There was a part of me that believed that Toy Story didn't need a third movie. The guys at Pixar could have been like the guys that made Wayne's World 1 & 2; they could have stopped with what they had, appreciated their success, and moved on. Ironically, Toy Story 3 is all about learning to move on when it's time to do so. Since Pixar displayed such a strong emotional bond between the toys and their owner, Andy, ending their story must have been anything but easy. Thankfully, they didn't disappoint.In (what is hopefully) the final chapter in the Toy Story saga, Andy is 17 years old and is getting ready for college. Unfortunately, he forgot about his beloved toys years ago, so his mom ends up donating them to the local daycare center. But the toys can't stand it there, because the children are anything but gentile when it comes to playtime, so they formulate a plan to escape the daycare center and get into Andy's moving boxes before he leaves home forever.
Obviously, this Disney produced movie is mainly for kids, but that doesn't mean adults won't enjoy it too, especially if they grew up with the franchise themselves. It has jokes for everyone, kids and adults, and there's even moments that can touch your heart if you let it. (Yes, my eyes leaked a little at the end. Shut up.) Most of the main characters and voice actors make their return, and there's plenty of new toys to meet too. Randy Newman even came back to write and perform the music, even though most of it is a remixed version of the "You've Got a Friend in Me" theme song.
I also saw Toy Story 3 in Dolby 3D, which, honestly, isn't the best kind there is out there. If you really want to get the image-popping experience like 3D first gave us when it was invented, you probably want to make the extra effort to see it in IMAX 3D. However, seeing this movie also made me realize that 3D animation looks a lot better in 3D than live footage or 2D cartoons. I've seen movies in Dolby 3D and Real3D, and both don't do as well. They're experiences are more like looking at things in layers, which eventually burn your eyes. So if you can't afford/get to an IMAX theater, just see the movie in 2D.
My only other concern is that Pixar might feel that three movies isn't enough. Hopefully, they'll learn from DreamWorks' mistakes with the Shrek movies, specifically parts 3 and 4. Instead of making a quality third installment to the series, DreakWorks got sloppy and threw together a weak "conclusion" to what was once a respected franchise. What's worse is they didn't learn to quit. Instead, they decided to go for the money and make a fourth movie, cutting corners along the way.
If you have kids, be a super cool parent and take them to see Toy Story 3. (Just make sure you they've seen the first two so they know what's going on.) If you don't have kids, but loved the first two, go see it. It might actually make you cry.
Toy Story 3 is rated G and is 103 minutes long. Image provided courtesy of Wikipedia.
