We took the kids to see Toy Story 3 a couple of nights ago. TS3 broke the rule that says sequels cannot be as good as the original. This is a great movie. It’s the best that I have seen from Disney in quite some time. I think they know it, too, because the advertising energy behind this movie is crazy.
Toy Story 3 has all of the things that we have grown to love and expect from the Toy Story franchise. Buzz, Woody, and the gang get tangled in another adventure as they seek to resolve issues of community, belonging, and transitions in life (Andy, their owner has grown up and is going to college). It has quite a few little twists and turns, and an emotional climax.
What really pushes this movie above others is its contagious passion. The toys love each other and their owner so much that it is easy to forget that they are just little cartoon graphics on a big screen. Instead, they become real beings with real feelings. I found myself rooting for the toys in ways that I haven’t done for cartoon characters since I was very little.
The film will speak to the hearts of anyone who has gone through life stage transitions, and especially to folks who have just sent kids off to college. If you tear up easily, make sure you bring tissue. It’s a feel good movie, with a bit of a bitter-sweetness to it. I would recommend it for all ages.
