Toy Story 3 full of thrills and chills for audiences

Since 1995, we have all been enveloped by the pioneering CGI world of Toy Story

, one of the most influential and greatest animated franchises of all time.  Now, two films and 15 years later, we are drawn to the emotional conclusion of the series with the most mature and grown-up film of the series. By far the best of the Toy Story films, Toy Story 3 packs an emotional punch, humor, and a great plot wrapped into one sequel. It is not just one of the best sequels ever made, but also one of the best movies of the summer. But what makes Toy Story 3 so gripping and so likeable is its ability to connect not just with children, but older audiences as well, particularly first-year college students.

The one thing I always found funny over the years was that the character Andy was close to my age when all three Toy Story movies came out.  He was three when the first movie came out, nine in the second, and now, he is the age of most current first-years. Like us, he is preparing for college.  At the same time, the toys have also experienced recent changes in their lives, and the group is now reduced to Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye, Mr. And Mrs. Potatohead, Hamm, Slinky, and Rex, as the rest have sadly been sold away at yard sales over the years. As their numbers dwindle, the toys desperately try to get Andy to play with them by using antics like stealing his cell phone. 

Eventually, Andy opts to put the toys from his childhood, except Woody, in a safe place in the attic. With the intention to store them in the attic, he places them in a trash bag, causing the toys to mistakenly believe that Andy is throwing them out. To them, this is the last straw and they decide to hitch a ride in another box that is to be donated to a local daycare. The toys are placed in a playroom known as the Caterpillar Room, headed by Lots-O-Huggin’ Bear, nicknamed Lotso, where the toys wait to be played with by their new owners.

I won’t give away what happens in the end, but what I will say is that I enjoyed this film so much that I consider it to be the best and most mature of the three Toy Story movies, or at least the most emotional of the three. The film confronts a number of powerful themes, such as coping with change and the process of moving on. The toys are conflicted with the recurring theme of worrying about being forgotten and lost by their owner. And with Andy leaving for college, the toys must revert to an act of desperation. Yet at the same time, I highly commend the message in this movie of always sticking together in a time of crisis, no matter how dangerous.  

This movie exemplifies the popular maxim, “you know who your friends are when it hits the fan.” It certainly hit the fan on numerous occasions for our protagonists, but they manage to stick together in some of the toughest situations they had ever been in, including a humorous moment in which Mr. Potatohead has to take himself apart and reassemble himself while being attacked by a hungry bird.

I recommend this movie to such a high degree that you might call me crazy. Seriously, most people who have seen it will agree with me, but to those who have yet to see it, I suggest that you go to the theater, watch a bootleg, or do whatever you need to do to get your hands on a copy. You will enjoy this film and may possibly even shed a few tears in response to the emotional punch that this movie doles out.  

Despite the fact that the movie is rated G, and most of us are now used to watching R-rated movies, this film will generate just as much laughter as The Hangover, Knocked Up, or Superbad.  It does not matter if you are 6 or 21, this movie finds a connection to all of us and highlights feelings and phases that we will all go through in our lives.  After all, nobody is too old for a Disney movie.