Entertaining For Adults, Dark and Eye-Opening for Children

Rating: 5/10 (9 August 2010)

This movie is Rated G and is clearly not directed towards a "General Audience". Half, if not all of the humor in this movie is way above the heads of young children, and is definitely not something I want my kids to be laughing about at such a young age. "Toy Story 3" is an incredible step down from the first two movies in that it has ZERO character development. The only character who remotely changes is Big Baby, who is overshadowed throughout the whole movie by Lotso anyway. The story is also much darker and depressing than the first two; Woody's grim outlook makes him a much less likable character and there is really no clear protagonist throughout the film.
The tone of this movie is considerably more somber than the first two films. As a movie supposedly directed toward children, it has several ominous undertones; the daycare resembles a concentration camp, and Lotso almost like a dictator with absolute power over everyone inside. I would rather wait for my kids to see "Schindler's List" when they're old enough to understand it than have their minds darkened by the evil doings of Lotso and his companions at such a young age. Lotso is also a horrible influence on young children, and everything he does in this movie is everything that children should learn not to do. I can't tell you how many children were disappointed that Lotso never changed heart throughout the movie; I feel like it's "American History X" all over again. This is alright for mature audiences, but when Woody helps saves Lotso's life and Lotso tries to kill him again, what kind of message is that sending to children? That people cannot change? That there is no hope for the evildoers in this world? Kids are supposed to learn to be forgiving, but this message teaches the exact opposite.
Not to say that this movie wasn't brilliantly put together with beautiful animations and emotionally stimulating moments, as Pixar never fails to accomplish. I personally enjoyed the movie, although the comedy was a bit over the top at times, especially with Ken. However, it failed to spark any thought in my mind afterwords, resulting from the lack of character development and ingenuity in the plot. I would rate it a 4/5 for anyone over the age of 12, and a 1/5 for any child that wouldn't comprehend half of it.