Toy Story 3 (Exclusive Special) (Disney Plus)

Initial release date: June 18, 2010

Studios: Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation

Tagline: The Breakout Comedy of the Summer

No toy gets left behind

Plot: With their beloved Andy preparing to leave for college, Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the toys find themselves headed for the attic but mistakenly wind up on the curb with the trash. Woody’s quick thinking saves the gang, yet all but Woody end up being donated to a daycare center. Unfortunately, the uncontrollable kids don’t play nice, so Woody and the gang make plans for a great escape.

Cast

Tom Hanks - Woody

Tim Allen - Buzz Lightyear

Joan Cusack - Jessie

Ned Beatty - Lotso

Don Rickles - Mr. Potato Head

Michael Keaton - Ken

Wallace Shawn - Rex

John Ratzenberger - Hamm

Estelle Harris - Mrs. Potato Head

John Harris - Andy

Jodi Benson - Barbie

Emily Ricks Hahn - Bonnie

Laurie Metcalf - Andy’s Mom

Blake Clark - Slinky Dog

Bud Luckey - Chuckles

Bea Miller - Molly

Timothy Dalton - Mr. Pricklepants

Kristen Schaal - Trixie

Bonnie Hunt - Dolly

Jeff Garlin - Buttercup

R. Lee Ermey - Sarge

Writer: Michael Arndt (The Force Awakens; Hunger Games: Catching Fire)

Director Lee Unkrich (Coco)

Rated G (103 minutes)

Just when you thought ‘Toy Story 2’ was the best animated sequel ever released, the 2010 sequel really knocks it out of the park.

‘Toy Story 3’ is filled with lots of laughs and quite a bit of heart. The sequel also has several new characters that join in on the fun ‘Toy Story’ antics. Of course, a few of the new characters don’t end up being that friendly to the OG characters.

The conclusion of the movie is really emotional. The one part of when the toys are in the dump almost ended badly, but thankfully didn’t. When Andy brings his group of toys to a small little girl, you feel the emotion.

Now, ‘Toy Story 3’ would have been the perfect way to conclude the franchise. But, we eventually did get the fourth movie, which I will be giving another look at soon!

Here are some fun/interesting tidbits for ‘Toy Story 3’:

• A stuffed bear resembling Lotso can be seen in the 1995 movie during the staff meeting. Woody asks if the toys “up on the shelf can hear” him, and we see a shot of a big, pinkish bear. John Lasseter wanted to use Lotso in the original, but Pixar had trouble getting the fur right.

• Hanks and Allen insisted that they record their lines together, which they had previously done for one day during the making of the original, but which is rarely done with animated films.

• For inspiration for the Sunnyside escape, the Pixar staff watched numerous prison movies.

• Blake Clark became the new voice of Slinky Dog, replacing the late Jim Varney, who died of lung cancer in 2000. Clark and Varney had been good friends.

• The first animated film to make #1 billion at the worldwide box office. The film achieved this on August 27, 2010.

• The screenplay took 2.5 years to write and storyboard.

• There are 302 characters in the film, the most of any Pixar film.

• Initially was intended to conclude the franchise, with Andy saying goodbye to his toys, having had no plans to do a fourth film at the time. But after the film was a huge access, it allowed Pixar to continue the franchise following the toy’s new life at Bonnie’s, with three shorts, two TV specials, and eventually, a fourth film.

• At the end of the 1995 original, Rex said he hoped Andy would get another dinosaurs, preferably a “leaf eater” so he could act as the dominant predator. In this sequel, he gets his wish, because his new owner, Bonnie, has Trixie.

• According to the terms of Pixar’s initial seven film deal with Disney, all characters created by Pixar for their films were owned and controlled by Disney. Furthermore, Disney owned the rights to make sequels to all Pixar films up to and including ‘Cars,’ though Pixar retained the right of first refusal to work on these sequels.

• In 2004, when the contentious negotiations between the two companies made a split appear likely, Michael Eisner (Disney chairman at the time) put plans in motion to produce a third film at a new studio, Circle 7 Animation (now defunct).

• In January 2006, Disney bought Pixar in a deal that put Pixar chiefs Edwin Catmull and Lasseter in charge of all Disney Animation. Shortly thereafter, Circle 7 Animation was shut down and any version of a third movie was canceled.

• Instead of sending Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and John Ratzenberger scripts for their consideration in reprising their roles, a complete story reel of the film was shown to the actors in a theater. The reel was made up of moving storyboards with pre-recorded voices, sound effects and music. When the preview concluded, the actors signed on to the film.

• ‘Toy Story 3’ earned $415 million in the US and Canada and $652 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $1.067 billion, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time (until it was surpassed by ‘Frozen’ in 2014).

https://youtu.be/JcpWXaA2qeg