Movie Review: Toy Story 3
Movie Review: Toy Story 3 (2010)
Director: Lee Unkrich
Plot: Buzz, Woody, Rex, the Potatoheads, and the rest are back. Well, most of them. You see, Andy’s grown up too and gotten rid of most of his toys. In fact, in a few days he’s about to start his first day at college, and his mom wants him to clean out everything he’s not taking. Some things get stored in the attic, some go to school with him…and some gets thrown out.
Due to a mishap, most of Andy’s toys get put into a donation box and end up at a day care center run by a pink bear named Lotso. But things are not quite as they appear, and it turns out that the toys try to get back to Andy – but are being held at the day care center by Lotso and his goons. Now the toys must band together and escape before Andy goes away to school.
Toy Story was the first fully CG animated movie, and also an amazing flick that touched me in ways I can’t even begin to describe. As someone with an over-active imagination, I played with my toys all the time, right up until college. Even then I was trying to make stop-and-go animated films with my GI Joe figures.
Toy Story 2 was a fun romp through the world that John Lasseter had created, and continued the success of the Pixar animated flicks. Toy Story 3 was the first in the franchise not directed by John Lasseter, which had me a little worried. Let me just say from the word “go” this movie is magical. Absolutely and completely. From the opening sequence (a direct call back to the first flick) to the final shot (I thought freshmen weren’t allowed to have cars on campus), this movie will captivate your imagination and throw you on an emotional / nostalgic rollercoaster that will make you long for the days of playing with your toys – or pull them back out and play with them again.
Your kids will love it, you’ll love it – and it won’t be able to come out to blu-ray fast enough.
Just a warning for more sensitive viewers (ie: the little little kids), the ending of the movie is kind of intense. I was surprised that they got away with the G rating, just based on how intense it was. My buddy and I were like, “oh snap, they’re not going to do this. No way!” And I won’t give away spoilers, but we were practically in tears.
Will this be the final Toy Story movie? I hope not. They certainly left it open for the possibility of more. And I hope it happens. The imaginative world that these characters inhabit reminds me of the adventures that I used to go on with my toys. And I love that nostalgic feeling. And I long to play with my kids and their toys and have those adventures again. Someday.
