Toy Story 3

****Spoiler Alert!***** Don't read this post if you havn't seen the movie and plan on seeing it.


Toy Story --The ultimate survival tale.

It began with Toy Story (1) or the original, the plot revolved around Woody, the cowboy doll, fighting to maintain his status as the favorite toy, the head honcho and basically the boss. Toy Story 2 was a rescue mission to retrieve the kidnapped Woody. Then as most of you know, Toy Story 3 brought the challenge of surviving "Sunnyside," the daycare governed by a ruthless teddy bear with a style not unlike Adolph Hitler.

The whole family plus two more adult friends went last night and saw the movie. Mike and I hadn't been to the movies since Oceans Eleven, ok, not that long ago, but close. This was Jack's first ever trip to a movie theater. A place where Mom and Dad had no control over the volume or the fast forward button. Not only that, but this was also Ty's first trip to the movie theater, and of course, Austin's too.

Our outing, like the movie, was a story of survival.

As soon as the lights dimmed, the volume came up and Jack's hands flew up to cover his ears. They remained there most of the movie.

Ty made it through the sound check and even through the first preview. The second, not so much. It was a new cartoon which included the Disney version of the story of Rapunzel's --the girl with the long hair who was locked in a tower. The hair freaked Ty out and I mean FREAKED. HIM. OUT. He was in Mike's lap at the time and started screaming and crawling all over Mike like a monkey trying to get away. He'd look back at the screen and scream, he'd try to cover his ears, but couldn't do that while holding on for dear life. It took about 5 seconds for us to realized we weren't going to calm him down. Mike headed for the exit with Ty perched on his head. They were gone for about 10 minutes before I handed Austin to my friend Ashten and headed out to check on the guys. They were in the hall. Ty refused to come back in the theater. It took Mike and I both another 10 minutes before he finally agreed to take a peek at the screen. We'd open the door, turn the corner to where we could see about 1/16 of the screen. Something startling would happen and we'd have to run back out, wait 3 minutes and try it again. Just like Toy Story 2 they begin the movie with Andy (I guess, I missed most of this) playing with the toys. We watch the action through Andy's imagination as things blow up, trains fall over cliffs and monkeys attack. Way to scare the kids before it even starts...

We got settled back in our seats and had a good 30 minutes of uneventful movie watching.

Then... the toys arrived at the scary daycare. That's when it got good again (the Ellises go to the movie plot). Ashten, Mike and I are playing pass the crying baby as Austin and Ty switch places. We try not to disturb Jack whose arms were probably getting pretty tired at this point. As the movie continues they toys find themselves in a pretty sticky mess. Upon escaping the daycare the villain finds them and they end up in the dumpster --right as the garbage truck comes. I am whispering to Ty that the toys are going to be fine. I know this, not because I've seen the movie already but because it's a Disney movie, and the hero never dies in a Disney movie. That and I heard they were going to come out with a Toy Story 4. Things go from bad to worse to worser to worsest. With each new impossible to escape scenario I am assuring Ty that everyone is going to be fine. I start to doubt myself. I'm going to be really mad at Disney if these toys get taken out and I've lied to my kid the whole movie. Then. Yeah, it's great. They end up in an incinerator with no way out. No way at all. There is no "emergency switch off button," no "just kidding it was all a dream" possibility. Nothing. The toys stare at their fate --impending doom. They begin to hold hands and decide to ride it out together. Heck, I've given up all hope at this point too. I start to think about what I'm going to tell Ty. Do I explain death or should I tell him it's just a movie and not real anyway. I don't know. All I know is that it's over. Over. The toys' lives, my child's trust in my word. It's over. I'm guessing the 4th instalment of Toy Story will be titled: "Toy Story 4: The New Class"

Then out of nowhere. "The Claw" comes down operated by three of your favorite squeak toys, and saves the day.

Whew.

I'm so relieved I start to cry. Not really. I didn't almost cry till the scene when Andy's mom had to say goodbye to Andy as he drove away for college.

Are you kidding me? We make it through the incinerator and now they've sprung a "little boy we've all grown up with is moving away from his Mommy" scene on us. Don't they know that mothers of little boys will be sitting there in the theater with... THEIR LITTLE BOYS?

Why do they hate us?

As I fight the sniffles I gently caress Jack's hair. I lean down and kiss Ty. Great. Thanks Toy Story. All this drama in the theater and then they go and make me get all emotional as they wind up the show. Wow.

Thank goodness for the 3-D glasses that can hide any tears.