By John C.

Last week I went to see Pixar’s latest masterpiece, Toy Story 3, for a second time – something I’d been meaning to do since I first saw the film.  The only difference between my two viewings were the number of people in the auditorium, and the fact that I first saw the film in 3D.  The third dimension does add a nice sense of depth, but isn’t needed.  If you have yet to see the film, then no worries if you save the extra 3 dollars.  But what struck me most about seeing the film a second time around, not 2-weeks out, was the emotional impact it still managed to have on me.

In this article, I am going to discuss, in-depth, what could not be written in my review – the climactic scenes of the film that have left some people undecided.  If you have yet to see the film, and wish to have a pure experience, there are major spoilers after the break.

When I reviewed How To Train Your Dragon back on March 26th, I wrote that “this will almost guaranteed be a better movie than the next two Dreamworks films to be released this year, Shrek Forever After and Mega Mind, and if Toy Story 3 ends the way I fear it might, than there’s a very good chance they’ll end up topping Pixar as well.”

I was referring, of course, to my fear that Toy Story 3 would end with Andy giving up his toys, including his beloved Woody.  Those who have seen the film know that is indeed the ending.  And regular readers will know that TS3 is one of my favourite movies of the year, so far.

So what made it work?  I think it’s largely due to the films main themes of letting go and moving on.  These are the same themes dealt with so beautifully in last year’s Up, except this time they are brought forth for a younger generation, on a more physical level.  And Andy doesn’t just get rid of his toys, he gives them to Bonnie, (perhaps the sweetest, cutest kid in the Pixar universe since Boo in Monsters Inc.), so that she can look after them while he’s at college.  Maybe it’s not the most desirable outcome, but it is the most reasonable one, and it’s undeniable how much it moved me.

The plot, involving an accidental donation to a day care centre, followed by a tense escape, could be compared to the first two films.  But this is the first time that the philosophical themes of being a toy are really discussed.  In what is perhaps the most suspenseful sequence, the toys end up in a garbage incinerator.  One by one, as they come closer to the flames, they hold hands.  Each one linked to one another, symbolising the bond that has grown between the toys, in lieu of Andy.  Just when we think their fate has been decided, the three-eyed aliens save them, with a little help from “the claw.”

The toys make a perfectly timed retreat back to Andy’s room, like they did in the previous pictures, except this time they huddle into a packing box that is destined for the attic, instead of the toy chest.  Woody goes to pack himself up with Andy’s college things, but then realizes that the thing he fears most, even more than losing Andy, is the separation from his friends.  But before he can put himself into the box, there is one more thing he has to do.  He writes a note.  We never see what it says, but once it hits us, it hit me hard.  It’s Bonnie’s address.

What follows is perhaps the most emotional scene I’ll see all year, that brings the entire series full-circle.  Andy introduces himself to Bonnie, and opens the box to reveal the toys, one by one, reminding us of all the beloved characters, and all the good times they’ve shared.  Once the box is emptied, Bonnie notices Woody lying in the bottom.

What makes it so touching is the way Andy hesitates before handing over Woody, the way they both hold him for a few seconds as he passes between their hands.  The way he plays with his toys one last time without a care in the world, or the nagging of his mother or the teasing of his younger sister.  And, finally, the way he mumbles “thanks guys” before getting in his car.  As he drives off, we see that he is trying to hold back tears, and the toys watch from the porch step of their new home.  It is an ending that I had not hoped for, and one that could have easily gone wrong, but Pixar handles each little emotion perfectly, creating a undeniably moving finale to a perfect series.