Toy Story 3

The rootinest tootinest film of 2010!

Both Vicky and myself went to see this film on its opening in the UK on Monday 19th July. I went with my youngest daughter in Kettering, while Vicky went to watch it in Lincoln. As we are both Toy Story fans, we thought it would be a great idea if we wrote a blog about the film, giving our contrasting views of it. So here it is....

Vicky's Toy Story 3

As a huge fan of the previous two Toy Story films, I had very high expectations for the third one – and it definitely didn’t disappoint!

I was Buzzing with excitement as the trailers rolled wondering what adventure Andy’s toys would embark on 15 years after the original film was released and just as Andy is all set to leave home for college.

As Andy is packing his boxes for college, his Mum says whatever he doesn’t take with him or puts in the attic goes out with the trash. As Andy opens his old toy chest, the audience is glued to the screen wondering....Woody or wouldn’t he?

As with any Toy Story plot, the plan never works out as intended and this is where the adventure really begins (don’t worry – I won’t ruin it if you’ve not yet seen it).

As Dom outlined in his section, there are some very Slinky themes intertwined throughout the film; separation, friendship and loss. These are very well received by adults and children alike as there is always some concern, especially with kid’s movies, that the makers try to Hamm up the storylines too much which results in a loss of interest or a very drawn out plot.

After the drama, twists, turns and turmoil at Sunnyside Daycare, the pals are finally back in Andy’s room just in the nick of time (as always). As he leaves his Mum and sister to embark on his college journey, Andy has a few heart wrenching decisions to make.... And he (Andy, gettit?) makes all the right ones in a very emotional final scene. Does the film’s ending set it up for a Toy Story 4? Absolutely! In my opinion this is one of the greatest films of the year and it is surely destined to win many awards.

Dominic's Toy Story

As anyone who knows me will testify, I am a huge Toy Story fan. They are amongst the best films made, and I’m not just talking about kid’s films. I have a collection of Toy Story figures next to me at work. It was with much anticipation that I went with my youngest daughter to see the latest (and last) in the Toy Story trilogy. We went for the option of watching the film in 3D.

This is not a blow by blow account of the film. If you want a review of Toy Story 3, then you’ve come to the wrong place. I want to concentrate on the themes the film raises. It may seem odd to write an article about these themes, seeing as the film is a kid’s film. However, that is where the deception starts. Toy Story 3 is not just a kid’s film. It is obvious the film was written as much with the older audience and parents in mind, as for the younger audience.

I had heard reviews of the film stating that it hits many emotionally sensitive issues including friendship, love, loss and separation. It was even reported that grown men were finding themselves having a cry to the film. In all honesty, I didn’t find this in the least bit surprising, seeing as this was a Pixar film. As anyone who has watched their films, you cannot have failed to notice the sentimentality that they frequently put into their films. In the film Wall-E, the little truck based robot falls in love with the sophisticated modern robot. They hold hands and fly through space in wanton abandon. Parental loyalty and letting your child grow up and make their own decisions is tackled in Finding Nemo. Many of their films tackle themes that a younger audience would either not detect, or ignore. These are deliberately interwoven into the film for the older audience.

This is one of the reasons why Pixar make such good films. They work so effortlessly on multiple levels. The younger audience see the cute characters, while the older audience sees the deeper themes that are at work.

So as this was the last Toy Story film, I was fully expecting to see themes of separation and friendship being brought into the film. The boy in the film Andy, who was 10 years old in the previous films is now 17 and getting ready to leave home for college. While clearing out his room, he comes across all his old toys (or the ones that still remain as many are no longer in the film as they’ve been sold at garage sales, given to charity etc). Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Rex, Hamm et al still remain, but are all now kept in a chest as they are no longer played with on a regular basis. Even at this early point in the film, we are headlong into the theme of loss, as Woody discusses with the other toys that he’s sad that he’s had to say goodbye to many of his friends, including Bo Peep (his one true love).

There is a very touching scene in the film, where the toys are in a recycling plant, and end up on a conveyor belt that has tipped them into a furnace. As they slide down the side towards almost certain death, we see them resign themselves to their fate, and all reach out to hold each other’s hands. This was a truly touching moment. That even in death, they had each other.

Along the way during the film, we encounter a lovely little girl called Bonnie who takes really good care of her toys, and spends all her free time playing with them. When it finally comes time for Andy to clear out his room and leave for college, Woody leaves a note on the cardboard box where they’re all being kept, that he should give his old toys to Bonnie. Andy drives over to Bonnie’s house to give her the last of his toys. He takes them out of the cardboard box one by one and describes them to her, and why he loved playing with them. In another lovely scene, we see Andy and Bonnie playing with all of his toys outside in the garden. Even Andy, who is 17, gets caught up in the moment of playing with all his old toys. For Andy however, this will be his last time he does so.

As the film closes, we see Andy driving away to college while his old toys look on after him. It’s a scene reminiscent of disappearing over the horizon, and deliberately so, for it is intended to reflect the sadness of losing someone you’ve been close to. For Woody and the other toys, they’ve grown up with Andy, and now have to see him drive away as he grows up and leaves them behind. For Andy, he has to come to terms with the fact that’s now a young man and needs to mature into an adult, and all that entails.

For the record, yes I did have a cry at the film, and have absolutely no issue with admitting it. It’s a wonderfully sentimental and emotional film, not to mention hilarious too. I absolutely loved it!