Friday, June 18, 2010

Toy Story 3

The Great Escape.

YES! The toys are back! After 2 successful movies, Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999) respectively, our beloved TOYS are here in 2010 with the 3rd installment - after a long wait of 11 years - *drum roll please* - Disney Pixar's Toy Story 3!

Despite the exams, I made a firm decision to watch Toy Story 3 on its premier day with my mother and brother. I love Pixar. Basically, we were surrounded by majority kids, but IMO, kids, might not be able to capture the message and beauty of Pixar's work but of course they would enjoy the fun, scary, touching moments in the movie.

and the big question?

How was the movie?

AMAZING!

one word. said it all.

Pixar just never cease to amaze us with their wonderful, definitely colourful, stunning visuals, their beautiful, original storyline interluded with hilarious, touching, sad, scary moments. and the massive improvement of graphics from the 1st movie - the toys look more realistic, definitely like real toy. The movie has really lived up to our expectations or even more and i believe it would garner a 5th consecutive nomination and win at the Academy Awards just like the previous films for The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Wall-E and Up.

Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and Bullseye, Mr. Mrs. Potato Head, Rex the dinosaur, Slinky dog, Hamm the piggy bank (a.k.a Evil Dr. Pork Chops), the 3 aliens from Pizza Planet and Barbie are all back, but with some of the main toys missing (Wheezy, RC the racing car, Etch, and Bo-Peep) - either donated or sold along the way as several years had passed.

But don't fret, as several new characters are brought to this movie, and it is even more adorable!

The movie starts with an awesome opening sequence - the toys role playing as a young Andy plays with them - a video recording of Andy's childhood - and we are back to reality, as Andy is now heading off to college but with the intention of keeping his toys in the attic with the exception, he's bringing Woody to college.

But sadly, his mother mistakenly donates them to Sunnyside Day Care centre, and this is where all the FUN begins. At first, it looks like heaven, they are welcomed by Lots-O'-Huggin Bear - a stuffed animal with a strawberry smell (Lotso), Ken (Yes, Barbie's Ken), Big Baby, Sparks, Chunk, Stretch, and Twitch. and of course new children to play with the toys.

The story takes a twist as Sunnyside has a dark side (oh! the irony), which turns Toy Story 3 into an emotionally intense and rather scary tale - it was definitely prison break!

As Woody desperately begs Buzz and the other toys to go home to Andy - because "we are always going to be there for Andy no matter what" - but to no avail. Woody escapes by himself with his awesome climbing (i really thought of Prince Of Persia) and paragliding skills, only to be disrupted by the wind and is incidentally picked up by Bonnie, an adorable little girl who loves her toys very much and takes care of them well.

Bonnie's toys are just "Oh! So Cute!" - like Mr. Pricklepants (porcupine), Buttercup (unicorn), Dolly (doll), Trixie (dinosaur), Peas in a Pod and OMG! Totoro! - he doesn't speak, he just smiles!

In the meantime - at Sunnyside - it turns out Lotso is an evil bear who leaves new toys to be 'tortured' by the younger kids (i really mean torture - throwing, biting, licking, banging, painting) and prevents them from escaping Sunnyside with night patrols by cars/trucks and his subordinates looking over Sunnyside's surroundings like guards and a monkey (with freaky eyes and 2 cymbals) who's job is to look at the CCTV! PRISON!

Woody learns about Sunnyside's horrible side from Chuckles the clown and sets off to rescue his friends!

Now, this is where all the excitement begins! The toys great escape! It is time for prison break! Unfortunately, while Buzz was scooping around in Lotso's area, he was caught and was turned over to the 'dark side', becoming a 'prison guard', preventing his friends from escaping! and after attempts to turn him back to normal by Woody and friends - he was accidentally transformed into Spanish mode, which was witty, superbly funny, you just cannot stop laughing looking at his Spanish antics, expression (eyebrows especially), movements and even the way he speaks Spanish just tickles you to the bone. The most hilarious scene was when he was serenading Jessie with Spanish dance moves! OMG! You go Buzz! XD

Throughout the whole escape, you would just sit, gripping at the edge of your seat, biting your nails, watching intensely as the toys escape one by one with an AWESOME plan! You have to WATCH IT! One thing to mention was Mr. Potato Head's awesome disguise as a tortilla wrap. Yes! This scene was just indescribable funny - the way he walked in a tortilla fashion - all soft and round. OMG! Crazily funny. and then his fight with a pigeon "Hey, what you're looking at!?!" and then he was tore to pieces and became - Cucumber Mr. Potato Head - all thin and tall! LOL! as for Mrs. Potato Head, she left one of her eyes - strategically placed in Andy's room, and she could see what's happening in Andy's house - like a vision. Whoa. =.="

Making their way towards the garbage hole (that was the only way of escape!) - they finally got caught by Lotso and his gang. A series of fights and struggles, Woody was pulled by Lotso into the garbage bin - picked up by the garbage truck, and the toys with their "we are always going to be together no matter what" got into the garbage truck and were sent off to the garbage dump - where the horror begins.

The climax! Really beautifully done, as the toys try to escape the wrath of the garbage eliminator with sharp crushing jaws and finally the incinerator! The toys could do nothing at all and they just gave up and held each other hands (we are all going to die together kinda thing) - oh! the sadness - and this is where i couldn't believe my eyes, i seriously wanted to cry, i thought they were going to be burned! But seriously, Disney movie, they ain't cruel.

And just as all hopes were lost, the 3 aliens save them with "The Claw" (remember, Pizza Planet?) HAHA! OMG! What a sight of relief! Seriously! The intensity of that scene, awesome shit.

The toys then frantically goes back to Andy's house through a garbage truck before he leaves for college. and as for Lotso? He was saved by Woody initially in the garbage machine but was heartless enough to escape on his own by not pressing the stop button for the incinerator, and was picked up by a garbage collector who stuck him at the front of his truck! HAH!

At Andy's house, the toys quickly scrambled into the attic box and while Woody into the college box. Woody then realizes he couldn't just leave his friends and wrote a note to Andy - telling Andy he should donate the toys to --- Bonnie!

The ending scene - the most touching one ever, seriously, it makes you want to shed a few tears (buckets, maybe). Andy giving his toys to Bonnie, patiently explaining to her about his awesome toys and asking Bonnie to take really really good care of it. Finally, we all see Woody is in the box as well, Andy was shocked to see him there and was reluctant to let Woody go and said, "Woody was always by my side no matter what.", but realizes he should finally let Bonnie have Woody. It was just so sad, really.

After that, the scene Andy playing with his toys together with Bonnie for the very last time, granting the toys' wish for "Operation Playtime" in the beginning of the movie was just so touching and sweet. The lovable toys finally found a new owner, they belonged to Bonnie now (but will always be with Andy at heart), and the cycle starts all over again! How AWESOME is that!

The movie is IMO, not a sequel, but a standalone spectacular movie of the toys' amazing adventure together. It is in my opinion, the best Toy Story franchise ever, where the previous 2 were already a stellar. It is just awesome. Throughout the whole movie, you just laugh, cry, squeal, gasp, and cringe together with the toys. The story plot is authentic, characters are believable and most importantly - relatable, it gives you a sense of familiarity. Thinking back all the scenes in the movie, it doesn't just put a smile on your face, it makes you laugh and chuckle out loud.

The theme of the movie? The sense of loss and belonging mixed with friendships, family relationships. It makes you fall in love all over again with the toys and breaks your heart to see the movie ending - the toys that have added colours and brightened up your childhood has finally moved on - just as we have all grown - and well, moved on.

All in all, TOY STORY 3 IS FANTASTIC!

and it even leaves you wanting for more!

As for Sunnyside, it has all become Sunny again! The toys doing it all together - and there was even a cameo from Emperor Zurg.

=.="



The Big Baby - which is in fact creepy! It's even creepier than that Baby Spider in the first movie! and the baby sounds he makes is just not compatible with how scary he is. =.=" and there was one scene where it turns its head 360 degrees so fast. gwad.

and as for Woody, Buzz and their friends? They are now happily living with Bonnie, playing, and Buzz still have his Spanish touch inside! HAHAHA!

I really really hope to see the lovable toys once again in the future!

It was just a magical movie.

The Best and Most Favourite movie of the year 2010.

Watch it now!

5 comments:

v!vi@n said...

wow, a nice review^^

Anonymous said...

I. Am. So. Gonna. Watch. This. A.S.A.P!!!

I miss Woody and Buzz!!!!

Rosa-Maria M. said...

I'm gonna watch as soon as I can :D I've always loved Toy Story <3

AkMaR said...

Nice review
=)
I can feel u really love this movie. Haha...
Anyway, i read this long ago adi, I just dropped by to say,

"MY BEST WISHES FOR EXAM TOMORROWWW!!!"

Ok, just some random shout out.
Hahah...

Molly said...

hei can someone get wallpapper off that crazy monkey