1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Toy Story 3

#937- Toy Story 3 (2010)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack
Directed by: Lee Unkrich


Plot Summary: Andy has grown up and not played with his toys in years. Throughout the years, Woody, Buzz and a handful of other toys are the only ones to not be given away. As Andy prepares to go to college, he decides he wants to take Woody with him, leaving the rest of the toys to realize they aren't needed any longer. They voluntarily go to Sunnyside Daycare to be played with for generations. They are welcomed by Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear and Ken, who seem to be the leaders of the toys at Sunnyside. After learning what Lotso, Ken and many of the other toys have in mind for Buzz and the rest of Andy's toys, it is up to Woody to help them escape Sunnyside Daycare and make it back home before Andy leaves for college.


In the summer of 2010, I saw Toy Story 3 in theaters with my best friend, and a visual representation of the phrase "all good things must come to an end" played out in more than one way. We were both 16-years-old and were preparing for our senior year of high school, knowing college was right around the corner. To make things even more dramatic, he was staying in California for school and I was moving to go to school in Illinois. With moving away and starting college on the horizon, I knew my childhood was coming to an end shortly, a theme that is presented heavily in the final installment of the Toy Story Trilogy. So what would I end up thinking of the film that not only accurately fit what I was going through, but also served as the conclusion to the greatest animated franchise of my generation?

The biggest contribution Toy Story 3 makes in new characters is through a wide variety of new villains. The main antagonist of the film is Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear, voiced by Ned Beatty. Lotso seems trusting at first, but his methods and motivations shine through later in the plot. While he does have his reasons, the audience would have to agree that his mind got a little warped along the way, and maybe what he's doing doesn't necessarily mesh well with his reasoning. My favorite new character in the film is definitely Ken, voiced by Michael Keaton. The character is absolutely hilarious in everything he does, from his confusion of being labelled a toy for girls, to his romance with new-found girlfriend Barbie, voiced by Jodi Benson. Some of my favorite scenes in the film were just of Ken being an idiot, but still keeping his confidence.

For a good portion of the film, we follow Woody as he is inside the house of a little girl named Bonnie, voiced by Emily Hahn. Bonnie is an adorable little girl with a large imagination and love of toys. The audience, along with Woody, gets to know her toys fairly well in the time they are given. Mr. Pricklepants, voiced by Timothy Dalton, is given the personality of a great Shakespearean actor, while also having an entertaining diva-like attitude. Buttercup, voiced by Jeff Garlin, is a stuffed unicorn with a sarcastic and relaxed attitude. Dolly, voiced by Bonnie Hunt, serves as the guide for Woody and offers to help him get used to his surroundings. Trixie, voiced by Kristen Schaal, is a fun-loving Triceratops and probably the most likable character in Bonnie's collection. Together, the toys make a fun "improv" group that love when Bonnie gives them new material to work off of.

One of my favorite parts of the film is its attention to detail when it comes to the growth of Andy as a teenager. Pixar sought out John Morris, the voice of Andy when he is a child in Toy Story and Toy Story 2, and wanted him to voice Andy. It's refreshing to see the amount of respect and importance of keeping a cast whole, instead of just finding some modern teenage sensation to fill in for Morris. Little details like that really help establish Andy as a crucial character in this film, and almost an entity for the entire theme of childhood coming to an end. At the time of seeing the film, I was the same age Andy was, so it was really easy to understand what he was going through because I was going through the same situation. Because growing up and going to college is a natural part of life, it's impossible to look down on Andy for "abandoning" his toys

The film's darker tone is emphasized greatly in the first of two emotional endings.The first ending is one of those rare times where a moment in a Disney film can be both touching and heartbreaking at once. Seeing the journey these characters have gone on during this trilogy and then to see what potentially could be their fate, it's very grim and shocking to see. I remember tons of younger children in the theater either confused at what was going on (I'd hate to be the parent that had to explain THAT) or knew what was happening and bawling their eyes out. Luckily, it's not the final moments of the film.

The REAL ending of the film is the moment that had me and my best friend bawling our eyes out in the movie theater. What it was able to do was take the themes presented throughout an entire trilogy of films, presented in the life of a child into adulthood, and allow the toys to go on a natural transition of life along with Andy. It's a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, especially from my point of view. Being a child when the first Toy Story film came out definitely allowed me to appreciate the themes of Toy Story 3 that much more as a young adult. Instead of making a film specifically for today's generation of children, Pixar went with a story that was a gritty, yet fitting conclusion to the franchise, as well as a finale that paid respect to the fans that gave Pixar their reputation as the best name in animation when they watched the original Toy Story film in 1995.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I REALLY hope Pixar does not move forward with a fourth film in this series. Toy Story 3 is the perfect ending to one of my favorite trilogies of all time, and by far my favorite animated franchise. I absolutely recommend seeing this film and owning it in your DVD collection, just make sure to have the tissues on standby for when the crying starts.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

Toy Story 3 and movie images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios