I really enjoyed it, but it still felt a bit like all of Toy Story 2 rehashed but with the right ending this time. All the same themes seem to be played out in both, but they're more satisfyingly resolved this time. In many ways, some Frankenstein-like combination of 2 & 3 would probably make the perfect sequel Toy Story 1 needed.

A

^ Jessie's song/scene from TS2 would be an excellent addition.

Also, if they hadn't already had Prospector, Lotso would've been a better villain.

Honestly, I've no idea why they felt the need to give him a Southern drawl, it didn't suit the character and sure as hell made it obvious seeing that Prospector was basically the same except the voicework worked there.

The pita man made me laugh.

It was a very appropiate ending. They pretty much nailed it, in their own way of course, since I wouldn't have given my favorite toy away (and I know other people who would've done the same), but the toys passing onto another owner completed the cycle (well not really, since it's just postponing doom again, but whatever). Voice acting and animation are exceptional as is usual from a Pixar film. Just like the second there are a couple of "Dreamwork jokes" (reliant on pop culture) that fall a bit flat, but otherwise there are no cheesy lines to be found.

The way the film portrays these toys makes their plight a universal one, the emotions and doubt that one feels whenever one has to leave something behind or let go of whatever gave you safety and a sense of "home" (which was brilliantly shown near the end with Andy's mother, who in that moment became a real character). The message is so brilliantly executed that all the fun action scenes and emotional moments are just icing on the cake.

A+

PS. I was a bit bothered by their portrayal of Ken and the way other characters reacted to some of his behaviours.

I think what that scene was meant to show was that at some point, there is going to be an "incinerator", but they ultimately accepted that and chose to stop fighting the inevitable.

Which is why it would have been superior had they simply been incinerated. It would properly send that message however, as Caius said, it would simply not happen in a kids oriented film.

Maybe if one of the toys were but not all of them.

Not every movie has to end on a sad note to be good.

That's almost as pretentious as saying all modern movies/blockbusters are crap.

I'm not sure about pretension but it would certainly be less accurate. Happy endings can work extremely well but so can devastating ones. In this particular case a tragic conclusion would have been more condusive to the theme and powerful to the emotional and intellectual aspects of the film.

The conclusion I would prefer is that all the toys perish aside from woody. He could then accompany Andy to college.

that ending would have been..

laughably ridiculous

but ok, to each his own

To what theme are you referring, Michael A, because I do not see it.

I loved Toy Story 3, for me is the best of movie of the year together with Inception

In my opinion Lotso was a great villian and his end was perfect for KIDS, it would have been too strong to assimilate for little children if he had died,,,,,,,,

Completely agree.

Having them incinerated completely ruins what the Toy Story movies are about.

toy story series have not been created with the purpose of showing us death

beloved characters being killed and desappered in a film is too cruel for audiences

the incinerator scene is perfect, makes people feel worried about the toys fate

The idea of being disposable. The toys are thrown away and lotso reiterates the concept of not being wanted about 4,000,000 times. The film pretty heavily portrays the idea of not being needed in this world anymore, death would have completed this message.

^ That would've made the film have a completely different point to the one the filmmakers were trying to prove...that they WEREN'T disposable. Lotso was blinded by anger and sadness, but the film made it pretty clear Andy was not going to do the same as Lotso's owner.

B


Toy Story is a solid flick, but Toy Story 2 stands as one of my all-time favorites among animated films (probably Top 3 even) and as Pixar's best film to date. Therefore, my expectations were admittedly rather high. I am sad to say that they were not fulfilled either. Pixar delivered yet another solid film, but compared to their recent output like WALL-E and Up which pushed technical and emotional limits in animated film, this felt like a bit of a step back.

The animation is good, but once again, I felt like 3D added nothing. That's not the main point, though. Toy Story 3 is a well-done animated flick, but it never seems as mature as Up in parts (thinking of the life montage) or as daring and ambitious as WALL-E. Sure, the ending scenes are quite moving and I felt my heart sting when the toys were about to "die" (wondering whether Pixar would really pull that off). The very ending with Andy giving them all away and playing them for one last time was the film's most successful moment and definitely worked very well as the trilogy's conclusion. But apart from that it just seemed like the usual stuff that hasn't really evolved much since Toy Story 2. We're dealing with the similar kind of plot here and the villain is nothing to write home about either. It just doesn't have the spark or the great humor that the second film had and the writing is nothing more than just decent by Pixar's measures. It just always feels like the makers were recycling the successful elements of the preceding films without bothering to add something new.

Now it does work on the whole. The film doesn't lag, has a few nice action bits and humor and the character as as likable as ever. But not for a moment does it feel exhilarating which is what I felt with the second film (and still do when seeing it again). It was probably the biggest disappointment of 2010 to me and the worst film Pixar has done since A Bug's Life (as far as I am concerned). I suppose that is more of a compliment to Pixar than anything, but still...

good lord

With the success of True Grit can you not hear the storyboards humming down at Pixar?

just watched this tonight for the first time. it is what everyone says it is - a shockingly haunting and beautiful piece about loss and growing old.

Lecter have you reviewed Cars?, if there is a thread I would like to read what you thought about it, knowing that a sequel is coming out soon

I never commented on this?

I found it better than the first, not as good as the second. It takes a bit to get going, but once the escape plan starts, it's unstoppable.

It's a toss-up whether the scene in this film where Andy gives the toys to Bonnie, or the opening prologue of Carl and Ellie in Up, makes me more emotional. They both get me every time.

The true winner of Pixar getting me to cry like a little boy is



Damn you Sarah McLachlan.

When Andy gives away his toys to Bonnie in number 3, I believe the emotional appeal is sorta meta and would not work without the previous two installments, and the time between the release of number 2 and 3.