I need to catch up on three movies we’ve watched the last two weeks!
Friday, April 7, 2023
Toy Story 3 (2010)
I’ve always thought Toy Story 3 was a solid entry in the Pixar canon, and after rewatching it, I still think that. But I’ll be honest: it wasn’t quite as amazing as I remember it. Highlights:
The opening with a “real” train robbery was fun
I liked the home video reel to reestablish our memories of young Andy.
Mr. Lotso is a really evil villain. Kind of dark for a kids movie, honestly.
The toddlers who abused the toys were almost as scary as Mr. Lotso
The scary baby minion was terrifying. Nice that it gets a reprieve at the end though.
The entire plot is quite grim
But I take it back, the monkey is the most horrifying thing in this movie.
Spanish Buzz is hilarious
The scenes with Barbie & Ken were fun
My DD4 was really scared for most of this movie — especially landfill / incinerator part (DD6 cuddled up to me at that point too)
It’s interesting to note that this movie came out 13 years after Toy Story 2, but Andy is supposed to be like 9 years older max. So it wasn’t super far off from real time growing up — some of us who were kids with Andy were roughly at the same stage of life when he went off to college. Like Andy, I had a bunch of toys and memorabilia from my childhood and had to make the decision to grow up and move on. It’s also metaphorical for moving on mentally from childhood pursuits.
Andy’s story is the heart of this film — the frame around the story of the toys. The toys are actually kind of irrelevant. Not to say they don’t add something to the film, but their story is for amusement / action / scares / laughs. (And it’s a tad too grim.) The emotional core is with Andy, and Bonnie.
I wasn’t as emotionally impacted this time watching it for whatever reason. Jessie’s song in Toy Story 2 and Nemo reuniting with his dad hit me harder on this round rewatching. I’m not sure why this is, considering as I said that I really identify with Andy’s situation. In any case, I can’t really give this one of my highest scores. But it’s definitely a strong film in most respects, and overall enjoyable.
This movie is pretty entertaining, but I’ve never thought it was a particularly profound film. My opinion of it is unchanged after this watch.
Unlike Cars, which is about leaving the city to find your soul in the countryside, Cars 2 is really just an international spy thriller. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s a completely different genre and therefore will appeal to different people. Highlights:
Cool visuals. It’s fun to see all the different countries / cities.
Showcase for action — great chase scenes, explosions, etc.
The humor surrounding Mater being a fish out of water really drives the movie (pun intended). The Wasabi scene is probably the funniest gag.
Gastow’s in Paris was a fun Easter egg
The key bit of character development seems to be Lightning McQueen realizing that he has to be patient with Mater. But he is actually quite patient with Mater from the beginning. It was really Mater who needed to learn to have tact.
Overall, this movie is fun, funny, and entertaining. But it’s not my favorite by any stretch. It doesn’t have much heart — or at least not in a way that resonated with me. That’s too bad, because it’s the heart that elevates Pixar movies.
Wow, Brave is so much different than every other Pixar movie. It’s more like a Disney movie. I haven’t seen it in a very long time.
Unfortunately, and it really pains me to say this, I don’t really love it. It doesn’t really resonate with me. Not sure why. Highlights:
The feminist message of women not just being prizes to be handed out, and the theme of choosing your own fate, is a great core to the film in contrast to the lackluster Cars 2.
The best part of the movie is probably the Scottish culture.
I was like Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the screen when the Scaffy witch popped up. Our dear @Shmebulock’s alter ego! (Played by Julie Walters, btw)
Emma Thompson plays the mom. I wonder what the Scots feel about Brits faking Scottish accents.
The three boys give me severe anxiety. But they are kinda cute.
I don’t remember hearing John Ratzenberger in this movie but he is credited
The climax of this movie comes when Merida realizes her mother’s love for her, her mother realizes she needs to give Merida freedom, and the kingdom realizes they’re stronger together. For a reason I can’t put my finger on, none of these lessons hit home with me.
I’m glad Brave exists to give us a Scotland-based Disney movie and a ginger princess. It’s good, but not great.
Emma Thompson can be forgiven anything because she’s just lovely
As is Julie Walters!
Billy Connolly as King Fergus is quality casting though
And Robbie Coltrane as Dingwall
He’s unrecognisable!! (See fake Scottish accents above )
He’s in the end scene when the wood carvings get delivered. He’s the guard who gets half his moustache chopped off!
I would never have known that that was him without reading about it online.
I think one of the highlights of Brave is the incredible animation quality for showing the beauty of the setting
I feel a bit compelled to add some TS3 thoughts, as it is my favorite Pixar film.
He is, but he is complicated, and his Jesse-esque backstory makes him even more interesting, where we feel empathy for him and wonder if there is hope for him to be good. Not just a stand-in cookie cutter bad guy. All of this makes the film better.
Is this supposed to just be a “kids movie”?
These were good things. The stakes were incredibly high. We have seen the toys’ character arcs and relationships grow over 3 films, and you really see what they’re made of in extreme crisis and when there is major disagreement. The score as they hold hands approaching the fire, the look Woody and Buzz give each other, and then the claw rescue is one of Pixar’s finest moments.
Yes, Andy drives the whole story, but how the toys struggle with or embrace change and how that plays out in their relationships is just as important.
That’s true. The moment, where Andy gets to Woody and begrudingly lets him go. Those few seconds where he is just quiet and working through his thoughts before telling Bonnie about him is priceless and hits me every time.
The film really gets to a deep level with the toys as they are pushed through excrutiating tests. They realize what they mean to each other (well, at least til the next movie ruins that.)
Finally, specifically the character growth of Buzz. Not sure if they were being thrown out or put in the attic, Buzz stayed neutral and respected and listened to everyone’s strong and dramatic takes. Calm, diplomatic, and kind because he deeply values everyone’s friendship and doesn’t want internal conflict among the toys. Sound like someone on the forum? That should be worth the 5th star, but I can accept 4.
Seriously, very good points. I think the fact that I was watching it with my kids this time affected my viewing of it.
I’m going to stick to my score, because 4 stars is still very good among all the other very good Pixar films, and I like the ones I gave 4.5 and 5 stars to better. Just a matter of personal preference though.
I appreciate your detailed reviews of the Pixar movies as you’re watching them.
We rarely agree even on what we each think the movie is about.
This is likely a function of our different ages and thus the lens through which we experience the movies. My grandson’s youngest is the age of your youngest.
Both Cars 2 and Brave were on repeat at my house. I always enjoyed them. Thankfully not Toy Story after 1 and 2.
I’m really curious about your rating for Toy Story 4.
I recently rewatched Brave and the conflict between mother and daughter really resonated with me! Maybe as a daughter and a mother! I don’t think I’ve been quite so pressuring with my daughters, but it still hit home. Plus Scotland. Plus bears!! Those three little boys/bears are adorable!
I think Cars 3 is a much better movie than Cars 2. Not Cars level, but much closer.
On the one hand I thought the mom was unrealistically harsh on Merida. But on the other hand, maybe my mom is too much like the mom in Brave and it made me uncomfortable.
See, I won’t watch Temple of Doom. Watching it smacks to me of helping unethical people prosper. Wait I am in no way saying the movie is unethical. I feel by watching - not even talking about enjoying the story - I am giving tacit approval to aspects of the movie I can’t approve.
I can’t go there.
At least with Temple of Doom, our disagreement areas are probably gender based. ToD has been discussed on these threads previously.
Saying TS3 was like Temple of Doom is saying which of these doesn’t fit. I dislike obvious change of writers on tv series for the same reasons. And wonder, how do the actors put up with this? And what would we have seen if they hadn’t tried to effect change.
One of my favorite parts of ToD (besides Shortround) is Willie Scott. I really identify with her because I would have been screaming the entire movie, too. Kate Capshaw does a great job. But I can see why some women wouldn’t like the characterization given history.
Of all the Pixar films, this is the one I probably forget exists most often. In fact, even having watched it two nights ago, I struggled to remember much from it. It’s not bad, just forgettable. Highlights:
Young Mike Wazowski is super cute
Comparing the animation between this one and Monsters, Inc., there is a lot more texture and detail. Lots of improvement in ~12 years.
Helen Mirren’s Dean Hardscrabble is quite terrifying
The comedy is probably the star of the show, which is to be expected from a film fronted by Billy Crystal. But to be honest, there weren’t a lot of “laugh out loud” moments.
Animal House seems to be a big source of inspiration
Monsters University is funny and enjoyable. There are some heartwarming parts – I like how it builds Mike and Sully’s relationship. Sully has a good growth arc. But ultimately it’s a lightweight film. Maybe it’s just because I don’t relate to either of the main characters, and I don’t like films set at college, but this just didn’t do much for me. Without Boo, there’s not a lot of heart left.
It was really Mater who needed to learn to have tact.
I am in no way saying the movie is unethical. I feel by watching - not even talking about enjoying the story - I am giving tacit approval to aspects of the movie I can’t approve.