First Look: ‘Toy Story 3′ a happy reunion with a few frights

The story: Owner Andy is heading to college (though his mom, strangely, doesn't appear to have aged a day), and his toys are bummed that he's outgrown them. Mistakenly, several that Andy intended to store in the attic end up being thrown into the garbage, later winding up in a day care center populated by abusive toddlers and ruled by Lotso (Ned Beatty), a huggy bear who's not nearly as nice as his honeyed accent and strawberry scent would suggest. The toys plot their escape and a hoped-for reunion with Andy.

Caution, mature themes: For kids movies with a fun sense of tomfoolery, the "Toy Story" films touch some serious emotions. "3″ has a lot about the passage of time and the sudden irrelevance of things once beloved. Also, the toys' virtual imprisonment at the ironically named Sunnyside Daycare and their sometimes surprisingly harrowing escape (especially a scene at a trash facility with a menacing furnace) may cause younger viewers to feel insecure and/or to shield their eyes.

Funny stuff: Barbie (Jodi Benson) finally meets her Ken (Michael Keaton), an air-head with a fabulous array of shiny outfits. A switch on Buzz's back gets thrown and suddenly he talks like a Latin Lothario to cowgirl Jessie. Mr. Potato Head's features wind up on a tortilla, which can't bear the weight of his features, so he wobbles around in an amusing bit of slapstick.

Another slab of Hamm: John Ratzenberger, the voice of pink piggy bank Hamm, is back for his 11th Pixar film. Considered the studio's good luck charm, he's the only actor to appear in all its movies.

The third dimension: Are 3-D movies already becoming trite (again)? Kids will enjoy toying with the glasses, but it's the story, not the technology, that stands out.