Toy Story 3

I'll admit I don't see movies in theaters that often, if not never. Why? armor piercing prices, crowd control, screaming babbies, and food prices even the richest of scalpers at a Yankees game can't match. So yeah, I have a beef with theaters. However, the prices are only due to the fact that there are pirates everywhere, eye patch and all. I somehow forgot what I was talking about, but I saw Toy Story 3 this weekend.

Toy Story 3 is like a last hurrah to childhood innocence. Released 10 or so years after the second one and 15 years after the first one, Toy Story 3 is a pure unadulterated movie that shows not only the hardships of growing up and moving on, but passing on a past that you have kept in your heart to another of ones youth. Kinda like passing on a lineage to your kid when you die, but in this case, it's your old toys to a new owner. It's heartwarming to the point where most people who saw the movie practically teared up. To see that act of kindness in someone as pure hearted as Andy shows that there are people like him in this world.

I, however, thought it was a good movie. As a jaded recovering GUILT victim and potential critic, I am probably the only one who has a heart of steel not to cry to Toy Story 3. Why? For one recovering from GUILT is a very difficult process as it takes will power and maybe something that pertains to getting memory loss that I must use to forget about it. Rosemary recovers memory loss, I just want to forget what happened. Sorry, I lost track.

The other thing I noticed alot in the movie was that there were lots of symbolism and shout outs that made me say what the hell out loud. If you seen it, go ahead and read on, if not they are not spoilers. In no particular order: Escaping daycare = Great Escape; Totoro cameo; Mr. Cucumber Head; the milkshake, box of fries and meat sandwich; a glimpse of Return of the Jedi that went over my head (shows why I didn't grow up with Star Wars); finally Coraline.

Why do I say there's symbolism without not shouting it egregiously as SYMBOLISM@!!!!!11!!!11!(?) Well, for one, that's Film Brains, and 2 no one cares for symbolism. I must point out the whole....holy crap...Circle of Life?! Yeah! It just donned on me. The whole freakin movie is one big symbolic image of the Circle of Life. It was explained that once toys get outplayed, they get either donated where they get put into intense torture in the hands of kids to the point where they are thrown away. Once that happens, it's dumping time and into the incinerator for most matter. That's what Woody and his team went through as they were cast aside by that stupid redneck bastard Lotso. Just as they were about to be burned to forever become reincarnated as plastic matter, they are saved by the aliens who have seen The Claw.

Finally, we see the toys escape their fiery death bound hell to find their way back to Andy's room as he leaves for college....Even though hes 17 and driving....aren't kids his age still in HIGH SCHOOL?! As Andy sees Bonnie, the little girl I guess he used to see somewhere play happily with her toys, he approaches her. The little teenage giant knelled down to her level and introduced Bonnie to his toys as he heartfeltingly said farewell to his old toys as he drove off to his destination at college. In the end, we see Woody and his gang wave goodbye to Andy and presumably the audience. And that's when the tears barely made it out.

Retirement, entrapment in a camp, escape from prison, death, descent into a wasteland down to the pits of hell, resurrection, and finally passing on the torch into a heavenly world. If any of that makes any sense it's symbolism.

Plus the development and timing was genius. The VA who played little Andy is playing the same role as he is in this movie. Instead of being 11 years old, hes 26. Also, it's been 15 years since Toy Story 1 came out in theaters so it's a real marketing ploy that worked out well.

There was one instance where there were 2 jerkoffs who reprimanded it's perfect score down to a fallen from grace 98%. Something this perfect and they thought it should exist in the continuity? Does anyone have a "have a heart" trap? Then again, who reads negative reviews on good movies huh? I mean it's not like the upcoming Eclipse will top Toy Story 3......right?