They Just Wanna Be Played With
Posted by The Citizen Review | Posted in animated movies , animation , Jack Meriwether , Mathew Meriwether , pixar , toy story 3 | Posted on 11:21 PM
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Overall grade: A-
Matthew Says: A-
Well, Pixar just can't let go. Toy Story was their first film, and arguably their most acclaimed film, giving them the success they now have today. And the story continues with a third and probably final chapter that will be welcomed well among the other two.
Andy is going to college, and the toys haven't been played with in years. The toys decide they will go in the attic and wait until (possibly) Andy has children of his own. Until then, they will still all be together. Not everyone is on board with this plan, but Woody wants to be loyal to Andy. However, fate has other plans. They eventually (after a series of events) get placed in a donation box for Sunnyside Daycare. They think it will be a dream come true, but later realize it's their worst nightmare. And soon enough, it's escape time!
This movie truly has everything. Adventure, wit, horror, and sadness. By the end of it, I had laughed, cried, been scared and held at the edge of my seat.
The movie picks up right where it left breathlessly. It's as if the story wasn't managed or adjusted by people or companies, but just continued on by itself. But the true power of this movie lies in it's true, ironic human quality. It shows the most endearing, dark and emotional parts of humans throughout the movie. And by the end, you just feel so moved by these toys that have showed you these things. They are saying goodbye to Andy, but really we are saying goodbye to them. And a sad farewell it is.
Jack says: A-
Everyone loves Pixar, just admit it. The storytellers and animators at work behind those doors have the ability to move us in a way that no other production company does with its movies. Ever since their first release, a movie called Toy Story, they have set their own little standard for comedy, adventure, animation and heartfelt storytelling. Their newest release has toys moving us from the edge of our seats, to fits of laughter and eventually to tears. Only Pixar can do this.
The third and most likely last installment in the Toy Story franchise has just been released and it manages to pack it all in. It opens with the beautifully familiar cast of toys griping over the fact that Andy, their devoted owner, is all grown up and moving away to college later that week. They are all discouraged and Woody, their faithful leader, tells them not to worry. Panic once again arises when they find out that they are likely to be thrown away when Andy does leave. This hurts the gang, how could their lifelong pal, Andy, abandon them like this? This sets off a roller coaster and thrills and chase sequences and mad escape scenes, just like we know Toy Story to do.
Like I said, Toy Story 3 has the ability to move the viewer. When Andy is looking at his old toys with trepidation and longing, wondering whether to throw them out, we feel heartache. When the gang is about to be devoured by evil flames, we are truly scared and wonder about their fate. When the final scenes play out, we feel sadness and comfort as well.
The film has the ability to reach such heights because it tells a story we can all relate to, or feel we could. We've literally grown up with these characters in real time. Pixar didn't skip around with its film's timeline. When the film opens up eleven years later, eleven years really have passed. Maybe we think about how much we've changed since we last saw Woody and Buzz. So we feel a certain familial tie to the characters. As we see Andy grown up and ready for college, it makes us sad too. It's also affecting on the viewers side because we all feel that Toy Story is finally ending, it's poignant on many levels .
Toy Story 3 has a common life theme: change. Change with the familiarity of life. Change from the 'good old days' when you were played with. Its theme is also feeling loved. It is said often in this movie that all the toys want is to be played with. The antagonist in the story is shown being deeply, psychologically affected by feeling unloved. The film shows us what happens when we feel unnecessary. The same can be said of humans, all we want is to be loved. It's the deepest desire of our hearts. But Toy Story 3 also teaches us that we not only want to be played with, but we want to be played with by the people who matter.
Sincerely,
The Citizen Review
