Movie Rant 9: Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 (2010)
(2D Version)


Plot:
„Andy is now 17 and ready to head off to college, leaving Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the toy-box gang to ponder their uncertain futures. When the toys are accidentally donated to the Sunnyside Daycare center they're initially overjoyed to once again be played with, but their enthusiasm quickly gives way to horror as they discover the true nature of the establishment under the rule of the deceptively welcoming "Lotso" Bear. Now, all of the toys must band together in one final, crazy scheme to escape their confines and return home to Andy."



I think it's safe to say that I never really liked Toy Story. I don't know why. I knew the two movies are brilliant, extremely original, mindblowingly important for modern movie making (just as Snow White was, decades ago) and well made. But somehow I didn't feel attached to the characters, something about the movies didn't give me the chance to step into them and feel them like I normally do. So when I heard about Toy Story 3, I had a terrible inner conflict. On the one hand, I didn't like Toy Story. But on the other, I have watched every single Pixar movie, and even most of the short movies, too, and after the American release people went so crazy about this movie that I decided to watch it, anyway.

And oh my gosh.
My emotional door finally opened and embraced Toy Story.
Holy crap.
That movie blew me away.
On so many levels.

First of all – this is most probably the most adult movie Pixar Animations ever made. The first scene already shows you how much Pixar has evolved since the last two movies.  I can't really describe it, it has to be experienced.
After that pretty bombastic opening sequence, the movie already starts to pull you emotionally in by showing us a situation most of us had to face already – the moment our childhood ends forever. We see the emotional struggle of a young man who has to let go, but can't, at least not to a full extent. And we have the caring mother who has left her childhood already years ago but still understands how hard it must be for her son to grow up, especially because she has to let go of him, too. The only difference to what we already know is the perspective. It's not a boy leaving childhood behind, it's childhood getting left behind, represented by toys that experienced more love and care from their owner than most of toys nowadays do. Andy is not able to throw his friends away, he can't take them with him to college, either. If you are a person who ever got attached to some of his toys so much that you had them with you everywhere you go, you will know Andy's struggle.
At the same time, while you watch that scene, you see the first hints of critique already. Critique of our modern throw-away-society. A society that doesn't allow emotional bounds to things you use, because throwing them away and buying a new, "better" one seems so easy. It seems like only children know how much their childhood is worth. When I think of my own mother, I know that she doesn't understand when I don't want her to use my former toys for a luggage zipper or something. For her, it's just things that can be practical, but for me they are old friends although I don't talk to them anymore. I love keeping stuff that I was attached to during several times of my childhood. I even hide lots of stuff from my mother because I know she'd throw them away.
Anyway, back to Toy Story 3.
If you want to have your children/little sisters/any kid fear monkeys, baby dolls, pink teddy bears and kindergardens in the near future, you should totally watch this movie with them. You know, I already thought that half-spider-half-baby creature from part 1 was scary, but this!!! All the toys I already found to be a little scary become monsters from your worst nightmare here.
On the other hand, we have freakin' cute little toys, too, that made me scream and squee throughout the movie. (I want those beans. NOW. No, wait – I want those beans – AND FUCKIN' TOTORO!!! _{Studio Ghibli movies get released through Disney in the western world, so that's why I think they had the rights to show him – and I'm so glad they did!})
It's insane how much Pixar came up with. Every scene with Barbie and Ken – freaking hilarious! SPOILER Buzz getting his memory erased – oh man, every time they do this in movies, my heart beats faster. It's like one of my worst case scenarios, especially at the beginning, when you don't know if there will be a possibility to get the memory back! SPOILER ENDS Buzz dancing Flamenco? Genious! Toys that get grumpy because they got replaced by the exact same toy? Amazing! What a great roller coaster! Funny, sad and scary are mixed perfectly in this film that is already under the top 10 most successful movies of all time.
And one of the best scenes I have ever seen in an animated movie:
The climax scene in the incinerator.
Holy Christ.
If a live action movie had so much emotion in similar scenes, I would call it genious already, but we're talking about animated characters here! And it works! I found myself on the edge of the seat, my hands sweating, and at the same time amazed by my emotional reaction. I really don't want to spoil it for you, so I won't say more, but this scene in particular will be stuck in my head forever as one of the best Pixar scenes ever. Right in one row with the Marriage Scene in Up! and the Space Love Dance of Wall-e and Eve in Wall-e.
For those who are interested anyway: SPOILER The friends get stuck in the incinerator. And although this is a well known scene in lots of genres, this particular movie manages to put the feelings when you have to face sudden death on the faces of those characters so perfectly, that you can almost feel it yourself. The whole movie slows down, the fast movements during their trials to escape suddenly stop, and they look into each other's eyes. The only thing they do is taking each other's hands and hold them tight. It's sudden calm and acceptance of death. You almost never get this far in any other movie, where the characters normally get saved while they still panic. Not so in Toy Story 3. Don't watch this movie with a kid that can't stand such scenes. Really. I mean it. It's hard, it's brutal in its softness, and it's more than emotionally soft children can stand. SPOILER ENDS
The scene that finally made me sob and cry was of course the scene at the end. Andy accepting that his childhood is over. For me, it's like a look into the future, because I have to move away soon, to another city, and I will have to decide about what will happen to my toys. To my memories. It will be hard.
That last scene … you'll leave the cinema with a strange urge to hug your toys when you come back home, that's for sure!

And now, finally, because I have to talk about it:
I still want How to train your dragon to get the Oscar instead of Toy Story 3. Although this most probably won't happen. Toy Story 3 was perfect in any way and deserves the Oscar that it is definitely about to get.
But I still like HTTYD more. Because I've almost never felt so happy when leaving the theatre, I've almost never had the inner need to watch a movie in theatres again and again and again and again, just to feel this happiness in my belly again. And it's by Chris Sanders. He deserves an Oscar. Full Stop. Nuff said.
It's like Disney movies. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is genius in every way, but still my favorite Disney movies are The Little Mermaid and Lion King, the thought of them already makes my heart beat faster.

To sum this up:
Watch Toy Story 3. It's Pixar magic. Thank you


Rating:

5/5 Full Moons