Toy Story 3
Fri, June 18, 2010 
Pixar's brilliance has been reported to the point of nausea this week with the release of Toy Story 3, which had scored a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes after 139 reviews until two jerks had to go and screw that up (I'm looking at you, Armand White and Cole Smithey).
Having seen the film this morning in IMAX/3D, I'm just going to repeat what everyone else is saying, because it's true: Pixar is freakin' brilliant, and while it may only be June, it's going to be hard to top Toy Story 3 as the best movie of the year. It's as hilarious as it is complex right up to its heartbreaking, but perfect ending.
The toys' beloved owner Andy is now a teenager. He's outgrown most of his old toys (sorry Wheezy and Bo Peep), but a few favorites have lingered in a toybox, where they haven't been played with in years. With Andy about to leave for college, Woody and the gang prepare themselves to be moved to the attic for storage. But after a mixup with a garbage bag nearly gets them tossed out with the trash, the toys wind up being donated to a local daycare.
At first, this doesn't seem like a terrible fate. The toys are desperate to be played with again, and after a tour from the strawberry-scented Lotso-Huggin' Bear, Sunnyside Daycare seems like a post-Andy paradise. But it turns out that Lotso isn't quite the cuddly friend he appears to be, and they wind up being terrorized in the daycare's toddler room. Woody, who of course knows that Andy hadn't thrown them out on purpose, stages a daring prison break to save his friends and get everyone home.
The film is a little darker in tone than the first two films. They both dealt with growing up and being outgrown of, but in this film it's finally happened. Like Jessie the Cowgirl, Lotso's story is told in a sad flashback, but his story leaves him angry and vengeful, making him an even worse villian than Sid or Stinky Pete ever were. The final action sequence at a landfill was scary enough that I was amazed it managed to keep the G-rating.
Like I said at the top of the review, I saw it in 3D. You don't need to. Like last year's Up, the 3D enchances everything to the point where you kind of forget you're watching a 3D movie after awhile, and it looks fantastic, but I'm thinking its got to be just as good in 2D.
But it's funny as well, from Buzz Lightyear getting stuck in Spanish mode to scene-stealing moments from Michael Keaton as Ken, all keep you from getting too miserable at any point during the movie.
A lot has been said about the tearjerker ending, and it is a tearjerker. There was a lot of sniffling going on in the show I saw this morning. But it's not a sad ending at all. I won't go into specifics about it, but it does confirm something we've know all along - that Andy loves these toys as much as we do.
An amazing finale to an incredible trilogy. Definitely see it.
Reader Comments (10)
Great review! I can't wait to see this now. I thnk I might go tonight. I really wanna know what this tearjerker ending is all about.
Nice review Jen! I think I might see this today before I go to Knight and Day.
Avoid the wickapedia if you do NOT want any spoilers. They basically give away the whole movie :(
I liked your review Jen. This movie was great! I would give this 10/10 easily!
I saw this yeaterday. Amazing film! Best I've seen in a long time, not just this year and not just animated.
Hey everyone - just deleted a spoiler post, so let's not post spoilers.
The movie is even better the second time, saw it again this morning with the family. My nephew LOVED it!
I saw it yesterday. I hate to say it, but I didn't love it. I didn't even think it was that sad really. Maybe I'll see it again.
I would say you're definitely int he minority on this Mitch. This movie was heart touching and amazing. If you didn't find it sad you must be broken lol. I saw this twice since saturday. Me and the kids both loved it. I just hate to see this as the end.
I don't think this is the end. They said already they plan to release a toy story short before Cars 2 so theres that to look forward too.But really aside from a short here or there what else is there to do with this?
I took the short infront of cars 2 announcemet as a way for them to drum up more interest in cars 2. Does anyone really want to see that?
I saw this yesterday. WOW, what a great movie. best movie of the year by a long shot! I can't wait for this to come out on bluray
My kids have grown up on this so it was as important for me to see it as them. I really liked it. I saw this and Knight and Day the tom cruise one, which was awful.
I thought this might have been overhyped or not as good as people were saying, but it was better. I could watch this at least 2 or 3 more times in the theatre.