Considering the heavy amount of abuse that toys Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Potato Head, cowgirl doll Jessie, and Hamm the piggy bank go through in this third (and most likely final) installment in Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story franchise, perhaps the full title of this third outing should have been “Toy Story 3: To Hell And Back.”
Just like in the previous installments, Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) must save his toy pals from certain doom when he and his buddies are accidentally sent to the Sunnyside Daycare Center run by a furry bear named Lotso (voiced by Ned Beatty). With the exception of Woody, Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) and the rest of the gang see Sunnyside as a new paradise where they will again be played with by children. Their former owner, Andy, has grown up and is about to start college.
The toy’s dreams, however, are immediately shattered the moment the rambunctious tykes use them to pick their noses, put them in their mouths, or pluck out their body parts. Sunnyside might as well be called a violent toy prison.
Up until now, I never pictured myself as an adult hoping that Woody, Buzz and the gang could avoid the fiery incinerator at a garbage dump as the toys hold hands awaiting their fate. Talk about playing the hymn, Nearer, My God, To Thee.
I’d be lying if I said Toy Story 3 is one of those rare children’s movies where things don’t always end on a positive note for such beloved animated characters like these. Disney, let alone Pixar, however, is not known for providing audiences with sad endings though the road to happiness can sometimes be a bumpy one for the characters, which is clearly the case in this installment.
Like every successful animated computer generated release Pixar has churned out over the years, Toy Story 3 offers another redeeming adult message for kids. Sooner or later, kids grow up and lose interest in the things they enjoyed playing with when they were young. It’s not just the grown-ups who have to learn to let go but the toys themselves.
