Toy Story 3 and doll collecting - by guest blogger Milady Blue

I'm delighted to present Milady Blue's second guest post to the Fashion Doll Review. Here, Blue gives a delightful (no-spoiler) review of the latest Pixar Film, Toy Story 3, and discusses its relevance to doll collectors. I, for one, am perhaps a bit convicted, as I'm currently (ruthlessly) going through my doll collection before IFDC. (I am so busted!)

Toy Story 3 & Doll Collecting
by Milady Blue
Special guest writer


Toy Story 3 seems to be the last of a trilogy. I’m sure the box office receipts, not to mention public demand, might mean that this is not the end of these movies.

Andy, the child owner of the toys in the first two films, is now grown up, and on the verge of going to college. He has not played with his toys in some time, and they are apprehensive over their future. Will they be put in the attic? Or will Andy just throw them away? Though a series of misunderstandings, the toys end up at a daycare, thinking they have reached toy heaven. The events from there, once they realize they have been duped by Lotso, the senior toy, are a very touching, suspenseful and often hilarious escape in action, to get back to Andy’s house, to see if they are truly unwanted after all.

There are some parts that might make smaller kids grab hold of Mom and Dad, but Pixar is good at handling these moments in such a way that they should not lead to nightmares.

The reason this is relevant to doll collectors? Barbie is present as one of the toys--donated by Andy’s younger sister, Molly--and she plays a big part in the escape, since she provides valuable intelligence. How she does it is simply hilarious.

What I find funny about these movies is that even though I know my dolls are supposed to be inanimate objects, I can’t help but feel bad if I have to perform a Frankendolly to replace a less articulated or even broken body. How would it feel to be a loyal toy, who gives years of smiles and delight, to have that loyalty rewarded by being passed on to some stranger, either sold or donated? Pixar is a power to be reckoned with, because most people don’t give much thought to putting dolls up for sale--I should not be ruminating like this, of course, because most of the dolls in my collection have come home via this route. The previous owner needed to raise quick cash for a “latest and greatest” or make room for new dolls, or somehow or another have grown tired of their older dolls.

At one of the most suspenseful parts of the movie, when you thought that this was IT for Andy’s toys, I nudged my brother and muttered, “Please tell me that if I die, you will treat my dolls better than this!”