But I'll talk about that another time.
I'm currently a 24 year old man in SoCal, an occasional stand-up comic. I've worked at Disneyland, Warner Brothers Studios, and Walt Disney World.
If you're reading this, you're probably a literate human, or a really smart dog with access to an iPad.
I digress.
Have you seen Toy Story 3?
If not, shield your eyes!
If not, shield your eyes!
Toy Story 3 feels like a faux sequel to Toy Story 1 and 2.
You're offended. I know. Before you grab your pitchforks, hear me out.
Toy Story was about a group of toys and their owner, Andy. Their only debt to him for housing them was to help him lead a creative, happy childhood. That's it. When Woody gets jealous of Buzz and attempts to assassinate him, a series of unfortunate events bring them closer to each other and the rest of the group. Their path even makes Andy love them more. The film is filled to the brim with witty banter and clever twists. It's the first fully computer generated movie to be released in theaters and it was a success, both financially and critically! It was groundbreaking.
Toy Story 2 was a faithful sequel. They built upon minor details from the first one (including Al's Toy Barn, Emperor Zurg, and Mrs. Potato Head). The friendship that Woody and Buzz developed in the first one is proven and strengthened. In addition, backstories for Woody and Buzz are explored through the characters they meet. Even though only a handful of toys take the majority of the screen, we can take solace in knowing the rest of them are safe in Andy's room. By the end, new friends are made, all their foes have been bested, and the toys are all set for another adventure.
Then came Toy Story 3. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate it. It's funny. It's pretty. Whenever it's on t.v., I can't help but watch it.
But it just doesn't feel like a true sequel. The characters didn't behave like themselves. All the situations they got themselves in tugged at the viewers' hearts, but felt so written. They skipped so many years, even the pet dog was an old geezer. They really wanted it to feel like The End of Toy Story, which our whole world had to see. A lot of the scenes even took place during sunset to emphasize their story's end. Pixar was clearly going for the nostalgia factor to reel in all the Toy Story veterans... as if we weren't going to see it, anyway?
They start off with Woody and Rex performing a eulogy for all their dead friends. Then the remaining toys spend what feels like an hour trying to convince Woody that Andy was trying to throw them away. Woody kept on yelling, "I told you, he was putting you IN THE ATTIC!" He just kept saying that. There was nothing witty about it. It was repetitive! It was repetitive! It was repetitive!... What? That's how it felt.
Then there's Jessie. We get it. She's a cowgirl. But why does she have to exclaim "YEE-HAW!" before all of her lines? She said it throughout Toy Story 2 in moderation. In Toy Story 3, she says it before every sentence. She really comes off as a different character.
What was all that about their "mission" to Andy? Did they really think they'd hang out with him until he turns old and decrepit? What was their endgame? And Buzz was going to shake Woody's hand during their bitter farewell? How about a hug? They're not getting paid to be with Andy or the daycare center. Since when was their friendship a business transaction?
Why did the toys fight so hard to stick with an adult Andy only to settle with new kids who will play with them for a year at a time? Didn't they want more long-term relationships? Or do they simply like "getting played with" as Rex referred to it?
Why was the daycare comparable to a prison? Because the little kids played "too rough"? Do the toys really feel pain when they're in that state? And what did they expect from little kids? Full body massages?
Wasn't Whoopi Goldberg the octopus? She didn't say much.
Did Bo Peep shatter to pieces or get sold?
What happened to Slinky and Woody being good buddies? Did Bullseye privately threaten Slinky? I know the voice actor, Jim Varney, passed. But since they kept his character, why didn't they utilize that character?
Here's the bottom line: Toy Story 3 is a nice movie, but as a sequel, it just felt too forced and unpolished. There were some great moments, especially the tear-jerking ending and Mr. Tortilla Head sequence. But I feel like Toy Story is losing sight of what it once was. Feel free to leave your feedback, but please keep it civil.
Toy Story was about a group of toys and their owner, Andy. Their only debt to him for housing them was to help him lead a creative, happy childhood. That's it. When Woody gets jealous of Buzz and attempts to assassinate him, a series of unfortunate events bring them closer to each other and the rest of the group. Their path even makes Andy love them more. The film is filled to the brim with witty banter and clever twists. It's the first fully computer generated movie to be released in theaters and it was a success, both financially and critically! It was groundbreaking.
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| Toy Story |
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| Toy Story 2 |
But it just doesn't feel like a true sequel. The characters didn't behave like themselves. All the situations they got themselves in tugged at the viewers' hearts, but felt so written. They skipped so many years, even the pet dog was an old geezer. They really wanted it to feel like The End of Toy Story, which our whole world had to see. A lot of the scenes even took place during sunset to emphasize their story's end. Pixar was clearly going for the nostalgia factor to reel in all the Toy Story veterans... as if we weren't going to see it, anyway?
They start off with Woody and Rex performing a eulogy for all their dead friends. Then the remaining toys spend what feels like an hour trying to convince Woody that Andy was trying to throw them away. Woody kept on yelling, "I told you, he was putting you IN THE ATTIC!" He just kept saying that. There was nothing witty about it. It was repetitive! It was repetitive! It was repetitive!... What? That's how it felt.
Then there's Jessie. We get it. She's a cowgirl. But why does she have to exclaim "YEE-HAW!" before all of her lines? She said it throughout Toy Story 2 in moderation. In Toy Story 3, she says it before every sentence. She really comes off as a different character.
 |
| Toy Story 3 |
Wasn't Whoopi Goldberg the octopus? She didn't say much.
Did Bo Peep shatter to pieces or get sold?
What happened to Slinky and Woody being good buddies? Did Bullseye privately threaten Slinky? I know the voice actor, Jim Varney, passed. But since they kept his character, why didn't they utilize that character?
Here's the bottom line: Toy Story 3 is a nice movie, but as a sequel, it just felt too forced and unpolished. There were some great moments, especially the tear-jerking ending and Mr. Tortilla Head sequence. But I feel like Toy Story is losing sight of what it once was. Feel free to leave your feedback, but please keep it civil.
I agree. It seems, however, that if you're not stabbing yourself in the eye because you love this movie that therefore you must hate it,and be a horrible person. I'm with you. I like it, but it's no 1 or 2.
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