Toy Story 3 from a Dog's Perspective

I rewatched Toy Story 3 yesterday, and, from almost every perspective, it's the best movie of the three. I thought so when it first came out, and my reviewing only confirms it.

From a dog's point of view, though, it's a disaster.

Buster, the dog given to Andy at the end of the first movie, was a hero in Toy Story 2. He was bright and vivacious and a friend to everyone. In Toy Story 3, though, he's a disaster. He's old; he's fat, and he's out of shape. What's worse, he's the punchline of the joke. Ha ha! Look at how decrepit Buster is! Isn't that HI-larious?

Aaargh.

Slinky Dog, the dog toy, fares much better, although the sad part about that is that his original voice was provided by the great Jim Varney - Ernest from the Ernest Goes to Camp movies - passed away between sequel installments. The new guy does a passable imitation, but we Ernest die-hards can tell the difference.

Still, there is a moment at the end of Toy Story 3 where you realize unequivocally that this is the finest film of the series. It’s a moment that involves a simple gesture and no words. I don’t need to tell you any more than that. I promise you, you will know it when you see it. And if that moment doesn’t make your eyes moist, then you have no soul.

I don’t need to rehash plot points. On paper, they look quite a bit like the first two films: toys in peril, daring rescues, and friends who stick together. But so much more is at stake here. The existential questions raised in #2 become major life-or-death struggles, taking this movie in some very dark directions. (My five-year-old was too terrified to watch much of it.) You discover just how much these characters have come to mean to you over the years. The ending is note perfect and tremendously satisfying, but you’ll probably sniffle a bit during that part, too. With the possible exception of Cars 2, which I personally haven't seen, Pixar has yet to make a bad film.

But as far as the dogs go, I give it two paws down.