First things first…wow Pixar has done it again! I knew this movie was going to be good but it exceeded my expectations.  Toy Story 3 continues to follow the lives of the toys that belong to a boy named Andy and this time around the toys are dealing with an inevitable problem: Andy has grown up.

Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jesse (Joan Cusack), Hamm (John Ratzenberg), Slinky Dog(Blake Clark), Mr. And Mrs. Potato Head (Don Rickles & Estelle Harris), and Rex (Wallace Shawn) open the film with an imaginary, playtime adventure sequence that only a boy can imagine, reintroducing us to the characters we have all become so familiar with.  This shot then goes into a video montage that show the glory days of Andy and the toy’s playtimes. The montage ends bringing the audience up-to-date to the reality the toys face.  Andy has grown up, is off to college, and the toy’s morale grow weary trying to figure out their fate and ultimately if Andy really cares for them.  They all fear being dumped in the trash, but in a misunderstanding they end up getting donated to a local daycare,  introducing them to new characters.  As nice as everything seems, there is a darker side residing in Sunnyside Daycare.  I do not want to give away too much so I will leave the story there and let you watch to find out.

But I have been a fan of the previous Toy Story movies and this third installment definitely is a winner. It will keep everyone entertained and for movies nowadays that is hard to do. There is suspense, drama, and most definitely humor: they have all their bases covered. This third film may be my favorite of the three with the bittersweet story that it tells. I can relate to the story to a degree because I was just a kid when the first film came out in 1995, the second in 1999, and now I am a bigger kid (or kid at heart!) slowly saying goodbye to my childhood ways. So I can relate to the sentiments that the movie was conveying about growing up, growing apart, and moving on to the next step in life. Who knew toys could teach me such a lesson? My inner child came out with eyes glued to the screen. Do not be ashamed if you shed a tear during the movie because you probably will not be the only one as it plays your heart strings. This movie will soften up most anyone and if you do not feel anything watching this you probably do not have a heart…I’m just saying. But I can’t say anything bad about this film- the story, the graphics, and the emotion were all there and represented for. Toy Story 3 is currently number one at the box office (deservingly so) proving that you do not need explosions, sex, or violence to be a summer hit; just remember how to be a kid again.