Yeah, that part did kind of creep me out a little.
Yeah, I know exactly what you mean! [spoil]The way they cut it out just gives me the shivers. Like all the instruments drop out first, and then it’s just “Our friendship will never die.” And then after that the picture cuts to black abruptly and all that’s left is this ghastly echo.[/spoil] I totally saw that part coming, but it still gives me the chills.
The bar was raised high for Toy Story 3, after the first two, but not only did they reach the bar. They went to infinity and beyond. 
Overall score: ∞/10.
At long last, after six years, another movie has finally surpassed The Incredibles as my favourite Pixar film of all time. Toy Story 3 is, quite simply, pure cinematic perfection. I watched it with a bunch of close friends earlier today and we all came out realizing we’ve all just witnessed a masterpiece (the 11th masterpiece in a row for Pixar). My revised list is as follows:
- Toy Story 3
- The Incredibles
- Up
- Finding Nemo
- WALL-E
- Ratatouille
- Toy Story 2
- Toy Story
- A Bug’s Life
- Monsters, Inc.
- Cars
Lesson? Pixar can do no wrong.
By the way, if eligible, the song that plays at the end of the movie has, in my opinion, a great shot at being nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars. I also think Pixar’s second Best Picture nomination is in the bag (it has a very good chance of winning, in fact). Yep, it’s that darn good.
So I got back from my viewing of Toy Story 3, and it was one of the best cinema experiences I had this year. I went with only one of my friends, as the others bailed on us and went to watch Shrek Forever After instead. 
The previews were good; Tangled, Rio and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole. I’m mad that Greater Union (now rebranded Event Cinemas) chose not to screen Day & Night like they with Up last year for Partly Cloudy, so Sydneysiders take note. I don’t know what the other chains are up to, but do not watch at the one in George Street if you plan on seeing the (supposed-to-be) attached short. 
Anyway, back to the film. Yes, it’s spectacular. Yes, Pixar has done the impossible and not only kept up their winning streak, but made a second good sequel, completing one of the best all-rounded trilogies since Lord of the Rings and the original Star Wars. The plot as I’m sure most of you discerned from the trailer is a homage to prison-escape movies. Universal themes intrinsic to the human experience such as loss, abandonment, betrayal and acceptance are covered, which is one of Pixar’s primary strengths as a storyteller, unlike other studios which settle for generic parodies or heavy-handed sermonizing.
The opening sequence, in my opinion, is Pixar’s most entertaining to date. Certainly not the most emotional, since Finding Nemo, WALL-E or Up can lay claim to that. But as the most visually-‘epic’ and over-the-top fun, a resounding yes. This is one of the few scenes I think deserve the big-screen treatment, especially if there is an IMAX or similar megascreen nearby which you can take full advantage of. The rest of the movie is pretty okay, since it would be nice to see it from a toy’s perspective on a large-format, but not entirely necessary. Oh, yeah, and the climax, too, that also warrants the theatre visit.
Characters are endearing, though I didn’t connect with them as deeply as I did for How to Train Your Dragon, TS3’s biggest rival for Best Animated Ghetto next year. Maybe it was a sense of character-overload, or that the villain’s motivation felt a bit weak (not to mention selfish) to me. Although I have to say the villain’s backstory scene in particular had brilliant cinematography, and ranks right up there with Jessie’s ‘When She Loved Me’ for emotional impact.
I felt the secondary character’s were more fleshed-out, I loved the Ken and Barbie romance subplot, and Dalton, Garlin and Hunt delivered great V-O performances as Mr. Pricklepants, Trixie and Dolly respectively.
As for the protagonists, Woody’s story was the strongest and the main focal point of the entire film, which I appreciated. There are some sweet scenes which pretty much confirms any doubts about [spoil]Buzz and Jessie-shippers[/spoil]. Rex, my favourite side character, gets more screentime, and the Potato Heads’ married-couple relationship is adorable.
The funniest scenes for me were [spoil]Mr. Tortilla Head[/spoil], anytime Ken walks, [spoil]Pricklepants ‘shushing’[/spoil] and Spanish Buzz (which bears similarities to WALL-E’s reboot). The audience in my audience laughed hardest for the first and the last. The climax has to be one of the scariest and most intense of any Pixar film to date (although it is again reminiscent of [spoil]‘Garbage Airlock’ in WALL-E[/spoil]). I actually swore in terror (“Oh s***!”) when I saw the [spoil]spinning blades of death[/spoil], and seriously thought that [spoil]all of them, or at least some, were going to perish in the fire-pit[/spoil] (cos’ if any Western studio is capable of a sad ending, it’s Pixar). I was also shocked with [spoil]Bo-Peep’s departure, and of Lotso’s irredeemable betrayal even after Woody and Buzz saved him.[/spoil]
The ending, much like How to Train Your Dragon, was perfect. It is unexpected (I thought [spoil]Woody was going to write for Andy to send the rest back to Sunnyside[/spoil]), bittersweet, and poignant. A couple of audience members kinda ruined the mood by laughing when [spoil]Andy gazed too longingly at the gang before driving away[/spoil] (and I had to agree it got a tad melodramatic), but, darn it, it was the best way to send this saga off on a high note. I was close to tears, and my friend agreed “the ending was very good”. Other weepie-moments are [spoil]Andy’s mum being affected by Andy’s departure (something which my mum also did when I went off to college, and which I can totally relate to) and the gang holding hands as they face their mortality in the fire-pit.[/spoil]
All in all, this is another entry into Pixar’s stellar line of masterpieces, and I’m very proud they have continued to set the bar for not just animation, but film in general. It’s time the movie business sit up and take notice, and I’ll be darned if the Academy doesn’t nominate Pixar for Best Pic again next year.
In terms of the Pixar pantheon, I personally felt it was better paced and heartbreaking than Up (probably because I grew up with the first two films), but does not quite match WALL-E for true cinematic moments or fantastic settings (although again, the opening sequence is worth the price of admission alone).
In comparison with its direct competitor Dragon, it’s sort of like the Up/Avatar conundrum last year. In extremely simple terms, Up=TS3 and Avatar=HTTYD for me. One is very emotionally-draining and difficult to watch multiple times, while the other is more digestible and relatable for me. But they are both very, very, very good, and I’ll be hard-pressed to pick the better one. Definitely Film of the Year, if Inception or Ga’Hoole don’t impress me.
Late getting back here, so I’ll simply say that Toy Story 3 is certainly one of the best films of any kind this year. It has everything, and it has the same love of craft and story that we’ve come to admire.
It’s hard to rearrange the order in which I like all the Pixar films, but this is one of my top 3, right up there with Up and WALL-E.
Bravo, and keep 'em coming.
PS
Watching the trailers for other animated films after seeing this for the second time made them all look pretty ho-hum, or downright amateurish. Only Despicable Me looked amusing, although the jokes were very tired in the previews.
If you haven’t checked out my review, please click below…
youtube.com/watch?v=eKNjN5e6chw
Send to friends too if you’d be so kind! 
It was great! I was pleasantly surprised by Pixar yet again. 
My favorite scene was [spoil]Andy playing with Bonnie[/spoil]. I cried for the last 30 minutes. The beginning was amazing, too. <3 My only complaint was [spoil]I was hoping Buzz and Jessie would have a bonafide kissing scene. No, the cheek doesn’t count[/spoil]. The changing of directorial hands was extremely detectable, but I thoroughly enjoyed this ride on Lee’s first. My final verdict: crack out the hankies and buckle your seat belts. I also loved Barbie and Ken. I thought that scene where they play the [spoil]cheesy love ballad[/spoil] would kill it, but it really wasn’t that big of a deal,
Spoiler tags fixed and added TDIT
One of the best movies this year. One of my favorite scanes was when [spoil] the toys where on the trash fire thing and thought they were going to die.[/spoil]
I also liked [spoil] the claw been spoken to all the time and Sid jamming to his music.[/spoil] The ending was really [spoil] good and sad. I almost cried when Andy said, “Thanks guys.” and drove off - then Woody said, “So long, partner.” [/spoil] I give it a 5/5.
Well! What an amazing rollercoaster ride of a story! It’s going to take me a bit of time to digest it (I definitely want to have at least one more viewing), but I’ll put down my initial thoughts here for now.
[spoiler]
As others have said, the change in directors was quite obvious, as the story had a rather different feel to it than its two predecessors - far darker and sadder. The scene in which the toys accepted their fate and held hands in a circle before their perceived end at the trash compactor was just so heartbreaking. And, wow, Lotso has got to be one of Pixar’s most sadistic villains to date - not only did he betray and lie to his friends, as well as the new toys at the daycare, but he also attempted to condemn Andy’s toys to a terribly cruel death, immediately after they saved him. What a…heh, probably shouldn’t say my word for Lotso here. 
However, that’s not to say that it never had its light-hearted moments, with Mr. “Tortilla/Cucumber Head,” Barbie and, of course, “groovy” Ken providing ample comic humour.
And how about that ending, eh? I felt it was a perfect way to wrap up the series - so very bittersweet. The story ended up coming full circle, as Andy grew up and passed on his old childhood friends to a new owner, who would cherish them just as he did. The film was not only about the importance of friendship and sticking together, but also the acceptance of change and growth.
At this point, I refuse to give the film a numerical rating. I think I really do need to mull over it and watch it again before I can fully process it, I think. I simply can’t say whether it’s better or worse than the other two - it’s just different, and incredibly special in its own way.[/spoiler]
I just watched it for the second time and [spoil]when Woody and Andy were saying goodbye[/spoil] was much more emotional for me this time around. I’ve been watching Toy Story since I was a one year old, and over that time Woody and the gang has become like a family to me. It was like I was saying goodbye. Toy Story 3 is a magnificent movie and I will never get too old for my pal Woody.
I can’t say too much that everyone else has already said, but this is the first movie that has made me cry. It’s THAT good.
I went with my younger siblings and grandmother who hasn’t seen a movie since we took her to Up (which she loved and must have hit close to her since my grandfather had died too long before that). She loved this one, too! She probably saw the first one forever ago and hasn’t seen the second, but she really got into some of the scenes. One interesting part: [spoil]Ken’s disco ball[/spoil] brought her to a time she had shared with my grandfather. She also loved [spoil]Mr. Tortilla Head[/spoil] I loved TS3 so much, but sharing the experience with my grandma made it that much better!
I saw it the second time in IMAX. My family was on vacation in Michigan and we stopped at the Henry Ford museum where–what do you know!-they were showing TS3 for its last day in IMAX! It took some prodding because my little brother didn’t want to see it again, but they bought a ticket for me. One thing that lessened that experience: this guy in front of me laughed at EVERY joke. But the IMAX experience was phenomanal.
One last thing: One thing that helped this Toy Story, I think, was that it brought back some of the dementedness of the first. Characters like Big Baby were, I think, great.
Sorry if I rambled too much. This is certainly my longest post ever. Thanks for reading!
I’m one of the first people in the Republic of Ireland to see Toy Story 3 and I am literally a stammering wreck. One of the scariest things in cinema. I cried like a baby. Thank you, Pixar. Thank you.
I just saw the movie yesterday (in a drive-in theater!). All I can say is that it was incredible.
That must have been so much fun!
It was! Except for the fact that I spilled Mountain Dew all over the back of the car. And it’s not too comfortable sitting in the trunk, but other than that it was very enjoyable.
I saw Toy Story 3 on opening day. Had troubles walking to the theater & back but it was well worth it. This movie is terrific. Toy Story 3 has humor that any age group can enjoy, which is great. But I had the worst crowd, though. I laugh & other people didn’t, they just sit there. The movie seems darker then the other two, but its supposed to since the relationship between the toys & Andy is going away. The movie was going to be 9/10 for me, until the end. Then the movie boost itself to a 10/10. And the movie replaced my 6 year old favorite movie seen in theaters, Star Wars Episode III. This movie is better than 2 & barely a bit better than Toy Story In my opinion. Day and Night was a creative short.
I found Toy Story 3 very difficult to digest. Immediately after seeing it, I honestly couldn’t decide what I felt about it- it’s just so different to its predecessors! But a day later, I’m now able to express my feelings.
[spoil]Toy Story 3 was just so dark! Not just in its themes, but even in its scenery and settings - the Daycare, though bright and cheerful at first, quickly became a frightening place; the dump and trash incinerator just speaks for itself; even Andy’s room at the beginning of the movie didn’t exactly feel homely considering the situation the toys were in. To me, at first, it felt very empty, very uncomfortable without all of the minor toys being there.
But what Toy Story 3 took away in terms of old characters and an old, homely feeling, it added with the strongest humour of all three films (Ken and Barbie are incredible! Just the way Ken walked was hilarious) and without this it would’ve been a very depressing film indeed. The light-hearted moments kept this movie going.
The added darkness and terror was surprising, but I do think it worked well. It was like the toys’ final test, and they got through it. At some points I couldn’t believe what I was actually seeing, for example I was shocked by the treatment of the toys in the daycare (Rex’s tail coming off really upset me! I was like, ‘NOES!’) and, unbeknownst to me I’d later be seeing the toys giving into the Reaper himself. Comparing this with the trials and tribulations of the previous two films, well, it makes what they’d already been through seem like nothing in comparison. I mean, think about it - the ‘horrible’ thing that Woody had to go through in the original was being in Sid’s room! It’s almost laughable.
There were a couple of things I was a little unsure of. The new characters were, on the whole, great, but so many of them seemed dark and scary. The monkey (my GOD, that monkey!), Lotso, Big Baby (who, despite his redemption at the end of the film, looks and sounds scary, there’s no denying it) and even the telephone toy that helped out Woody - they all were a bit unnerving! This did make the film a bit more exciting, though, so instead of presenting all toys as lovely and innocent, it’s more truthful. The lack of screen time some of our old favourites had was a sacrifice for the newer characters, but I believe Unkrich managed to achieve the right balance here considering the length of the film.
The music also distracted me at times. I guess it was because I recognised some of the melodies from the previous films, but because they were slightly different they attracted my attention and I wasn’t sure if they quite fitted those certain sections of the movie in the same way that they did before. Hmm.
The ending was great, of course. It all worked out well in the end and this I wasn’t surprised by. Despite this, I still got upset - it was all so heart-warming and lovely. The perfect ending, really.[/spoil]
All in all, although Toy Story 3 is certainly a different kettle of fish to its predecessors, it complements them well and completes the series. As a film on its own, it’s strong, but when it’s combined with knowledge of what’s happened before, it really comes into its own. I doubt I’ll be seeing a better film this year.
Agreed about the sound track, whenever I heard something familiar I instantly would remember, (or try to) when it was used in previously. I think more fresh stuff would have been nice. the finale track for example was spectacular. the rest kinda riffed on older stuff. Sometimes to its advantage, but other times its like, really, your going to use that again, and there? If you say so…
Yes, that’s exactly how I felt about it, Kyle! To those that haven’t seen the previous films, or at least haven’t seen them many times, it probably seems okay, but to those of us who do recognise the riffs as you called them, they didn’t always fit quite right.