It isn’t easy being the toy of a 17-year-old boy. In “Toy Story 3,” the delightful and imaginative Andy is all grown up and heading for college in less than a week. The toys have been sitting in his old toy chest, untouched for years. The film opens with Sheriff Woody devising a plan for one last playtime with Andy before he leaves. Unfortunately it doesn’t work and the toys prepare for being tucked away in the attic.
Deciding to sift through things and pick what’s coming with him and what isn’t, Andy tosses all of the toys (including Buzz Lightyear) in a bag for the attic — except for Woody, who he decides to put in the “College” box.
Through a mishap, the toys assume they’re being thrown away and devise a plan of their own. They crawl into a box marked for donation and get themselves sent to Sunnyside Daycare Center, where they can be played with to their heart’s content.
Everything looks to be a toy’s dream when they arrive. Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear (Lotso) and Ken greet them and show them around their new environment that includes two rooms — the Butterfly Room and the Caterpillar Room. Truly impressed and still assuming Andy meant to throw them out, the toys, save for Woody, decide to stay at Sunnyside. Woody warns them that Daycare might not look so wonderful after a time, yet the toys don’t heed this.
This is where we get a glimpse of the first film. Here is Woody again, doing what he does best; being there for his friends and owner. Not only this, but the toys are wary yet again to believe Woody’s truth and must learn the hard way that Woody is usually right.
Woody turns out to be right. Excited for their first playtime in years, the toys get into position when they hear children approaching the room. What they get is insanely hyper toddlers who don’t know how to properly play with the toys. Bruised, battered and covered in paint, Buzz decides to have a chat with Lotso and get the gang relocated to the Butterfly room.
This is when the truth comes out.
Lotso refuses to let them out of the Caterpillar Room, claiming that toys are needed there and the new ones (usually sturdier) should bear the burden of those children. The toys are kept in prison-like bins and sent back into the Caterpillar Room the next day for more rough play with the toddlers.
While Woody tries to escape and return to Andy’s house, he gets caught on a tree and is discovered by a girl from the daycare named Bonnie. At her house, Bonnie’s other toys inform Woody that Sunnyside is a toy prison ruled with an iron fist by Lotso. Lotso was kind before his owner Daisy replaced him. Enjoying some playtime with Bonnie before he leaves, Woody sets out to rescue his friends.
Back at the daycare center, Mrs. Potato Head discovers through her missing eye in Andy’s room that he’s looking for them in the attic. Now knowing Woody was telling the truth, the toys make up their mind to go back home. Woody returns and the gang reunites, devising a plan to escape with the help of a tot telephone.
They exit the building through a dumpster shoot and very nearly escape when Lotso appears with the toy phone who revealed their plan. Woody accuses Lotso of lying to his henchmen, telling them Daisy replaced them when she only replaced Lotso. After a shouting match, Lotso’s henchman big baby throws him in the dumpster for the truck to pick up. When Woody tries to help one of the space toys whose leg is caught, Lotso grabs his leg and pulls him and the rest of the toys with him.
Close to becoming mince plastic, the toys scramble for an escape plan. Lotso climbs up to a lever to stop the conveyor belt moving the toys closer to a fiery grave, but taunt them and away at the last second. Just as the toys are sucked into an incinerator pit and bracing for death, the space toys who marveled at “the claw” use a giant arm to lift the toys out onto the street.
Back at Andy’s house, Andy is packed and ready to leave. The last box is the toys, and Woody decides to move on with them instead of climbing in the college box where Andy initially put him. Woody writes a note suggesting he pass the toys on to Bonnie. At her house Andy explains all about his toys, especially Woody and his undying friendship, and tells her to take good care of all of them.
Andy plays with Bonnie and the toys, giving the them their last playtime with him before his departure. Bonnie takes the toys inside and they examine their new home.
It wouldn’t be surprising for the emotional to leak a few tears near the end of the film. Add this to the long list of shining reviews for the newest installment in Disney Pixar’s crowning jewel. The toys go through so much in this film, and in the end everyone reaches their goal. The toys have their last playtime with Andy and a happy new home, Andy gets to college and the evil dictator Lotso is strapped to the grill of a garbage truck to have bugs fly into his mouth for all eternity.
Not a bad victory for Woody and the guys.
Throw in a few hilarious Spanish Buzz Lightyear scenes and you’ve got a masterpiece. It wasn’t surprising that “Toy Story 3” raked in a whopping $109 million in its opening weekend. Kids of all ages — from one to 92 if you will — can enjoy Woody’s perilous journey and triumph. “Toy Story” has a theme song that speaks to its message like no other movie out there: you’ve got a friend in me. Woody proves what Andy says at the end of the film, he’ll never give up on you. If you need him, he’s there.
How many of us could use a special friend like that?
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