[Voice] Cast: I like John C. Reilly. He has a good voice and conveys a lot with it. Jack McBrayer is basically a live-action cartoon so this was perfect for hm and I expect more voice-work to come to him over time. Jane Lynch is recognizably herself and that works well for this medium. My real props go to Sarah Silverman who has a great voice for animation but who's material has been too risque to given a shot on a major family movie. The props go to Disney as well for letting her be herself in the end. There's some jokes that sound more like her voice than anything Disney would do (Dreamworks, maybe).
Plot: With a family movie, it's never about going somewhere you don't expect. The question is how it does it. This movie is a success in my book because it manages to not talk down to the adult audience while still being accessible to the kids. There were more than a few genuinely touching moments which is more than I can say of a lot of movies I see. The plethora of retro video game references is pretty impressive, especially the number of characters they were allowed to use.
Elephant in the Room: This isn't Pixar, right? Correct. At this point it's hard to remember that Pixar is not the blanket name for all Disney animation. They don't do a lot these days. Tangled's the last one of note, but Disney is finally coming into their own after the fall of the 90s heyday, and sure, if Pixar is the gold-standard, then Disney Animation is certainly making a case for the silver.
To Sum Things Up:
This movie was clever, albeit the inspiration from Toy Story is undeniable. It's endearing and sweet, with a good message. In other words, it's Disney in a nutshell. There won't be a lot of good animated or family fare this season, so anyone looking would be well served to give this one a chance.
Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend
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