Toy Story 3: An Early Review
Toy Story 3: An Early Review. Disney Pixar has a new offering and its magical. See it in IMAX 3D if you can.
Toy Story 3: An Early Review
Yup. I have once again evoked the privileges of being a projectionist to view Toy Story 3 before most of the rest of the world. I saw it last Tuesday night in IMAX 3D. Here’s my review...
I will do my darndest not to give anything away in this review. Toy Story 3 is one of those experiences you want to take in fresh, without a lot of expectations. You have probably seen the other two Toy movies already. Remember the sweet honest recollection of childhood and imagination those films brought you. Yeh, this one does that too... and then some!
On the surface (and you know this if you saw any of the commercials) Toy Story 3 looks like its about how Toys become outcasts when kids out grow them. In a way, thats certainly part of the plot line. But there is a deeper emotional message here that surprised me. It gets into the long lasting effect of treating each other with respect and basic civility. Of course there is the ever present theme of friendship that is central in all the Toy movies too.
I have always said the best children’s stories... and the best Christmas stories too... all go to very dark places. The Grinch starts out with a monster setting out to ruin Christmas for an entire community. Its a Wonderful Life has George Bailey considering suicide. And most of the truly great Disney movies either feature the tragic death of a parent or the near death of the hero. You get the idea. And Toy Story 3 follows in that tradition. It really goes to a dark dark emotional place that had me sincerely wondering how our favorite Toys would ever recover. But also like all those classic stories before it, Toy Story 3 brings us to one of the most emotionally fulfilling conclusions I have ever seen in any movie anywhere before. It finds an emotional truth that many movies attempt but most fail to achieve. I think I could watch the last ten minutes of Toy Story 3 over and over again a hundred times and still have trouble fighting off tears.
Yes Toy Story 3 is rated G so everyone can see it. But I will say it really does not spare children from a really wild emotional ride. Often hilarious. At times creepy and even a little scary. And eventually bringing the audience in for a landing that is so emotionally broad and satisfying... well I wonder how smaller kids are going to deal with it. While the wild opening sequence is a wild joy ride kids will cherish and completely relate to. I think the final scenes of Toy Story 3 is somewhat of a melancholy love note to the parents and younger adults in the audience.
Should you see Toy Story 3 in IMAX 3D? By Emperor Zorg, YES!! I’ll be the first to admit while Pixar’s last masterpiece UP! was wonderful. It really did not gain much by seeing it in 3D. Toy Story 3 is a different story. You can tell it was completely designed for 3D presentation. The opening 15 minutes are worth the up charge for the special glasses alone. but the entire movie utilizes the big IMAX screen and immersive 3D to its fullest potential. Many times the effect makes us viewers feel like we are scaled down to toy size right along with Woody and Buzz. Oh and there is a really magical Pixar short called Night and Day which really might not even work outside of a 3D theater. When you see it, you’ll know what I am talking about.
Many IMAX theaters are only having Toy Story 3 on screen for under two weeks. Do not dally and miss your chance to see this very special movie in a very very special venue!
Yup. I have once again evoked the privileges of being a projectionist to view Toy Story 3 before most of the rest of the world. I saw it last Tuesday night in IMAX 3D. Here’s my review...
I will do my darndest not to give anything away in this review. Toy Story 3 is one of those experiences you want to take in fresh, without a lot of expectations. You have probably seen the other two Toy movies already. Remember the sweet honest recollection of childhood and imagination those films brought you. Yeh, this one does that too... and then some!
On the surface (and you know this if you saw any of the commercials) Toy Story 3 looks like its about how Toys become outcasts when kids out grow them. In a way, thats certainly part of the plot line. But there is a deeper emotional message here that surprised me. It gets into the long lasting effect of treating each other with respect and basic civility. Of course there is the ever present theme of friendship that is central in all the Toy movies too.
I have always said the best children’s stories... and the best Christmas stories too... all go to very dark places. The Grinch starts out with a monster setting out to ruin Christmas for an entire community. Its a Wonderful Life has George Bailey considering suicide. And most of the truly great Disney movies either feature the tragic death of a parent or the near death of the hero. You get the idea. And Toy Story 3 follows in that tradition. It really goes to a dark dark emotional place that had me sincerely wondering how our favorite Toys would ever recover. But also like all those classic stories before it, Toy Story 3 brings us to one of the most emotionally fulfilling conclusions I have ever seen in any movie anywhere before. It finds an emotional truth that many movies attempt but most fail to achieve. I think I could watch the last ten minutes of Toy Story 3 over and over again a hundred times and still have trouble fighting off tears.
Yes Toy Story 3 is rated G so everyone can see it. But I will say it really does not spare children from a really wild emotional ride. Often hilarious. At times creepy and even a little scary. And eventually bringing the audience in for a landing that is so emotionally broad and satisfying... well I wonder how smaller kids are going to deal with it. While the wild opening sequence is a wild joy ride kids will cherish and completely relate to. I think the final scenes of Toy Story 3 is somewhat of a melancholy love note to the parents and younger adults in the audience.
Should you see Toy Story 3 in IMAX 3D? By Emperor Zorg, YES!! I’ll be the first to admit while Pixar’s last masterpiece UP! was wonderful. It really did not gain much by seeing it in 3D. Toy Story 3 is a different story. You can tell it was completely designed for 3D presentation. The opening 15 minutes are worth the up charge for the special glasses alone. but the entire movie utilizes the big IMAX screen and immersive 3D to its fullest potential. Many times the effect makes us viewers feel like we are scaled down to toy size right along with Woody and Buzz. Oh and there is a really magical Pixar short called Night and Day which really might not even work outside of a 3D theater. When you see it, you’ll know what I am talking about.
Many IMAX theaters are only having Toy Story 3 on screen for under two weeks. Do not dally and miss your chance to see this very special movie in a very very special venue!