters, so when I saw the first minute or so of this trailer, I was truly moved. Toy Story 2 was all about Woody coming to terms with Andy growing up. The fact that Andy, unlike Jesse’s former owner, continued to love and cherish his toys as he grew up made me want to cry. At the same time, this movie will still be about dealing with change, a theme Pixar is well-versed in with Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up and of course Toy Story 2. It’s a tough subject, but Pixar never shys away from presenting tough subjects in the right way for children.

The other thing that makes me happy about this trailer is that the characters seem like themselves. After so many years, it feels like Toy Story, not like a close imitator. I also love the fact that there is a messed up version of Buzz in this one as well. In the first one, Buzz was truly “Buzz Lightyear, SPACE RANGER”. In the second one, there was a second Buzz who still thought he was a space ranger (and by adding Emperor Zurg into the mix, we were able to get some wonderful direct Star Wars references). In this one… he gets rebooted and speaks Spanish. And dances like a matador. It’s a nice twist and keeps the character interesting. My only question is what they’re going to do with Slinky Dog, who was formerly voiced by the late Jim Varney. IMDB lists Blake Clark as the new voice of the character, so we’ll have to see how he compares (interestingly, Clark had a recurring role on Home Improvement, which starred Tim Allen, the voice of Buzz).

I’m so excited about this film and have complete confidence that Pixar will give it’s fans another great story about these characters we love so much.