It’s hard to be objective with a movie like this. I grew up with Toy Story, and the movies meant so much to me. So to see a new movie with these familiar characters after over a decade of waiting, I was ecstatic. The good news is that once I took off the nostalgia goggles, it’s still a great movie. Heck, I’ll come right out and say it; Toy Story 3 may very well be the best movie of the Summer.
The remnants of Andy’s toys have grown lonely and depressed after years of no playtime. Woody, Buzz, Jesse, and the regulars try desperately to get his attention, but to no avail. When college time approaches fast, Andy must decide if the toys go with him, become stored in the attic, or go in the trash. A bunch of misunderstandings occur which leads to the toys seeking asylum at a daycare center, much to the chagrin of Woody who still believes that Andy loves his toys. The daycare turns out to be more of a prison than a community. The top toy, Lotso (a plush bear who smells like strawberries), dictates who is to be played with by the merciless toddlers who massacre toys to the point of destruction. From there, the movie turns into a prison escape movie which quickly escalates into a frightening fight for survival.
Now would be the time to show off to humans that you have souls before you are INCINERATED!
I’m a grown man and this movie had me on the edge of tears. Having grown use to these characters and watching them suffer the hardship as they did in this film, it’s intense. I watched these classic characters become shunned, thrown in the trash, massacred by toddlers, reprogrammed by other toys, tossed into the dump, and practically being cast into the pits of hell. The film should almost come with the extra title ‘The Passion of the Toys’. Even the main villain, Lotso, turns out to have a tragic back-story making him more three-dimensional than just a mustache-twirling antagonist. But, wait, isn’t this suppose to be a Pixar movie? You know, for kids? The movie thankfully lightens the mood with some brilliant comedic touches here and there.
Adults will love the nods to The Great Escape, Cool Hand Luke, and Escape from Alcatraz, and kids won’t feel alienated as they are not references that fly over their heads. Even with all the prison escaping and avoiding death, the toy aspect is always used to creative and comedic effect. One of the best bits in the film is when Buzz is reprogrammed for Spanish settings. The trailer reveals this element, but what it doesn’t show is the hilarious mannerisms and over-the-top dancing that follows. It’s probably one of my favorite scenes in the movie with the exception of the ending. I won’t spoil the final scene, but if you grew up with these characters and don’t shed one tear at that sequence, you are not a human being; you are either a robot, a Vulcan, or an emo kid.
Don't EVER trust a bear. Has Stephen Colbert taught you nothing?
The saddest thing about this movie is that in reality, Andy wouldn’t show as much love or appreciation for his toys. But the whole theme of the movie is about family and learning to say goodbye, which plays out perfectly to the last frame. The script is tight at only 100 minutes, the story is perfect, the characters are brilliant, and the animation is nothing short of incredible (as expected from Pixar). If anybody slanders this movie having not seen it for being a kids movie, please punch them in the dick. This is not just a kids movie; it’s a prison break movie, an adventure movie, and a tragic story of relationships beginning/ending all rolled into one. If you don’t like any of those movies, then, well, you know who you are.
Side-note: Keep an eye out for a Totoro toy which appears in several scenes.
{ 0 comments… add one now }