Kevin's Watch

[Nonspoiler minireview]

Just a perfect movie. Maybe Pixar's best. It develops these characters in a way that is so perfect, it just flows effortlessly from the first two movies and then leaves everyone where they're supposed to be. It's sad, especially for those of you with kids going off to college soon. Our oldest was a young boy when the first one came out, and next year is his last year of high school. He grew up on these movies, and now he's in nearly the same place as the main (human) character. The pain of letting go, seeing people whom you love move on to the next stage in their life, knowing that it will never be the same again ... it's all captured perfectly in the plastic smiles and frowns of these fictional toys. I don't think any children's tale has captured the poignancy of childhood and growing up as well as this franchise, and now (I suspect) we're at the end of that tale. What an amazing trilogy. You must see this!

(though I would skip the 3-D--it didn't add much and just made things dimmer and blurry).

Zarathustra wrote: (though I would skip the 3-D--it didn't add much and just made things dimmer and blurry).

You did put on the glasses, right?

Having never seen the first 2 movies, would you recommend not seeing this lastet one till i have seen the others?, or could it be watched as a stand alone film?.

This is definitely not a standalone film. You have to see the first two for maximum enjoyment. For example, the first 5 minutes are going to seem like blatant over-the-top CGI-fest if you don't get the joke. And you have to see the first one to get the joke. It references the first two in themes, music, character ... the first two are not only essential for this one, they are damn good movies! Watch them!

You did put on the glasses, right?

Yes, that's why it was dimmer.

The 3D was okay, but very subtle. It didn't detract from the movie too much in terms of the "gimmick" of 3d. Most of the time you forget that it's 3d at all. It's that subtle.

I think that until a method of 3d is perfected that doesn't darken the movie, I'm never going to be completely satisfied. The real world doesn't look dark and blurry. Movies shouldn't either. I also think that natural movie-related "flaws," like judder (as seen in slow pans across a scene), are exacerbated by 3d.

I just rewatched Avatar on blu-ray on my plasma last night. I thought it looked MUCH better than the 3d experience in the theater.

I just saw this tonight, and loved it. Pixar has great talent when it comes to storytelling, and always seems able to touch me emotionally more than almost any other studio.

What kind of propoganda is this movie, anyway? Humans are depicted as toy-smashing monsters, and we're supposed to love the manufactored goods more than humans? This is the nothing but the blatant marketing of blind consumerism by corporate conglomerates.

wayfriend wrote:What kind of propoganda is this movie, anyway? Humans are depicted as toy-smashing monsters, and we're supposed to love the manufactored goods more than humans? This is the nothing but the blatant marketing of blind consumerism by corporate conglomerates.

[We bought a $35 Buzz afterwards. They suckered us in.]

Beorn still has his talking Buzz from the original movie. Which still works...

We'll stick with that one, even though at nearly 17 years old, I doubt Beorn would ask for a newer version...

You never know though. If Zarathustra was suckered in to getting one, who knows how my gullible self will feel after seeing this?

Menolly wrote: You never know though. If Zarathustra was suckered in to getting one, who knows how my gullible self will feel after seeing this?

Well, to be more accurate, it wasn't the movie that suckered me in, but my own 9-yr-old boy. Perhaps the movie conditioned me to see the innocence and beauty of childhood love for a toy, and therefore I was more susceptible to his pleas. And maybe the movie suckered him in, and that's why he wanted it so bad. But I can think of worse toys, and worse reasons to want a toy other than a deep connection with the character which the toy represents. It's the story the kids fall in love with, and I can't blame him because I did, too.

wayfriend wrote:What kind of propoganda is this movie, anyway? Humans are depicted as toy-smashing monsters, and we're supposed to love the manufactored goods more than humans? This is the nothing but the blatant marketing of blind consumerism by corporate conglomerates.

Actually this one had *none* of that.
It was really.....just a good movie.

The first two movies were cute.
I enjoyed them.
This one, perhaps because I was so used to the characters, made me laugh out loud on occasion.
It tugged on my heartstrings a bit at the end too.

I assumed that WF was joking, and making a parody post of how I turn silly movies into political discussions. Perfectly legitimate teasing, as far as I'm concerned.

But if he's serious, well, that's another matter.

Zarathustra wrote:I assumed that WF was joking, and making a parody post of how I turn silly movies into political discussions. Perfectly legitimate teasing, as far as I'm concerned.

Zarathustra wrote:But if he's serious, well, that's another matter.

I definitely read it as kidding between the two of you, on my part.
But agree if way is being serious, then have at it...

...well, with dAN's approval, of course.

I was skeptical about this one, but then I thought, 'Yeah, I was skeptical about Cars, too, and that turned out alright.' I wasn't convinced I had to see this one in the theater (like I have every other Pixar movie) until the reviews. Sure enough, it was good.

Forget about dim, this Toy Story was dark. Alienation is a familiar enough theme from the first two movies (seriously, when are they going to stop doubting Woody? how many times does it take a group of people to realize 'oh, guess you were right and we were wrong' before they question their impulses?), but with the abandonment issues with Andy, they really turned it up a notch. The fear of obsolescence faced by Woody (and Weezy, and look how that turned out for him) is now faced by all. It even makes the audience face the question of the ultimate end - several times, but once in a big way that even had me asking 'Do we get to see Toy Heaven?' There's also the fact that they one-upped The Prospector's fate.

I have some unanswered questions. First, what about Bo? Does this mean Woody has to be toy-celibate forever? I don't think the movie gave that angle enough play. And second, what was with the cane and the bear being driven around? Why? He seemed quite able. Was it to further drive home the point of old = authority = bad? And last, what kind of day care lets kids play with age inappropriate toys? That was just silly.

The gender issues raised by Ken were interesting, but they stayed just short of answering the age-old question. Is he gay or just fabulous? Not that sex is really the issue, but I'm thinking it went for the latter. I thought the bit with 'Ken's Dream House' was interesting, too. Patriarchal overtones counterbalanced with the same line of thinking behind the guy shrugging off the heels.

And if my army men's parachutes worked that well when I wasn't looking, I think I'd be pissed. Those guys were airborne (ha) for days.

Menolly wrote:

Zarathustra wrote:I assumed that WF was joking, and making a parody post of how I turn silly movies into political discussions. Perfectly legitimate teasing, as far as I'm concerned.

Zarathustra wrote:But if he's serious, well, that's another matter.

I definitely read it as kidding between the two of you, on my part.
But agree if way is being serious, then have at it...

...well, with dAN's approval, of course.

MY approval? When has that mattered to WF or M23 in the least? From what past experience has taught me, my disapproval just makes them post more!

But ___, if you approve of how your disapproval makes me post, I shall have to stop posting to gain your disapproval back, thus creating a paradox that shall destroy all of the world and everyone in it. Our only hope is for you to not give a crap either way. (What a truly unique opportunity: save the world through apathy.)

Wayfriend,

You never anthropomorphised your toys as a child? I still worry about my old stuffed turtle that used to sleep with me. Nor is caring for the things you love a bad lesson to pass on to children.

SerScot, I think that the notion that we might run out of toys is silly. We can make all the toys we need -- the toy shortage is just a gimick to create panick in the markets.

Furthermore, the notion that toys are helpless until a "cowboy" shows up and saves them is just the worst sort of biggetry.

This movie stinks. The plot - a bunch of toys solving problems - has been done at least twice before. How boring - give me something new! All that CGI is just eye-candy on a retread plot.

SerScot wrote:Wayfriend,

You never anthropomorphised your toys as a child?

I certainly hope he hasn't. That's illegal in 42 states!

I took my two youngest ones to see TS3 today, and loved it. The regular characters were great as usual (Buzz had a few new twists!), but I have to say

Spoiler

Barbie

was a total surprise.