Monday, October 4, 2010

Toy Story 3 by Lee Unkrich




The Toy Story series one of those truly special franchises in film history much like the Lord of the Rings franchise or Back to the Future franchise. It is a series that has been made better with each addition, with each new character it has added depth. Now here we stand at the third and presumably final film in the series where we get to rejoin some of our most beloved film heroes in a story that will bring them to the edge of their lives and force them into the deepest and most profound place Pixar has dared to go with its child friendly stories.

The story goes that Woody and his pals are coming to terms with Andy growing up and now moving out when it dawns on them that without him they have no purpose. Through a series of mishaps the toys wind up donated to a daycare center where they are welcomed with open arms, that is, until they are booted to a toddler playroom where their days can be counted as torturous. Woody leaves to find Andy, the others stay and are forced to fight against the other toys as they fight to accept what their lives are and what it means to have purpose. The film eventually builds to a big reunion and one of the darkest, but philosophically satisfying climaxes in any childs film to date. Don't worry though, it is still a Pixar film.

I have grown up with the Toy Story franchise, I still remember seeing the original film in theatres with my mom and getting one of the toy story toys from Burger King right after. I remember empathizing with Andy as he cherished his toys as his best friends. I remember watching Toy Story 2 and feeling appalled that Jesse's owner would leave her like she did. Watching Toy Story 3 I remember the first day I left my parents home to move into college and had to say goodbye to all my childhood memories. I get Andy, I get his story, and I get his toys' story because in the end it is also our story. What makes Toy Story 3 great is that it uses a childs plaything to comment on our culture's constant desire to find "purpose" in life in lieu of being with the ones we love. I dare you not to tear up at the end of this film as you see your entire life played out by these plastic things we so carelessly cast away when we are "too old" for them. Easily one of the best Pixar films and definitely one of the absolute best of the year.

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