Published on
Toy Story 3 proves that sequels can be a good thing, that trilogies don’t need to fall apart in a third installment and that making a sequel a decade plus after the previous movie can actually be a good thing. You might want to argue that Lord Of The Rings proved that trilogies can keep up the high quality over the course of three movies but that was really just one big story cut into three pieces. Toy Story also pushes the envelope when it comes to making a dark and scary movie with heavy themes for kids. As funny as it might be the movie isn’t really cheerful.
In Toy Story 2 Cowboy girl toy Jessie told in a touching flashback how she was always there for her owner to play with until the day came the little girl grew up and forgot about Jessie. Now ten years later Andy has grown up and is ready to go to college. The toys already have been put in a big toy chest a long time ago, but now with Andy leaving they face the fear of being thrown away, sold or put in the attic. They hope for the attic.
Through a series of unfortunate events they end up in Sunnyside Daycare center where the toys seemingly get a warm welcome and the chance to be played with over and over again. Heaven on earth, as it seems at first, turns out to be quite the opposite when Lotso, who runs the Daycare center, is exposed as to being a tyrannical bear.
Toy Story 3 contains some big themes and seems to be more aimed at adults than small kids. What is ironic in this case is that in some countries only a dubbed version for kids was released in theaters instead of the originals.
At points these characters touched a sensitive snare with me as they really seem to be more in a horror story than in a kids movie. The furnace sequence alone was a moment which was very dark and touching and I was afraid that Pixar actually would went this way in making a conclusion to the series. It would be a bold move, and Pixar is a bold company.
With a new setting comes a bunch of new characters. Some made up by Pixar, some coming from our own youth. Everybody will probably remember that Fisher Price telephone and Barbie finally gets her Ken who is in denial of being a girl toy yet is the ultimate metrosexual with his dream house, walk-in closet and feminine handwriting.
Despite the heavy subjects there is still plenty to laugh. There are a lot of funny bits, of which Buzz‘ Spanish mode is one of the highlights. Visually the guys at Pixar don’t disappoint. Though we are at a point that all these CG animated movies look picture perfect and there haven’t been many groundbreaking technologies in terms of animation the last couple of years the guys at Pixar make sure every pixel is rendered beautifully.
The ending is really touching and ends with a sentimental touch as well as a possibility for a new sequel. If one company should now be able to produce a critical and commercial successful quadrilogy it would be Pixar.
