Note: I’m writing this assuming you’ve seen the movie. Do NOT proceed if you haven’t seen it. Come back and read this when you’ve seen it.
To me at least, the very premise of the plot is subversive. There is NO WAY there could be a happy ending. A moving on, yes. But a happy ending? Never. The very essence of the film is the relationship between Andy and the lead toy, Woody. And the whole point in the closing episode of this trilogy is the “breaking up” of this team. Woody is the tragic hero in this saga, and it is he who is to lose the most in the equation. The sacrifice he makes at the end of the movie cements his role as the hero in the story. And to add to that, Buzz ended up with Jesse. On paper, it should be Woody and Jesse since they are cowboy-cowgirl, but like I said, the real alpha couple here is Andy and Woody. They basically followed the Star Wars model, with the initial pairing of Luke and Leia, only for them to be revealed as brother and sister, thereby opening the door for a Han Solo-Leia pairing, leaving Luke to forge on, all on his own, to fly high alone with no one to lean on, just like the recent pop culture epic heroes upon whom it is incumbent that they face the climax of their respective sagas completely and utterly ALONE — just like Frodo, like Harry Potter, and the latest to join their ranks, Woody.
From the very opening scene, the tenor of the film is somber, sobering, and simmering in a sneaky sadness. True, you’ll be laughing most of the movie, but it never lets you forget that this is the end of the trilogy, and it won’t be a neatly tied happy package at the end of it all. Andy is off to college, and the toys have been forgotten by the one person who gives their existence purpose. Tell me, how can that turn out right? It’s not like a romantic break-up, where the two parties can have a change of heart and run back to each other arms. Let’s face it, with old toys, unless you’re a vintage collector, most are thrown away, regardless of how rich the memories were. Just like many things in our lives, there are some things that once you’ve said goodbye to, there is no turning back. Sentiment aside, life is a series of letting go — letting go of toys, of your childhood, of innocence, of past loves, of family and friends when they or you marry, of your youth, of your health, of loved ones to death, and eventually the final letting go, of your own final breath. It only sounds morbid, but if you really think about it, that’s life. We weren’t really meant to stay in the same place, to be the same way, unchanged indefinitely. We’re supposed to go on a journey, an evolution where entering the new phase means letting go of the old one.
That’s the beauty of the way this third installment tackled the issue of letting go. It didn’t go the mawkish way by having Andy keeping Woody and the gang. It didn’t soften the blow by making the toys’ new life much better than what they had with Andy. It just showed that when one part of your life is over, you simply need to move on, no matter how hard, no matter how much you want to hang on to what you’ve gotten used to. The seasons give way to each other whether they want to or not. There’s no arguing with the cycles of life. So when the toys were left with Bonnie, it wasn’t necessarily better than when they were with Andy, but it wasn’t necessarily worse either. The same way you can’t really argue which is better, your life as a child, as a teen, as a single adult, as a married person, or as a septuagenarian? One is neither superior nor inferior to another. It’s merely the natural progression.
I guess that’s why the movie hit a raw nerve. You hit a certain age and you suddenly feel the rush of things in your life that are slipping quickly through your fingers; people and things and situations you’ve grown to love and depend on. And once you start to lose the stuff in your life you love dearly, you start to resent having to let go of them. The movie is a painful reminder, I guess, that the only control we have in this life, is not over situations, but over how well or how badly we roll with them.
I would definitely agree to what was stated here in this post.
Its kinda ironic that a “kiddo” setting of the movie will touch the hearts of the “adults”.
It may be a sad thing that Andy had to leave his toys behind, but in the end.. You’ll see how he shared his precious memories with the little girl.
Great post Chico!
Mr. Chico Garcia.
i really don’t cry on movies. but this one almost made me teary-eyed.
the most beautiful movie with the best ending.
my older 2nd cousin, who watched this movie when she was just 15 years old, begged to me one time to watch this movie. but i was busy at the moment.
she’s now 30 years old, and has a daughter.
i’m so amazed how this movie melts every ADULT’s hearts.
bravo on the post, Mr. Chico Garcia!
After watching Toy Story 3, I felt like I had to apologize to every toy I ever had. The movie felt so personal that, like your post, it couldn’t have been made by someone who hadn’t gone through something like it. A movie with so much heart couldn’t have been faked or forced.
I was nodding my head while reading your entry from the 2nd sentence, and it’s true that even prior to seeing the movie, you’d know that it couldn’t have a happy ending. I was literally nervous going to the theaters because as much as I was excited to see it, I almost wished that Andy never grew up or that they told him the truth about toys coming to life. That would be corny, I know, but Andy had been the symbol of my childhood, I wished that at least in movies, someone lived my dream. =P
for me, i was so attached to my pillows as a kid. they all had names and personalities!
Your entry today reminded me of the experience while watching the movie. TS3 is the best among the trilogy; and it’s so rare that the last one can top the first 2. Copious tears!
one of the best movie reviews i’ve read on TS3. so thought provoking and so true!! medyo nabitin lang ako, i was hoping you would comment further on specific scenes or details… like the fire-burning scene and andy’s goodbye which were for me really the BEST i’d seen in a long time. this movie is pure genius and the guys at pixar really outdid themselves.
thanks! i unraveled during the yard scene when andy was giving the toys away to bonnie. pure mush!
Great post Chico! I’ve earlier decided not to watch this movie because Im such a cry baby, but I know now that that’s such a lame excuse for missing out on such a catalyst of human emotion! The feedbacks I hear from alot of people are crazy! guess I just need to buy a lot of tissue then…
I watched the movie and I enjoyed it immensely, albeit without the tears. I shamefully fell asleep in the middle of the escape scenes (due to exhaustion, mind you).
Anyway, if I’m not mistaken, Pixar capitalized on one scene in the second movie, and went on from there and did the third. This scene is when Emily left Jesse and donated her. That’s why Jesse shouted when they were all discussing, “It’s Emily all over again!” That scene was incoporated with the song “When Somebody Loved Me” from Sarah McLachlan, and the first time I saw that scene, I bawled like a baby. I told my niece, who was watching with me at that time, “I thought this is a kid movie, why did they make me cry?”
This movie/trilogy really teaches kids how to let go. =)
actually i hardly remember anything from the first 2 movies…
sir chico! i also find the movie superb. however, the movie almost got overboard with pushing emotions a bit too many, though perhaps the essence of animation is that the most absurd scenes do not happen in real life. the movie redeemed itself with the good laughs plus the chuckle of children sitting beside you in the cinema. who’s to complain, right? on post-theater analysis, at least, the film has taught us a life lesson.
i’m actually okay with manipulative movies as long as i don’t see the strings being pulled. i’m okay with movies that aim to make its viewers cry as long as they do it tastefully. for me toy story 2 was guiltier of that than this one. thank goodness i was able to check my emotions while watching.
I am tempted to read the whole post and started to up to the part when you wrote “sacrifice”. I think i have to watch it first
Have you seen Up? Del’s been bugging you about it for ages. That’s the one that made me teary eyed. But i’m definitely going to watch Toy Story 3. For one, chico recommends it… and there’s no number 2 ;D
go watch it!
I ended up crying on this movie. This how it tackles one of the realities of our lives. My movie ticket is worth the price upon watching it. Also I can’t get over with those things about Mr. Potato (when he got deformed) and the annoying monkey guard. =)
for me the tortilla scenes were the most hilarious!
Sapul, Chico! Sapul na sapul :p
Thanks for the explanation. For sharing your thoughts. Now I know why I cried, tinamaan ako e! ^_^
great review
even my young sister cried after the movie, which means the “letting go” message must have really been pointed across. on a lighter note, mr. potato head/tortilla/cucumber really cracked us up 
Wow Chico, ang galing… I’m speechless after reading this blog about Toy Story 3, not just because I agree with you but because that was also what I felt during and even after watching it. Akala ko ako lang yung naiyak, marami rin palang ganun ang pakiramdam. I was pinching and biting my lip to prevent myself from crying, thinking that, “Heck, you’re so lame for crying over a movie.”
=)
anyone who ever had to let go will be affected, even to a much smaller degree..
True. less than a week ago I had to let go of my bestfriend, my sister and the only one who never judge me in any way… my Bambi, our dog of 12 years. I cried buckets when she left us leaving me dehydrated. I really cried in this movie…. Made me regret watching this because the reason I went to see a movie was to feel better…
Ay…walang mention si Totoro.
@Caturay: I’m also curious about the Totoro toy Bonnie had with her.My brother opined that maybe a Japanese animator put it there (the same way Filipino animators put bahay kubo in Finding Nemo) or maybe it was indeed a Filipino animator who did it (knowing how the Totoro character in “My Neighbor Totoro” sold to a lot of Pinoy anime fanatics).
just reading your posts makes me teary-eyed.
so true, chico… it’s all about the hardship of letting go.
Great post.
thanks odh! had a hard time holding back the tears…
Splendid synopsis and insight as usual Chico Broavo! *clap* *clap* *clap*
when i tell my friends to watch, they always say they don’t want to (because they think it’s a movie for kids). i was talking about this movie with another friend. we both liked it and we both agreed that the story was too much for the kids. this one is like a grown kid’s toy story. there is so much in this movie that an adult can relate to.
hay chico, how else would i write about this when i have already read your post? he he he! thank you. it’s always a joy to read your posts. =)
thanks! but i must agree, lots of scary images for young minds. esp that fiery furnace scene, a bit intense.
i loved Toy Story 3 coz of sentimental reasons more than any other factors and your blog explains it all.
i watched it with my 1 yr old baby, alex, and she was always excited when she sees Big Baby coz it looks like her own toy we call Baby Abu (kalbo eh! hehe)…alex shouts, “abu!” she must think her toy’s a big star!
the ending of TS3 is how i like my movie endings…and when Andy was turning over his toys to Bonnie, it reminds me of me when i started giving my toys to its new owners.
your final line hits me the best…”The movie is a painful reminder, I guess, that the only control we have in this life, is not over situations, but over how well or how badly we roll with them.”
I love how you explain the whole letting go topic. I’ve heard dozens of those and because i’m too tired to fight it off, (plus knowing that it’s all true) i just nod and keep quiet.
Reading this gave me a different and better perspective. It’s like a sermon, with a sarcastic tone. Haha. Now i know why i was crying during the movie.
Well done!! And may i say, you’re very emo.. Hahaha.
You were right in mentioning that although it made us laugh at first, we already knew it would make us cry since it was the last of the TS franchise. When I was watching the movie (I had to watch it alone one Sunday evening), I kept on asking myself when would I start crying. Even if I was laughing, my mind kept on telling me that I would be crying any minute. The first few scenes already tugged at my heart but what really started the cry-baby in me was the scene at the furnace when they held hands and were anticipating what they thought then was their ending. The resignation written all over their faces reminded me of those times we had fought so hard for something yet in the end, we just had to accept the fact that some things cannot go our way. I didn’t mind if I was next to kid girl who wasn’t even shedding a tear while I was “leaking.” After the movie, I had the urgency to rush home, take out all the toys I was left with and just hug them all. It made me remember as well the things, people and events I had to let go in my life.
P.S. I had to pause in the middle and stop reading your review as I was in the office and I didn’t want people to wonder why I was teary-eyed. I only got to finish reading it when I knew there were only a few people left.
Great review, Chico.
How fitting that I was able to read it during TMR’s anniversary.