 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Toy Story 3
- Review Date: June 16, 2010
- G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2010
Common Sense Media says
Smart, funny "threequel" is scarier than the first two.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while the third movie in Pixar's flagship Toy Story franchise is bound to please moviegoers of all ages, it is scarier and more intense than the first two (which is why we've rated this "threequel" at a higher age than Toy Story and Toy Story 2). Overall, the latest adventure shared by Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the rest of Andy's favorite toys is kid-friendly -- but there's a fairly long scene of the toys in serious peril toward the end of the movie that many 3- to 5-year-olds could find quite upsetting. There are also a few new toys that act a bit mean and creepy (particularly a Big Baby doll and a cymbal-clapping Monkey) and scenes in which favorite characters are trapped by cruel authority figures. But there are also wonderful, touching messages about friendship, loyalty, and imagination. Note: The 3-D version of the movie may make certain parts feel more immediate/lifelike, but the movie's intense scenes have a strong impact no matter which version you see.
What's the story?
Andy (voiced by John Morris) is heading off to college, and his mom (Laurie Metcalf) asks him to clean out his old stuff. Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the rest of Andy's favorite toys have survived yard sale after yard sale, but now the best they can hope for is a one-way ticket to the attic. After an unfortunate mix-up, the toys -- particularly Jessie (Joan Cusack) -- believe it's for the best if they jump into the donation box for Sunnyside Daycare. When they arrive, they're greeted by a cuddly purple bear called Lotso (Ned Beatty) and Ken (Michael Keaton), who get the gang -- including Bullseye, Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (Don Rickles, Estelle Harris), Slinky Dog (Blake Clarke), and Rex (Wallace Shawn) -- fired up to meet their new little playmates. But Andy's toys quickly realize that these toddlers don't so much play with toys as terrorize them .. and that Sunnyside isn't the toy paradise they thought it was. Now they'll have to use all of their ingenuity to escape their preschool prison.
Is it any good?
Disney's Pixar is possibly the only studio in the history of Hollywood to bat a thousand. Even though some of their films end up having more adult appeal (Ratatouille and WALL-E probably don't get as much DVD rotation as Finding Nemo or Monsters Inc. in many kids' houses) than others, Pixar's films always surpass expectations. So it's absolutely no surprise that the third installment in the studio's Toy Story franchise is another winner. By now we love these toys, cheering them on through battles with Sid the sadistic tween neighbor, greedy Big Al, and selfish Stinky Pete. So when Andy tosses the toys in a trash bag, our hearts flutter -- and when that bag winds up in the donation box instead of a trash compactor, we sigh in relief. And when at one point it seems that our beloved heroes may have truly reached the end, we tense up -- or in the case of the preschoolers in the audience, shed a tear or two. (And if that moment doesn't get you, the scene in which Andy's mom looks around his empty room and bids him farewell certainly will.)
If only every "children's movie" could be this well-made and well-loved. The consistency of the voice cast (even Andy is played by the same actor, now in his 20s), the brilliant animation, and the many running jokes are just a few of the reasons this series has yet to go stale. And the clever new gags -- like when Buzz gets "reset" and ends up in Spanish mode, making poetic declarations of love to his señorita, Jessie -- offer some of the movie's highlights. The film's antagonists, led by Beatty's deceptively huggable Lotso, have a believable reason for acting so selfishly, and Keaton's Ken is hilariously clothes-obsessed (and sensitive about being called a "girl's toy"). In the end, every character gets to shine (Barbie, the aliens, a self-sacrificing Mr. Potato Head who gets very creative when the situation calls for it), and every toy gets the "happily ever after" they deserve.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how the core group of toys have had to change since Andy's gotten older. How are they different? Who's missing, and why? What is the movie saying about childhood, play, and toys that mean a lot to kids?
Even though Andy's about to head off to college, he ultimately takes a moment to rediscover his favorite toys. Which of your toys do you think will stay with you forever? Parents, tell your kids about your beloved toys that you kept until you were grown up.
Why is Lotso so angry? Why is his motto "no owner, no heartbreak"?
How does the third movie compare to the first two? Which one do you like most and why?
What is the role of consumerism in the Toy Story movie franchise?
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AGE
Due to a schedule snafu, I happened to see this movie tonight with another adult. There is NO WAY that I will bring my kids to see it. The entire movie is emotionally draining. It is a great film, but definitely not a happy film. Just becuase it's animated does not mean that it is appropriate for kids. Especially kids who are thoughtful, sensitive, empathetic, etc. The movie has a very sad undertone. Not to mention the horrifying scene at the end where the toys are going to be incinerated. I have two boys (5 and 8) and they would be extremely sad during the film and would, I'm sure, have a really tough time going to sleep because parts of it were so scary.
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AGE
This one has an emotionally dark side that may be too intense for sensitive children
The violence is not a problem, but this movie does contain some emotionally mature situations that can be disturbing to a more sensitive audience. The reviews neglect to mention a very dark scene in which a clown explains why the teddy bear and other toys turned bad. It was an unexpected turn for a comedy, and had both the adults and children raising eyebrows, and my sensitive 6 year old was in tears.
I also didn't like the message of the bad bear staying bad in the end - there was no reforming him.
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AGE
Parents: Please Read
First of all, those of you who are saying this movie was "intense" and "too scary", I have no idea what you're talking about. There was nothing scary about this movie. Secondly, this movie was not intended for tiny children anyway. I'm 18 years old. Toy Story 1 and 2 came out when I was a little kid, and they purposely came out with 3 when people who grew up with Toy Story were older and could relate to Andy and the changes he is going through. I loved it, it was very meaningful, had a great message, and was extremely touching for us 90s kids who grew up with Andy and Buzz. Love Pixar!
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AGE
Left my 5-yr-old sobbing!
Our diehard fan was so excited to see TS3, but he got nervous when the daycare center characters became menacing. Then came the sinister screeching monkey, straight out of a Stephen King novel. The junkyard incinerator was the final straw. He's ok with the intense scenes from the first two movies but the dark & scary stuff is just relentless in this one; it went on and on. Several children in our theater were crying. We're thankful we didn't see it in 3-D!
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AGE
My three year old and her three year old friend saw this together in the theater, and they both loved it! They weren't scared during the intense "near death" scenes, maybe because we talked about how this movie was just pretend beforehand, or maybe it was just because they are only three and don't understand the concept of death yet. The monkey and the big baby were creepy even to me, but the kids didn't seem bothered and those characters didn't come up in conversation later.
I think the movie was a little too violent for small children. There were several scenes containing slapping and hitting and general throwing around of others. Little kids won't understand why some of the characters are nice in some scenes and mean and physically violent in others. It makes it hard to tell who the bad guys are.
Also, I said there was too much sexy stuff, but that was just because of the the Barbie/Ken scenes. There are also inferences to Ken being gay because of his love of clothes and his personal grooming. But I think all of this went over our kids heads.
Overall, this was a highly entertaining movie that really did appeal to the wide variety of ages in the theater in which we saw it.
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Kid, 12 years old
June 20, 2010
AGE
pretty violent for a g rated movie!!!!!!!!1
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AGE
This is not at all appropriate for children.
Violence, nastiness, creepiness, sadness, separation anxiety,sadism,
gambling, .... i could go on. No reason to expose children to this movie which is obviously more concerned about impressing adults. Please think carefully and perhaps choose another film to take children to.
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AGE
Perfect Little Movie, but very emotional
We have four kids, the youngest is under two, so going to the movies can be a bit harry. I find that children under two aren't so worried about movies being scary, but once you hit the latter part of two up into three, children start relating things to their own lives, i.e. making connections. This movie was a bit emotional and intense, and for the most part younger kids (five and younger) will either not understand the emotional intensity or quickly forget the scary parts once the happily ever after happens. I personally loved this movie. It had everything the first two did and more. I thought it was sweet and sad, and it ended perfectly. I thought this movie was by far the best movie Pixar has produced. I can see the concerns for kids finding this movie too emotional. I think the best thing is to know your kids. For example, my three year old loves Monsters, Inc, but for awhile she didn't want her closet door open at night. So, just know your kids' limits. This movie is great for everyone, but just know it has a lot more drama and sadness in it than most kids movies. In the end the movie has great messages and characters your kids will love for years.
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AGE
Wait for rental when you can fast forward through some very scary scenes
What was Disney thinking? This is Toy Story meets Star Wars (toys being dragged into firey pit) meets Boogey Nights (Ken doll scenes - enough said). My 4 year old actually wanted to leave because he was so scared. Yes it's entertaining for Tweens and up, but this franchise was geared toward the preschool set. The fact that it got a G rating is further proof the rating system needs a compete overall. For those with young children -- I know there will be pressure to take your kids to see this, but if at all possible try to wait for video when your kid will be 6 months older and you can forward through some of the scary parts that really serve no purpose to the story. This just doesn't meet the age expectations for viewers that the previous two movies set.
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AGE
NOT good for sensitive kids who still 'believe' things are 'real'. VERY INTENSE for small children.
Just an fyi that we feel that kids should be 6 and up for the new Toy Story movie.
Of course, It's just our experience with our twin 5 year old girls and 8 year old son, but our 2 girls found several parts of Toy Story 3 too intense and scary. And even 3 days later, one of them is saying that it was too scary and she never, ever, ever, wants to see that movie again. They are now skeptical of all of those toys shown in the movie.
(Spoiler info below)
Basically, the good toys get involved with some 'bad' toys at a day care center who not only 'punish' the good toys by locking them up in cages (crates) and putting them 'in the box (sandbox)' for trying to escape, but the climax involves a very intense scene of all the good toys (Woody, Buzz, etc) heading towards extermination in a landfill incinerator. (reminded us of the fiery last scene in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith). And the meanest toy is heartless and cruel throughout and even with many chances to 'change and do the right thing', he keeps choosing to be bitter and a villian.
If you have a young child who still 'believes' in things, then this might not be the best choice. We didn't even see it in 3D and the effect would have been even more intense.
We loved the other two Toy Story movies and still watch them all the time, but we were disappointed in the story line for this long-awaited movie. It's as though they made scary moments longer and more dramatic than necessary for 'effect'. Beginning is fine, end is fine, but the middle had our girls crying and screaming. Many little ones all around the theatre were jumping into their parents laps and we were all trying to explain that is wasn't real....but it took almost 20 minutes for 'everything to be okay' and that was frustrating.
The movie is a good Pixar family movie, but we feel that people with young kids 5 and under may want to not see it on the big screen.
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy, adventures, friendship |
| Studio: | Pixar Animation Studios |
| Director: | Lee Unkrich |
| Cast: | Joan Cusack, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 103 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 18, 2010 |
| DVD release date: | November 2, 2010 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
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