Toy Story 3 - Movie Review

My Dear Vishnu,

Yesterday you and I, along with your 3 year old brother and non-movie-going parents, watched Toy Story 3, 1stDay2ndShow. 1stDay2ndShow is a tradition in our whole friend's circle for many years now and last night you were a new recruit into the tradition. Sitting beside you and watching the movie has entered into the list of my most memorable movie-going experiences.

Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are two of my all time favorite movies and probably my most favorite animation movies. The 'When She Loved Me' song in Toy Story 2 was one of the rare occasions in animation movies where I cried. Toy Story 3 has at least two scenes that choked me up and made me cry. The first scenes featuring the recording of Andy's childhood days made me choke with emotion and the last scene where Andy, just before leaving to college, becomes a child again playing with all his toys made tears stream down my eyes.

From the beginning of the short film 'Day and Night' preceding the movie, you were completely involved in what was going on. You had the urgency to grasp and comprehend everything that comes up on the screen immediately. Sitting beside me you were a bit confused about what was showing up and you asked why something else other than 'Toy Story' was being played. Then you were a bit confused about the movie that was playing and asked me what was going on up there. Frankly, I was as confused as you were and being one of the slower types, it took a while for me to 'get' it. By the time I got it, I realised that your question had passed and you were having fun - you seemed to have comprehended it yourself.

Finally 'Toy Story' came up on screen and within 5 minutes into the movie, you said something that made me recognise that you are a very intelligent moviegoer. The movie begins with a long drawn out chase sequence set in the West between the good Sheriff Woody and his friends and the bad Mr. Potato Head and his gang. They have hijacked a train with the other toys in it and Woody is fighting with the villains to save their lives. Further down, the railway track has been blasted and Mr. Potato Head makes his escape leaving the hapless passengers and the train to fall off the gorge. The whole chase held your silent attention. Woody has failed in his mission to save the toys. A moment later the train is thrown up in the air and we see that the passengers are saved. As the train popped into the air, you shouted 'Buzz'. It indeed was the introduction scene of Buzz Lightyear. I am still in awe of it and that moment is what has encouraged me to write this whole letter to you.

But that was not the only moment that you gave me. Time and again in passages of suspense and thrill you were asking me 'What will happen now?' and I had to tell you that I am also watching it for the first time and we need to wait a moment to know what happens next. Your excited laughs were contagious all through. By the way, I observed that your mother was a bit worried that you were especially amused during the love scenes between Barbie and Ken and Jessie the cowgirl and Buzz Lightyear. I was thoroughly enjoying that bit.

Towards the end of the movie all the toys are thrown into a dump and are on the verge of being burnt up in a smoldering furnace. In one of the most emotional scenes in the movie, the toys are facing death a few inches in front of them and Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Mr. Potato head, Mrs. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Bullseye and others hold eachother’s hands to be together in their final moments. Out of nowhere a claw crane comes down and picks all of them up and all is well in the best of all possible worlds. You asked me again 'who saved them?' I made a wrong guess by saying 'maybe it is the Green Soldiers who abandoned them in the early scenes of the movie'. Then in all sagacity, you said 'Aliens'. I wondered 'who aliens?' and as it turned out in the next few seconds, it was indeed the three Squeeze Toy Aliens who were operating the claw crane. A few minutes before they were crushed beneath a dump truck and I had forgotten the possibility that they could be the ones who survived and saved their friends.

That particular observation of yours convinced me that thought you are all of six years old, you could possibly enjoy with equal enthusiasm a 'Last Year in Marienbad ' or a ‘Rashomon’.

After the movie got over, on the way back, your parents and I were discussing about the first part and we were searching for the name of the bad kid who agonises his toys and you offered a very helpful hand by telling us that he is Sid.

I thank you for giving me this wonderful experience and I wish you a great movie watching future.

Lots of love from a friend and fellow moviegoer,
Aneen/Arvind Uncle

PS: 'Toy Story 3' is the best Pixar film after 'Cars'. 'Ratatouille' and 'Up' were just about average and bearable. The only memorable scene in 'Ratatouille' was the last monologue on critics by the critic Anton Ego voiced by Peter O Toole. The only memorable scene in 'Up' was the section 'Carl and Elle' which shows their life story with just music in the background. Of course, that 'Carl and Elle' scene finds place in my list of all time great movie moments. 'Wall-E' was at best pedestrian and boring. With 'Toy Story 3', Pixar has hit vintage form. An absolute must watch.

4.5 out of 5 Toys.

Comments

[2thdoc]

Hey Vishnu,
When you grow up to be big enough to read this letter,you'd probably reminisce Uncle Arvind being dehydrated from all those tears [Going by the sound of the letter initially]...
Arvind Uncle,
Cant blame you for that...I hear from my American counterparts that the movie plays with a heavy theme.
All in all,you do have this knack to persuade non movie buffs like me to be inspired to watch an occassional movie,through your blog.
Keep going Arvind.

Another overlooked ATP gem.

[Arvind Swarup Pathiki]

@2thdoc: Yeah, someone was saying that this movie will go down movie history as the summer blockbuster that made men weep. Thanks for dropping by. Happy movie watching.