Disney Pixar has once again amazed kids and kids at heart with its third and final Toy Story. The franchise, over the years, has had so many followers, and it has never failed to make people laugh so damn hard with witty comments from Woody and Buzz. And despite it being on its third film, the plot of the story is so well thought of and very fluid.
And another thing that makes Pixar amazing is that they have deep story lines. It's not just a cartoon to please the kids, but it's also made for us adults to make us contemplate on our own lives. It's like they made it in into a cartoon just to make it enticing, but in reality they just want to make a point about life.
I remember UP, and how cute that little, fat boy was and the old man with the balloons. But it was all about letting go of the past and allowing the present to heal you. The old man was so stuck in his past (his wife and her dream) that he couldn't even move forward and appreciate the here and now. That's when the boy stepped in and helped him move on. It was so subtle how the creators mixed it in the story, but still it was not hard to miss.
And Toy Story 3 was no different. And just like the franchise's past story lines, being mean or evil (and not just to toys) does not go unpunished. Like in their first story, we have Sid (the boy who was cruel to toys) whom Woody "punished" with his own Exorcist rendition. In the 2nd film, we have Stinky Pete who was given to the girl who drew silly stuff on her toys. And now on the 3rd, we have the bear who smells of strawberries, Lotso, who was tied up in the front of a GARBAGE TRUCK. See, the irony in that! He smelled of strawberries, and now, he had to smell of trash because he treated toys in Sunnyside like trash!
I don't want to see it as karma, because the REAL karma is supposed to be good. Do something good, and you'll get something good in return. But it seems that the golden rule is working here. Don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you. Plain and simple. Huwag gawin sa iba ang ayaw mong gawin sa iyo.
Trency and I also had other theories about the movie. Trency said it was about mortality, and how you can just lose things, and how nothing lasts forever. For me it was not taking things for granted. Andy was about to go to college, and for the longest time he hid the toys in a chest. I found it so touching how Woody and the gang attempted, several times, for Andy to notice them. How they stole his cellphone, put it inside the chest with them, and dialed his number.
Andy admitted in the end, how special the gang was, especially Woody. He was supposed to go to college with him, but Woody chose to stay with all of them, with Bonnie, their new Andy. I was so touched when Andy whispered "Thanks guys!" before driving off to his new life.
But still, what makes Toy Story endearing, is the test of friendship. How sticking together can help solve everything. I love how Woody decided to go back to Sunnyside to help rescue Jesse, Bull's Eye, Buzz, Hamm, Slinky, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, despite the dangers of being caught by Big Baby and Lotso. Woody was free to go back to Andy, but he chose to save them. For me, that's true friendship. Through thick or through thin, you should all stick together. It was all about sacrifice, and how you can get by when you're with your friends and family. Woody and the gang don't just consider themselves are friends, they're a family.
It may be too good to be true, but if Woody were a true person, he'd be a hero. Woody is such an extraordinary character, far more THE HERO than Buzz Lightyear. He may not be able to fly or have a laser thing attached to his toy parts, but he has done more things. As a friend and as a daughter, I'd like to have Woody's guts. The guts to step up and help friends and family. Somewhere in me, I'd like to be the Woody for my friends and my family. It takes so much strength to be like that, and admittedly, I'd want to have that Woody in me.
And if you are a true friend, you might just land yourself true friends as well. When the toys were in the incinerator, I really thought that it would be the end. I almost shed a tear there. Trency was right, after all their adventures together, it was such a sad way to end the toys' lives. But I loved how they held hands and accepted their fate. At least, until the end they were still together, the gang all together. And that with friends and family, everything will be much better no matter how nasty the situation is.
And the last thing I realized in the movie is how things can turn around for the better. All the toys, especially the ever cynical Hamm and Mr. Potato Head, were succumbing to the thought of being locked up in the attic for good, or Andy seeing them as junk. But Woody writes Andy a note and tells him to bring them to Bonnie. It was such a great way to end the franchise. They've had their best times with Andy, but it was about to end with Andy growing up. They were forgotten, but they were given to someone who would love them as much as Andy did.
Bonnie might be the end, but it was a new beginning and a fresh start for the toys. It may not have been shown in the movie, or I guess it will never be shown, but it was clear that the gang would be well taken care of by Bonnie. And just like us, we can have our very own Bonnie, our fresh new start. It's just how we grab that fresh start that can make the utmost difference in our lives.
I am sad that the toy Story franchise has come to an end. I have followed it, and made it a point to watch it in the cinemas, and watch it all over again when it's showing on the Disney Channel. There's so much things to learn from it. When I'm all grown up, I'm going to make sure my kid will get to watch this film. It's a gem of a movie from Pixar, and I hope it will never be forgotten.
To John Lasseter and Pete Doctor, thanks for giving us this great movie. I will hang on to the film, the characters (most especially Woody), and the lessons I have learned TO INFINITY AND BEYOND! :)
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