Fabulous!

If you haven’t seen Toys Story 3 yet, my advice to you is:

1. Go!  It was wonderful!

And:

2. Wear waterproof mascara.

Now quit reading this post right now.  I mean it; go away.  You do NOT want to read any spoilers for this film.  You want to experience it for yourself, trust me.  I’m serious; the less you know about this film when you see it, the more you will enjoy it.

Are they gone now?  Okay, good.  We can discuss the film. Obviously, I loved it.  I loved how they started with the familiar lines and characters (we all recognized “One-eyed Bart” right off the bat, and knew that dinosaurs can take down force-field dogs any day of the week).  We experienced strong emotions as we watched Andy grow up; proud of the young man was becoming, but a sense of loss, as well. We saw how this affected his family and his toys.  Then we got a whirlwind adventure as they toys struggled to determine where they belonged, and how to get there.  There was a great villain, and I was so thankful that Pixar didn’t take the cheesy redemption route, but had him stay evil when he had a chance at atonement.  And if you weren’t crying in the fire scene, your emotion chip has malfunctioned and it’s time for a reboot.  My daughter even cried in that scene, and she didn’t cry when Old Yeller died!

This film ran the gamut of emotions.  I loved the humor (Buzz in Spanish mode, Tortilla Potatohead), the edge-of-your-seat thrills, the simultaneous sense of loss and completion during the final good-bye.  I know I’m not even scratching the surface of the real highlights of this film, but to be honest, my emotions are still so raw, so close to the surface, that I think I’m going to need to see the film again before I can provide any sort of an objective analysis of it.  And see it again, I shall.  My daughter clamored to do so immediately, and my husband, Mr. Frugal (or as I shall now refer to him, Mr. Pricklepants) who hates seeing movies in the theater, didn’t argue. It’s another home run for Pixar, and has me even more excited for some of their upcoming projects.  What’s on the horizon?  There’s Newt, the story of the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet forced together by science to save the species, and they can’t stand each other (Summer 2011). Summer of 2012 is supposed to herald in Cars 2, featuring the international escapades of Lightning McQueen and Mater, and even though I wasn’t all that impressed with Cars (by far my least favorite of the Pixar films), I trust Pixar enough to give them another chance on that franchise.

Have you seen Toy Story 3?  What did you think?  Let me know at http://www.facebook.com/disneygene!  

I’m Sooooo Excited!

If you are a Disney fan, I’m sure that you are aware that today marks the release of Toy Story 3 to theaters, and I for one am so excited! 

When Toy Story 2 came out in 1999, my excitement was tempered.  My experience to Disney sequels up until that point had been less than stellar.  The only animated sequel that had been released to theaters that I could recall was The Rescuers Down Under.  I thought it was okay, but I liked the original much more.  And all of the direct-to-video sequels like The Return of Jafar, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, Pocahontas II: Journey to a new World, and The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride had not exactly instilled me with a lot of confidence in Disney’s ability to make a good animated sequel.  I should have known to give Pixar the benefit of the doubt.

Our experience with that movie didn’t start out well.  When we got to the movie theater (in pouring-down rain, I might add) the show was sold out.  The last show of the night still had some seats available.  Did I want to take my four-year-old to a 9:50 show or tell her we had to come back another night?  I’m a cool mom, and a smart one.  And it’s not like I was all that worried that she be bright-eyed and chipper for pre-school the next morning.  Of course we watched it that night.  And the crowds, the rain, and the loud children in the theater (seriously, does no one make their kids behave in a movie?) all ceased to matter as we watched the film.  My husband and I were actually debating in the car on the way home which was better; Toy Story or Toy Story 2.  When’s the last time that was an issue with a Disney sequel? 

There are a lot of Pixar films rumored to be sequeled (Is that a word?  I don’t think so.  But you know what I mean.): Cars, Monsters Inc, and The Incredibles come to mind. I’m sure I’ll be lining up for any that they release, even the Cars sequel.   But to me, there’s something really special about the Toy Story characters.  Even though they are a child’s toys, they are actually adults, with emotions I can relate to.  They react to situations in a way I can understand, but not necessarily predict.  And I feel a real emotional connection with these characters.  That’s why I’ll be sure to bring a pack of Kleenex with me to this picture.  I mean, who am I kidding?  I cry at the very beginning of a Disney movie when the show the castle!  Considering the subject matter and my knowledge that in three years it will be my baby going off to college, there is no way I am going to make it through this picture with my mascara intact.

Where do I stand on the 2D vs. 3D debate?  I’ll be paying the extra couple of bucks to see it in 3D.  Yes, the glasses are dark, heavy, too big for my head, and give me a headache.  But I’ll be watching this in 2D at home when I buy the DVD (you’ll notice I said when, not if), so I figure that I may as well see it in 3D while I have the chance

You all know what I’ll be doing this weekend. (Well, that and trying to learn how to play the trumpet for my role in Gypsy.  That is not going well, in case you are wondering.  I sound like a dying cow, and it scares the living daylights out of my dogs.) Will you be joining me in theaters this weekend?  Let me know at http://www.facebook.com/disneygene!