Fifteen years ago, we were introduced to Woody, Buzz, the Potatoheads, Hamm, Rex, Slinky and, most importantly, a little animation company named Pixar. Myself a recent high school graduate at the time, I went to see some strange movie called Toy Story full of equal parts curiosity and cynicism. 90 minutes later, I joined the ranks of an amazed audience that was unprepared for something so original, innovative and thoroughly entertaining. Now, fifteen years and ten movies later, Pixar, now established as the gold standard for quality computer animated features, takes us back to Andy’s toy box for one last…and truly epic…adventure.

The story this time around sees Woody, Buzz and company preparing for the major change in their lives as a now seventeen year old Andy prepares to go off to college. The few remaining members of Team Andy ponder their fate, and through an unfortunate misunderstanding, they end up all getting donated to a daycare center.

We are introduced a surprising amount of new characters, all of whom are so masterfully crafted and performed that they amuse, scare or endear themselves to the audience with just a few lines or scenes. The stand-outs are Ned Beatty as Lotso, a teddy bear-ish character who runs the toys of the daycare center like the cruelest prison warden you can imagine, Timothy Dalton as the hilariously theatrical Mister Pricklepants, and a frightening yet heartbreaking thug known simply as Big Baby. But the one who steals the show is Michael Keaton as Ken. He and Jodi Benson as Barbie create a hilarious parody of their characters while injecting genuine heart to them as well.

Through this movie – and through all three Toy Story movies, actually – is the continuing theme of how all things end. It’s a theme that is very mature and could easily skew very dark, but is handled in a way that makes it both accessible and engaging to kids as well as adults. And while this installment has comedy and slapstick that is truly funny, it also goes to some surprisingly dark places that I won’t spoil here. But it’s the ending that is truly amazing. I don’t want to say anything about it other than the fact that I and a big burly guy sitting next to me were weeping as hard as the big burly guy’s girlfriend. Just like the first ten minutes of Up, if the last ten minutes of Toy Story 3 don’t make you cry in at least some fashion, something is broken in your soul.

This movie is the entire package. From the opening featuring a thoroughly epic dramatization of play time to the sob-inducing ending, you will laugh, cheer and cry from the heart. This isn’t just the best Toy Story movie. It may also be the best Pixar movie. While, I’m sure there will be pressure to keep the story going with more sequels (and there’s certainly doors that have been left open for that possibility), if Pixar is smart, they’ll let this be the true ending. And, if this movie proves anything, it’s that Pixar is smart. Very very smart.

In addition, the opening short, Day and Night, is one of the most innovative and creative shorts Pixar has done in a very long time.