“No toy gets left behind”

Title: Toy Story 3
Director: Lee Unkrich

Normally, I think we can agree, trilogies are not that great, usually awful. The third movie never turns out to be as great as the first, never come close, and they always take the storyline to a level that it should never be taken to. I’m sure you’re all thinking of particular good movies that have been nearly ruined do the fact that the producers and directors just didn’t know when to quit. Pirates of the Caribbean comes to mind for me.

Somehow though, this trilogy doesn’t get sucked into that black hole. Somehow, this trilogy survives past it, and moves forward. Toy Story, brilliant. There is no discussion, it was pure family-comedy perfection. Toy Story 2 was nothing to really talk about, granted, but it wasn’t bad. You didn’t miss the hours of your life spent watching it. With the addition of Toy Story 3, the story feels whole. All the pieces are now in place. This is how the book is supposed to be end.

The basis of this chapter falls on Andy going off to college, where of course toys like these do not venture. A simple, and believable, misunderstanding happens, and the toys are sent to a daycare centre, where they meet tons of new characters. New characters are always hard to introduce. They are usually overshadowed by the main characters, who after two movies, the audience has grown to love. But these new characters were wonderful, some a little scary. Watch the movie and tell me that the “big baby” and the monkey don’t freak you out.

Somehow, the producers, creators, directors, writers, everyone put on their good idea hats and made something truly memorable. Funny, smart, heart-wrenching, good, great. While other movie makers would have crumbled under pressure and made a mess of it, Pixar didn’t. It’s not often Pixar produces a flop, because they have the most imaginative, and probably dedicated, movie makers in the industry. They really know how to make a movie funny for the whole family, not just the kiddies. They know how to make you laugh, and cry, and I admit, I choked back many tears during this one.

I personally feel Toy Story 3 is better than the first. The third wouldn’t be anything without the first, I grant you that, but the creators knew what the audience wanted to see when Andy left for college, ending the toys’ story. It was fantastic, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you really don’t know what you’re missing. I never really thought about adding the first two to my collection, but now, the trilogy needs to be there. This is a masterpiece that belongs in any movie lovers collection.