Toy Story 3 Features Hidden Easter Eggs

The highest grossing animated film of all time and one of our family’s favorite movies of the year (and maybe yours too?), Toy Story 3, was released on DVD and Blu-Ray earlier this week.  We, of course, were first in line to grab our copies.

Since picking up our copy of TS3, it’s no surprise that we’ve watched it no less than four times already.  Each time, I’ve found myself searching for even more quirky surprises that I missed before.  Pixar is well known for hiding easter eggs in their films, so I thought I’d repost the link to a great site that shares many of those hidden gems of Woody, Buzz and the gang.

Slash Film did a great job dissecting some of the most important scenes in the film that were chock full of interesting tidbits, many of which reference other Pixar films and characters, with quite a few nods to next year’s Cars 2.  One easter egg that I found interesting was the significance of the number of A113 found in several other Pixar flicks, just like TS3.

Read More

To Infinity and Beyond with Disguise Costumes

With the upcoming release of the Toy Story 3 Blu-Ray and DVD, it’s no doubt that the streets will be filled with a copious amount of trick or treating Jessies, Woodys, and Buzz Lightyears.  As a well-loved franchise for years, Toy Story has captivated kids for years, so it’s really no surprise that they want to be their favorite characters for Halloween.

IMG_1084

Disguise, a division of Jakks Pacific, has a fun lineup of costumes this year, including our Toy Story favorites like Jessie, Woody and Buzz.  Their costumes are affordable and as realistic as store-bought costumes can get.

Read More

Toy Story 3 Hits Theaters Today

Well, the day has finally arrived!  After years of preparation and months of anticipation, Toy Story 3 officially hits the big screen today.

As Andy heads to college, Buzz, Woody and the gang find themselves in a precarious predicament after mom mixes up the trash and the “keep” pile.  The toys find themselves at a daycare where they befriend new pals in an eclectic lineup of other toys from the daycare.

The third film in the wildly popular Toy Story series, TS3, like the earlier installments, is expected to break the bank, and be one of the biggest tickets of the summer.  The original Toy Story earned $191 million with its original release and $363 million worldwide.  As evidenced by the plethora of licenses for towels, shoes, cereal bowls, Pull Up diapers, bread and more, TS3 is quite the hot commodity in children’s gear.  And I’ll be the first to admit that our toy box has been filling up with our own respective gear in anticipation of the film!


Why is this flick so popular?  Well, for many reasons.  In part, what started 15 years ago as a collaboration between Disney and Pixar, has turned into a fleeting success.  Since their initial partnership, the studio has gone on to develop a laundry list of computer animated classics, with the original Toy Story as its springboard.  The story, cast of characters, exceptional graphics and more have kept audiences engaged for well over a decade.  Now, the original audience’s kids, nieces, nephews and perhaps grandkids, are just as excited for the toys’ shenanigans as we were 15 years ago.

 

Fifteen years ago, I was still in school.  [Let’s just leave it at that ;)]  Today, I’m planning to take my 2 year old who has been harping on Buzz and ‘Wooly’ for months now!  It’s incredible to think how much has changed for me between now and then; but what’s even more incredible is how these characters are still touching lives, even after all these years!

After all of the movie’s clever marketing, the film’s early reviews are looking quite bright!  I can’t wait to share my thoughts, and maybe even a some of our favorite kid gear to boot.  For now, take a look at this pretty cool behind the scenes clip with interviews from some of the voices.  If you go to see Toy Story, be sure to tell me what you thought!

 

 

Check it!

Speaking of how much things have changed in 15 years, did you know Disney Pixar has a Facebook app where you can buy Toy Story 3 tickets via Facebook? You FB-obsessed people (like me) don’t even have to leave the site to secure your own movie tickets!  Just head to Disney Together to get the app and click, click and you’re done!

Up video game hits shelves today

upgraphicThe video game, Up, based on the Disney-Pixar film of the same name, is hitting shelves today. Up, by THQ, follows the adventures of Carl and his young sidekick, Russell, as they embark on a journey through the  jungles of South America. The four main characters of the video game are the same from the movie — Carl, Russell, Dug the dog and Kevin the prehistoric bird. The characters must work together to navigate jungle terrain, combat animals and avoid being captured by a villain and his army of talking dogs.

Rated E for Everyone, the game is available for Wii, DS, Xbox 360, Playstation 2 and 3, PSP, Widows and Mac and retails for $39.99.  Here’s the trailer for the video game.

The game has already been taken for a spin by video game reviewers, and it sounds like it’ll be a big hit with kids.

I’ve got kids and they sat still and quiet while I was playing UP, so I know this game will do well with children, it’s bright and colorful and cute, all of the things a kids games should be.

said Kristofer Brozio of TestFreaks. For a thorough review, complete with screenshots, be sure to check the Testfreaks.com blog. For more information on the movie, Up, which hits screens on the 29th, head on over to the official site.