Toy Story 3

[SmartAleck25]

Yeah, the bathroom escape is one of my favorite scenes in the movie, the others being the opening and The Great Escape. And not to get off-topic or anything, but something that's been bugging me lately is this: Why didn't Andy wonder how the toys that his mom donated end up back in his house mysteriously? Maybe I wasn't paying attention in that scene, but I'm just wondering.

Well, he didn't know she donated them, right?

No, he did know. Remember when Mrs. Potato Head was looking through her eye? And then she saw Andy talking to his mom, and then he did a facepalm because Mrs. Davis thought the toys were trash, and now he thinks that they're in the trash. Then Mrs. Potato Head said, "He's looking for us. Andy's looking for us!"

[Margos]

No, he did know. Remember when Mrs. Potato Head was looking through her eye? And then she saw Andy talking to his mom, and then he did a facepalm because Mrs. Davis thought the toys were trash, and now he thinks that they're in the trash. Then Mrs. Potato Head said, "He's looking for us. Andy's looking for us!"

Oh... Yeah, you're right. That's kind of odd, then. In fact, I would be more disturbed to find toys that I thought were at the dump than at daycare in my room, if I were Andy.

[Kyle]

I think he just assumed mom was mistaken or something when she presumably told him she threw them out. (what was actually said is anyone's guess, we weren't able to hear the conversion take place)
maybe he left a bag that was actually supposed to be trash and they both assumed she grabbed the right one in the end. This of course doesn't answer everything, which is why I'm eager to see if the commentary on the blu ray explains things further. Hopefully its not a plot hole, and Lee has a believable explanation, or excuse even as to what happened.

[ajmrowland]

then this begs the question: what did he think after (spoiler)he read the note from Woody.

[magicalwands]

then this begs the question: what did he think after (spoiler)he read the note from Woody.

Andy assumed his mom wrote it. In the beginning of the movie, she told him he should donate them to Sunnyside. In the end, only Andy sees the note and says, "So you really think I should give these away?" which is enough for his mom to think he's contemplating about what she said. In Andy's mind though, he is thinking she wrote the note and is pushing him more to donate them.

[pap64]

I know I am very, very, VERY late to the party, but I finally went to see Toy Story 3 yesterday and I absolutely LOVED it! What's amazing is that even if I knew about a great chunk of it thanks to some spoilers being leaked or the general consensus about the movie it still surprised me and created a great emotional impact.

The first thing I must comment on are the claims that Toy Story 3 is the same story as Toy Story 2. I disagree HEAVILY with this. Yes, it does have similar turn of events, but it is so well written that it feels new and develops them very well.

The opening is simply brilliant. To me it easily outdoes the intro to Toy Story 2, simply because it incorporates all of the characters into one amazing little adventure. Hell, Pixar should just drop the stupid Mater's Tall Tales and do Toy Story Adventures instead, stories that feature the characters as heroes and villains. Maybe this is exactly what Pixar is going to do with the new Toy Story shorts. If this turns out to be true then I can't WAIT to go see them.

I also liked the heightened sense of drama and character tension in the movie. You can clearly see that the toys are facing a very grand dilemma, and this is where I feel the movie differentiates itself from the first two movies. The first of the movies are usually lighthearted and fun with some moments of action or drama here and there. Toy Story 3, however, dives straight into the conflict right away, with Andy's moving to college being a huge call of action to these characters. In other words, the movie doesn't waste any time in creating drama and tension, and makes the movie that much more captivating (to me at least).

Then there's the distrust against Woody. This is an element that was present in the first Toy Story, especially after Buzz arrives and he feels extreme jealousy against him and tries to eliminates him. In that movie Woody EARNED that distrust because he wasn't acting like the good toy that he is. In Toy Story 3 the distrust comes from the fact that the TOYS were being tossed out while Woody got to go to college with Andy. Woody didn't create it, the characters created it themselves thanks to their own fears and the uncertainty of the situation. Woody cared deeply for them and Andy and was genuinely hurt when the toys didn't trust me. If you ask me this is very, very different from the first movie.

Regarding Sunnyside, I find it kind of ironic how in previous Toy Story drafts daycares are seen as a haven for old toys since they never get outgrown and new kids come in every day, yet in Toy Story 3 it is basically a prison (though they did keep many of the elements such as the advantage of never being outgrown). Of course since I mentioned Sunnyside I must talk about Lotso. I confess that for a while I thought he was going to be a Stinky Pete rip-off. But boy I was wrong.

Once again, we have similar themes handled very differently. Stinky Pete was bitter and manipulative because he was never bought, no one cared for him. So his grudge against other toys was that he was never played with, so he might as well be the ultimate collector's item, and having Woody and the gang together was the key to making his dreams a reality. If Woody broke that up, then he was just going to be forgotten AGAIN. He became very desperate and it's very likely why he manipulated Woody and Jessie. His intentions may have started as noble, but anger and desperation can lead anyone to commit crimes they wouldn't normally do.

Lotso's bitterness is a very different story. Yes, he does start out as very sweet and lovable, and yet he too is manipulative, but his issues for doing so are far darker and deeper than Stinky Pete's. His problem is that he was actually LOVED, perhaps loved too much, to the point where he believed he was the only one in the little girl's life. So when he was replaced he simply refused to accept that he could get replaced and that no one is worthy of her love. This is basically the classic "If I can't have him/her/it, no one can't" train of thought where one's desperation towards obtaining something can lead to madness and unwarranted hatred against others (something the movie clearly explains). But how Lotso did it amazes me.

Instead of just attacking toys here and there, he actually manipulated them so they did his bidding, never realizing that it was all an agenda created to fulfill his own needs. I loved it when Woody summed it all up by saying "He created a pyramid so that he could be on top". This is where the amazing phrase "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" come in. Lotso used his own issues and tried to applied them to the other toys just so he could be on top and manipulate others into believing that this was the way of doing things.

And good lord was he EVIL! Seriously, with Stinky Pete I could tell that he was always good, but fear and anger made him evil near the very end, when things were about to change forever. Lotso, however, was rotten from the very beginning, and disguised it all with amazing charisma (and a hypnotizing strawberry smell). The way how he tricked the toys into believing that he was going to be redeemed only to say "WHERE YOUR KID NOW???" right as they were about to be burned to death may be one of the most villainous acts Pixar has ever put on film.

So long story short, Lotso is similar to Stinky Pete, but their intentions are very, very different.

Heck, even deluded Buzz was used very effectively regardless of similarities. In the first movie deluded Buzz was used as a way to show how a new toy comes to realize that he or she is a plaything, but is still an amazing thing. It was vital to the character development of both Buzz and Woody. In the second movie it was more of an annoyance for the characters, and very likely a tribute to the first movie as well as referencing the opening scene. In Toy Story 3 he is used very well, all thanks to Lotso's evil genius. It showed that deluded Buzz CAN be a danger if you manipulate him enough, and how the movie uses him can be a pain at times. Really, he was very cruel to them, and just made Lotso's presence that much menacing.

I also loved the new toy characters, even if I agree that some of them were underused. Like everyone has already said, Ken was hilarious. He was the best comic relief character in the whole movie. I just love the fact that he is so metrosexual that even the characters subtly question his sexuality (when Barbie came in dressed as an astronaut, and Bookworm look at her heels and then rolled his eyes I DIED laughing, simply because I realized that Ken is so effeminate that even the toys wouldn't be surprised if he "came out XD ).

Bonnie is a fantastic character more than worthy of carrying Andy's legacy. Not only is she adorable she has a grand imagination, perhaps even bigger than Andy's.

Now into the emotional impact... I confess that I was doing very, very well with the other scenes... until I got to the ending when Andy donates the toy. The way he was explaining the toys to Bonnie was amazing, and in the ending shot with all of them together, then him saying "take good care of them...they mean a lot to me", I began to sob uncontrollably. And I mean sob loudly, something that not even Up managed to do. I was very moved by the finality of the whole series, especially since I grew up with this franchise and thus understand what it means to grow up and leave a lot of things behind.

I'm honestly surprised that Andy didn't cry as well. If it was hard on us watching imagine being there saying good bye to the one thing that made your childhood a very happy one.

That's when the movie finally won me over and knew that I had witnessed a masterpiece.

Boy, I have EVEN MORE stuff to say about the movie, but I need to take a break from all the typing. I hope all of this makes some sort of sense!

[blackcauldron85]

His problem is that he was actually LOVED, perhaps loved too much, to the point where he believed he was the only one in the little girl's life. So when he was replaced he simply refused to accept that he could get replaced and that no one is worthy of her love. This is basically the classic "If I can't have him/her/it, no one can't" train of thought where one's desperation towards obtaining something can lead to madness and unwarranted hatred against others (something the movie clearly explains).

Had Lotso's owner not replaced Lotso with another Lotso, but with a different toy, I wonder if he would've reacted the same way...?

The way he was explaining the toys to Bonnie was amazing, and in the ending shot with all of them together, then him saying "take good care of them...they mean a lot to me", I began to sob uncontrollably. And I mean sob loudly, something that not even Up managed to do.

Even just reading that made me tear up. Toy Story 3, look what you've done to us!!!

[pap64]

His problem is that he was actually LOVED, perhaps loved too much, to the point where he believed he was the only one in the little girl's life. So when he was replaced he simply refused to accept that he could get replaced and that no one is worthy of her love. This is basically the classic "If I can't have him/her/it, no one can't" train of thought where one's desperation towards obtaining something can lead to madness and unwarranted hatred against others (something the movie clearly explains).

Had Lotso's owner not replaced Lotso with another Lotso, but with a different toy, I wonder if he would've reacted the same way...?

I think he would have snapped either way. It's true that seeing another Lotso traumatized him, the fact is that he was loved to the point where he thought he was the only one for the girl. In a way it was an obsessive relationship, so whether he was replaced by another Lotso or another toy altogether he would have been angry at the fact that the supposed love of his life easily replaced him.

[pap64]

Going back to my epic review, let's talk about the animation. I was honestly blown away. I know Pixar outdo themselves with every movie they make, but I was surprised at how amazing the film looks, especially in terms of color. Pixar boasts how they use color scripts to highlight the mood and feel of the movie. I think Toy Story 3 may be their best work yet. It was such a beautiful animated world with lush colors and intricate details. The character animation proves just how much they have improved since the first Toy Story. The human characters are very, very well designed and animated. They mold with the world perfectly.

[magicalwands]

I have to say...when Andy plays with them one last time, it reminded me immediately of the line Woody asks Jessie in Toy Story 2, "Wouldn't you give anything to have one last day with Emily?" It is what the toys got and they more than deserved it.

[blackcauldron85]

Record-setting 'Toy Story' No. 1 again overseas
http://www.laughingplace.com/Latest-ID-74969.asp

[Scamander]

Maybe some of you will be interested, so I post this video in the Toy Story 3 thread. Darla Anderson and Lee Unkrich talk about their favourite movies:

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/t_vBKPPphL0&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/t_vBKPPphL0&hl=de_DE&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

[kenai3000]

Nobody has talked about this yet, but what did everyone think of Blake Clark's Slinky Dog. I thought it sounded just like Jim Varney's in fact I really couldn't really tell the difference.

[rexcrk]

Yeah I was VERY pleased with his work as Slinky!

In fact after I saw it with a couple of my friends I made a comment about how all the original voices returned except Slinky and they were surprised lol.

[Kyle]

Not much to talk about, he was spot on. the only time I dont think he quite nailed it was in the video game, but that doesn't really count.

I doubt anyone who wasn't aware of Jim Varney dying would pick up on it.

[IagoZazu]

Interstingly, he was a friend of Jin Varney's, so I guess it was only natural. But yes, I was pleasantly surprised that he sounded just like him.

[pap64]

Nobody has talked about this yet, but what did everyone think of Blake Clark's Slinky Dog. I thought it sounded just like Jim Varney's in fact I really couldn't really tell the difference.

I was stunned at how accurate he was. There were many times where I thought it WAS Jim Varney because of how eerily close he sounded.

Oh yes, I forgot to talk about the voice actors. As expected, both Tom Hanks and Tim Allen were great. One thing I noticed is that while they have aged they still sound exactly like they did 10 plus years ago. The rest of the supporting cast also worked well. I liked how they gave Jodi Benson a bigger role as Barbie. Some might say that she was very over the top and to a certain extend "sexist", but I thought it fits the character very. The same thing could be said about Ken.

Think about it for a second...

The Barbie franchise has been mocked and ridiculed for being shallow, sexist, stupid and superficial. So, how would these characters act like if they came to life? Well, they would be a tad ditzy and fashion conscious, of course! And even then, they weren't THAT bad. Both Ken and Barbie redeemed themselves and showed a deeper side to their apparent one dimensionality. So anyone complaining is just looking at one small detail rather than the whole detail.

Ned Beatty as Lotso was great. Even with his role as a villain I just LOVED his voice. It worked so well because it sounds so warm, bubbly and cuddly, which perfectly hides Lotso's angry and evil side. I've always believed that the best villains are those that have tons of charism and easily inspire trust, and Lotso is a great example..

[Kyle]

I think they may have actually used some of Varney's old recording sessions for some of his yells. Lee Unkrich says they actually did splice in some older stuff (again, yells mainly) when talking about how little all the voice actors' voices have changed. Mentioning how well they were able to blend together. So dont be surprised if theirs at least one tiny bit of Varney in there somewhere.

There was one er two key yells I think were directly used in TS2. I'll have to get back with you once we get the blu ray and investigate some more.

[Margos]

And about what Pap said.... Barbie quoting Hobbes was priceless.

[pap64]

So, I just saw the Nostalgia Critic's Bum Review of Toy Story 3 (since I saw the movie I am reading and watching all spoileriffic reviews), and it was VERY hilarious!

"I AM HAVING A MID LIFE CRISIS AT 17!"

But there was something both the bum and Doug Walker said briefly...that the movie was too dramatic and that it needed to "lighten up".

I will agree that in comparison to the other movies it WAS far more dramatic, but they also had their moments of high drama as well. Toy Story definitely was very light about it, while Toy Story 2 had its share of dramatic moments.

Also, this was to be expected. Pixar NEEDED to outdo the other films in order for this to be successful. Think about it for a second... The most common complain with sequels is that they aren't daring enough in their narratives, that they just repeat the same elements from the first few movies and that they aren't as engaging as their predecessors. Had Pixar gone down the safe route with Toy Story 3 (ie, the Buzz Lightyear recall from the original pitch) people would have said "Ho hum, another disappointing third movie). So Pixar NEEDED to make the film that more emotionally intense because otherwise it would have been seen as a pointless sequel.

Then again, I am a sucker for sentimentality, drama, emotions and character development in movies, so Toy Story 3 might not be everyone's cup of tea.