Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3-D

Greetings Readers

I am not a fan of Tim Allen. I did not watch his show when it was on TV – what was it called… the Home Improvement Show, I think.

Anyway, I had no desire to see Toy Story when it first came out. And I didn’t.

Then, Toy Story 2 came out, by then I think those movies with that type of animation was getting respect as much more than a kid’s movie. Before seeing Toy Story 2 in the movie theatre I did see Toy Story on DVD. And I have to admit to you Readers, I was so wrong not to see the movie just because of Tim Allen being one of the main voices in the movie.

Thinking back I actually think that Toy Story 2 was the first Pixar movie I saw in the movie theatre. Matter of fact Readers, I was impressed by the visuals as well as the story of the movie. However, what caught me off guard was the adult content that was “hidden” in the movie. Even though the movie is geared for kids is it also very entertaining for the adults.

I found myself laughing along with the other adults when the kids were not laughing at the movie. We shared something in common and that made the movie so much more pleasurable.

Here we are Readers – 2009 and now Pixar has re-released Toy Story and Toy Story 2 for a limited engagement of 2 weeks. There was no question – I was going to see the movie period. What was different for this re-release was that you get to see both movies for the price of one ticket. However, that one ticket was going to cost money extra since the movie was in 3-D.

Yes, I have the DVDs in my collection, but I wanted to see the movie in the movie theatre. Although, not because of the 3-D.

Before actually seeing this movie I have never been to a 3-D movie since the late eighties. Back then you wore those paper 3-D glasses that have one red lens and then one blue lens in the cardboard frame glasses. That was the 3-D I knew of. Matter of fact that was still my thinking until I actually got my first pair of 3-D glasses with my movie ticket.

The 3-D glasses were actual glasses. A plastic frame that sort of look like the Ray-bans of the eighties. However, the lens looked like just any ordinary lens. Clear. No red and blue colors – just a clear lens.

I bought a big tub of popcorn since I was going to be in the theatre for over 3 hours.

I went into the 7 PM showing on a Monday night. There was Monday night wrestling, there was Monday night football and then there was the decisive post game series of the Rockies playing the Philly’s and needing a win to stay in the series otherwise their season is over. So, I was hoping almost all of Denver were at home watching one of those three events.

With all that going on I was the only person in the movie theatre watching the Toy Story movies. I thought that was pretty cool. I had the big screen all to myself as the way it should be.

Soon, the previews started and I put on the glasses. I did not have a clue when I was suppose to put them on. I watched the preview and tried to see if the trailers were in 3-D. It looked 3-D, but I could not tell if the glasses were working or not.

Then, the big screen showed that now was the time to put on the 3-D glasses.

The first movie trailer in 3-D started paying. Holy fucking shit – that was fucking amazing! The movie trailer was “A Christmas Scrooge” or something like that and was an animation movie coming out at Christmas in 3-D starring the voice of Jim Carrey.

One snowflake that was in 3-D was floating in and out of the movie screen and was literally floating in 3-D right in front of me. That whole trailer was amazing to see in 3-D. It is amazing how technology has changed since the last 3-D movie, which technically had nothing like the impact I was witnessing in that movie theatre.

Objects, people had true 3-D depth. There was even the sense of riding an icicle in 3-D at high speed. My mind actually believed the rush of speed.

Soon, the first movie started.

Then, a ten-minute intermission after the first movie was over.

And then the second movie started and was over about 90 minutes later.

I was fucking awed by the 3-D experience. I laughed, smiled and really enjoyed myself watching both of those movies once more. I have seen the Toy Stories over and over, but I pretended I was seeing this for the first time. I did enjoy hearing the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, John Ratzenburger, Don Rickles, Kelsey Grammer, Estelle Harris and Wayne Knight.

I also liked the voice of Randy and Sarah singing again.

I absolutely enjoyed the 3-D. There was depth. There was such detail in the 3-D that I was looking all over the movie screen to see all the effects of 3-D in the movie. What was even more impressive was that even though the movie gave 3-D to objects and characters – they were even able to make the light from a flashlight in the movie 3-D. They made smoke in 3-D. Even the sun’s rays they could occasionally be made in 3-D.

You probably have these two movies in your collection and thought to yourself why should I go and see these two Toy Story movies in the movie theatre. True. But Readers, I think you will be pleasantly surprised and will soon find that the 3-hour plus in the movie theatre will go by quickly. I was worried about fidgeting in my seat since I know both movies by heart, but I think I did not because I was caught up in the 3-D experience.

The movies (double feature) was worth the $ 12.00 dollars I paid and I am glad that I was one of the few to actually catch the limited engagement of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in the movie theatres.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

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