Growing Up With Toy Story

Rating: 10/10 (16 March 2015)

I was born in the early 90's, and grew up with Toy Story. I would always peek in my room and try to see if my toys were alive. Not only is the whole concept of Toy Story brilliant, but they ended the story exceptionally well.
The story, while a cartoon, faces real life problems. Growing up isn't easy, and saying goodbye to parts of your past is extremely difficult. It shows that you have to be careful who you trust, because some people aren't always going to be nice to you (like Lotso). It teaches you how to love with the whole "about to be burned alive but holding hands" thing (which was a little traumatizing, but heartwarming because all of these toys really loved each other). And most importantly, it teaches you how to be optimistic of the future. While it was heartbreaking to see the toys and Andy part, we were left optimistic that this new little girl was going to have many years with these toys to look forward to.
This installment was wonderful and really hit home for me. I actually cried at the end when Andy left for college, because that following year I was going away to college as well. To me, this franchise isn't just a cartoon, it's a journey. And this last installment really brought the journey to a fabulous end.