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Dear reader, there is some risk of spoilers if you keep reading. So, if you want to your forthcoming viewing of Inception or Toy Story 3 to be sans spoiler, stop reading now.

I’m now going to continue writing and presume that at least one person is still reading. It’s a vain hope but a familiar one.

Inception first then. The mind-bending thriller directed by Christopher Nolan, featuring the new Robert de Niro (except he’s not really new now, is he) Leonardo di Caprio. It’s a story about people who can influence and enter dreams (by and large) and has lots of levels and is really confusing.

Except it isn’t. Well I didn’t find it all that confusing, and in a way I was a little disappointed as I was expecting something akin to a Memento/Donnie Darko type experience with added BIG HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER THRILLER scenes. It certainly delivered on the latter with some genuinely stunning special effects, the fight scene in the hotel corridor was superbly done and thankfully didn’t rely too heavily on the fast-cut edits that seem to have become the norm recently.

It’s an excellent thriller, don’t get me wrong, and the premise is a clever one, well executed I just think I got a bit caught up in the hyperbole surrounding it.

Top tip: what age are the children you see? do they sound that old on the phone?

Definitely a movie to see on the big screen but, for me, I don’t think it will enter the hallowed halls of the ‘cult’ movie. Or maybe I just need to go watch it again.

Toy Story 3, on the other hand, is already assured a place in the box office hit list. It’s the franchise that can do no wrong and, once again, the team at Pixar deliver a smart, well written movie which allows kids to have fun, whilst adults nod along and may, or you know, may not, shed a tiny tear or two… I couldn’t possibly comment.

Dealing with the reality that Andy has grown up, Woody has to come to terms with how his life is changing (given my current circumstance it was oddly familiar in a way). On the way, due to various circumstances, he ends up leading a daring rescue mission to save all his friends.  Story wise it’s simple enough, but managed to have me laughing along and genuinely on the edge of my seat at one point.

We actually saw the 3D version which was good but Pixar don’t overuse the technology, preferring to simply allow it to offer some depth without going for the “oh my god it’s coming out of the screen at me” moments we saw in Ice Age. I don’t think you’d be losing anything seeing the 2D version (and you’d save yourself a couple of quid).

I know await the Bluray boxset of the trilogy and part of me really hopes they don’t succumb and do anything more with this franchise. Time to let Woody, Buzz, Jess and all the others retire peacefully.

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Last night we went to see the latest movie from Pixar.. er.. Disney.. er Pixney… Disnar? Whatever.. it’s a Pixar movie through and through.

We chose to see the version being shown in 3D (Real-D as per copyrighted technology) and all in all it was an excellent movie with a silly story underpinned by some fantastic writing and acting.

Yes, that’s right, I said acting.

As ever the storytelling is first rate, something Pixar have always been good at, and the opening scenes, tackling the early life of the main character are truly moving and, without giving anything away, tackle a “grown up” issue in a clever way. The adults will probably get more out of this section of the movie than the children but the film doesn’t suffer for that.

Of course there are some good laugh out loud moments, coupled with character development along the way, that take you on the journey with the main characters and certainly make them seem more real than, say, the characters in The Incredibles (the only other Pixar ‘people’).

And what I think is really telling is that all that stunning imagery on screen, the subtle use of the 3D technology, and some genuinely lifelike scenery at points, is the last thing I want to mention, and even then it’s to say that it didn’t get in the road at all. Not once did I find myself losing focus on the story being told to ponder how they get water to look so realistic, or how they get feathers to float on the breeze exactly like they do in real life.

It was only on leaving the cinema that I paused to reflect that nothing I had just seen exists anywhere except on a computer.

It’s also telling that despite having the 3D technology available, and unlike Ice Age 3D, there were no scenes obviously designed to ‘feature’ the technology. Instead it was used to naturally re-enforce the ‘reality’ of the setting. Very clever, and very well done.

I’ve not seen, or read, much about this movie, which is a shame because it is wonderful. Perfectly pitched as a family movie without pulling any punches, it is probably the best bit of story telling to come from Pixar since they started.

Ohhh and whilst I remember, the new short shown before the movie was brilliant, and the trailers for the new Christmas Carol movie (which DOES look likes it makes excellent use of pushing the 3D technology hard) looks cracking!