Toy Story 3 (2010)

Easily the best of the bunch. Great story, true to the original. Great animation. One forgets is a "cartoon". Great voices - talk about an all-star cast.

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return as the voices of Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Joan Cusack is back as Jessie. Don Rickles and Estelle Harris as the Potato Heads. Wallace Shawn and John Ratzenberger Rex and Hamm. All the staples of of series.

We are treated however to some new fun surprises. Micheal Keaton and Jodi Benson as Ken and Barbie. Fabulous! And Ned Beatty as the strawberry scented Lotso. If you have not seen it yet, you don't know what you are missing.

John Morris returns as guy who has been the voice of Andy all these years.

You may know what you think is going to happen next, but you will not guess how. You may know what you think is going to happen in the end, but you are still surprised and pleased. At least I was, and I love when that happens.

Watch this with someone who has donated their favorite toys to a worthy new owner.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

What a surprise! This is not a half-bad romantic comedy. There is even a pretty good moral to the story. The music is fun, the clothes are great, and all the characters are believable.

Isla Fisher pulls off the lead role of her career (so far) here. This minx who stole our hearts in Wedding Crashers does it again as a talented writer with a urge to splurge. I'm told she captures the book's character perfectly.

I even enjoyed the narration. To work well in a movie a narration has to be well-timed and delivered perfectly. This movie is a good example. There was not too much and not too little.

A fairly deep line-up of stars make appearances as well: Joan Cusack, John Goodman, Kristin Scott Thomas, and John Lithgow all show up and do not disappoint as New Yorkers of one ilk or another. Even Lynn Redgrave has a memorable scene.

And speaking of scenes, please rent this movie just to watch the first dance scene at a Miami salsa club. Pure comic genius. Lucille Ball would be proud of this little Redhead.

Watch this movie with someone who loves to use credit cards.

The Martian Child

In what should be required viewing for every parent, Director Menno Meyjes keeps us wondering just what is pretending, and what is reality. If you ever felt like an outsider at school, you will relate to at least one of the characters in this movie. If you are a parent of such a child, this movie will touch you deeper than anything you've seen since Lorenzo's Oil.

John Cusack (Sixteen Candles, Eight Men Out, and Serendipity) breaks out of his "Brat Pack" persona and becomes a real person with real emotions. As a widower, he is properly vulnerable and lonely. He decides to consider something he and his late wife has started to do, adopt.

Relative new-comer Bobby Coleman does a fantastic job playing the little boy who claims to be from Mars. What we don't know is if he really is, ala K-Pax, or if he is pretending. You'll not find out here.

The supporting cast is very good. Joan Cusack (Working Girl, My Blue Heaven, and too many others to pick from) plays, what else, John's sister. Amanda Peet (this is the first thing she has done since her Seinfeld appearances that I really liked) plays Cusack's gardener/friend. The sexual tention is obvious, but it is only once addressed on screen, and that is perfectly timed.

The sound-track is superb and you may want to add it to your collection. It is not however constantly in your face. It comes and goes and helps tell the story with lyrics in support of the scene.

While this movie is a little on the sappy side at the end, it is not over-done, and you probably won't mind. Watch it with someone who is unique.