So many film series make unnecessary, or sub par sequels when they see potential for money. Pixar has always maintained a high level of quality, and Toy Story’s third, and presumably final instalment did not disappoint. I may be a little bit late to the party with this one but, but better late than never. Toy Story 3 was visually stunning, pulled on your heart stings, had a phenomenal voice acting cast, and delivered a wonderful bitter sweet ending.
Andy is now 17 years old. Woody, Buzz, and the gang live forgotten in a trunk next to his bed. As he prepares to go to college his mother pesters him to decide what to do with his old toys, donate them, or throw them out. I kept glancing at my tattered old Winnie the Pooh sitting on my shelf, and wondering if he could relate. When an accident almost causes the gang to get thrown out, the toys decide to stow away in the donation box to Sunnyside Daycare. It seems like a paradise for the toys. They will never run out of young children to love and play with them. But all is not right at Sunnyside. What should be a heaven for the toys is actually a nightmare, ruled over by a cruel dictator. The toys have to unite to survive, escape from daycare, and make it home to Andy. Is a 17 year old really worth going home to for a toy?
I thought that the most striking element of this movie was the villain. Like Toy Story 2 the bad guy is a toy. Here we have the unassuming magenta teddy bear named Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear. Lotso is very different from Stinky Pete the Prospector. Stinky Pete wasn’t actively cruel for cruelty’s sake. Lotso is a an abandon toy who’s gone crazy. He rules Sunnyside with the authority of a mob boss. Big Baby acts as his personal goon/hitman. Voiced by Ned Beatty Lotso genial nature is a masks for a depressed, vicious, and vindictive personality. At one point he screams something to the effect “We’re all trash. That’s all any toy is! Just trash waiting to be thrown out!” For a kids movie that’s amazingly nihilistic. The contrast between his cute appearance and true personality only amplifies how scary he is. I wonder if the Joker had a Lots-O’-Huggin’ bear growing up. All in all he was a phenomenal villain.
My only complaint is that the toys all are in next to mint condition. Buzz is missing a sticker, and Mrs. Potato Head is missing an eye, but that’s its. None of the toys are tattered. None of their paint is chipped or worn. I know my well loved toys from my childhood are real beaten up. Andy but be beyond good to them.
The first Toy Story was an instant classic. I was in fifth grade when it came out, and I loved the movie. I’m glad to see that the final act in the Toy Story saga ended on a high note, with a happy ending for our friends.
On a scale of 1 to Epic, (Epic= 10) I’d give it a 9.1