Toy Story 3

I've been a fan of Pixar since the first time I saw the short with the animated light which is their signature and part of their logo. When Toy Story came out, I was excited. When I saw the movie, I was moved. It was a fantastic romp and played to my sense of nostalgia. I loved my toys the way Andy loved his. I still do!

I was on board for Toy Story 2, of course. The storyline about collectible toys kept in boxes struck a chord in me because I'm one of those people who *gasp!* doesn't believe in keeping toys in boxes. They're TOYS! You're supposed to play with them! I realize my 1977 Darth Vader action figure (by Kenner!) is worthless because it's been out of the box since I got it...but not to me. Toy Story 2 also made me cry big time with Jessie's tale of being abandoned by her child. I have abandonment issues, myself, so I could identify. Doesn't help that they just had to use Sarah McLachlan's soulful song "When She Loved Me." Hello, water works!

Finally, we have Toy Story 3. Here I am, 43 years old, sitting in a theater full of kids...and I seem to be the only one laughing out loud, applauding, gasping, and of course, crying. I loved this movie as much as the previous two. I like how Jessie pulls at her hair when she's stressing out. I love when Buzz goes Latin (gorgeous job on the animated Paso Doble). I giggled every time Ken walked around (because the early versions did not bend at the knee); when he put on the groovy 1960's outfit with the fringe vest, I squeaked because yes, I had that outfit for my Ken doll! (It should be noted here that I didn't have as extensive a wardrobe for Ken as the one in the film, which led me to put him in a lot of Barbie's clothes -- and people wonder why I love drag queens, today...) I thrill when I recognize a toy I had or played with at some time in my life. Even the monkey with the cymbals that's as demonic looking and sinister in this movie as he is on the cover of the Stephen King book Skeleton Crew. I still think that damn thing is creepy as hell.

Pixar is the leader in CGI animation. One of the things that impressed me most in this movie -- and it's something not many people will notice -- was how the fur on Lotso (the big pink bear) changed over the years. In the flashback sequence when he was "newer," his fur was shiny and looked very plush. Over time, it got what my girlfriend refers to as "well-loved." The texture had changed. Kudos to Pixar for that amazing yet subtle detail. It made the toys all the more realistic.

The action sequences are fantastic, too. Watching them, my brain immediately went to that place called "Oh, This is Gonna Be in the Video Game." It's tense, and you find yourself dodging and weaving along with the characters because you're so caught up in the adventure and their plight.

One of the best things about the Toy Story films has to be the actors who voice the characters. Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen (my homeboy!) as Buzz Lightyear were a great pick from the start. Proof that comic timing doesn't have to be a physical thing. These guys convey it in everything they do. Even voice-over work. With the exception of the late Jim Varney (the replacement does a great impression of that raspy twang), I do believe we heard all the original actors represented. That's always been important to me, because too often I could lose interest in a series when a performer was replaced by someone playing the same character. They don't sound like the original or look like the original, they've lost me.

The Pixar crew did a fabulous job bringing the trilogy full circle. Lots of cameo appearances from different characters we've met through the three films. Lots of familiar settings. Great continuity. That's another plus. Don't go pulling a George Lucas on me (Han shot first, dammit!) and change shit that's already been established. That's a sure way to piss me off. No, Pixar has never done that, and I am so very glad. Could explain why I'm so faithful to them.

As one of those people who sits through the credits until the very end of the film (because I've learned from experience that sometimes they sneak in little goodies), I was delighted with the "epilogue" scenes. A perfect end to the perfect film. Toy Story 3 is beautiful, endearing, bittersweet, hilarious, gripping...it's definitely going into my collection when it comes to DVD.

Oh, and there was a Pixar short at the beginning called Day & Night that combined some traditional Disney animation with Pixar CGI. It soon became evident this was a message about diversity and tolerance, accepting people because of their differences rather than to fear and shun them. Go, Pixar (and Disney) for conveying this in a five-minute cartoon that used sound effects instead of words (with the exception of one little part) and great images to tell the story.