"Whole Theater Was Howling On A Friday Afternoon": Here Are 7 Movies You Should See This Weekend If You Have Absolutely No Idea What To Watch

"finally a fresh perspective for the series other than woody, and one with a rich history that parallels this sequel’s narrative and its themes of growing up too quick or no longer being “of use” to your kid perfectly. the less said about how jessie’s backstory feeds into the emotional undercurrent of the movie - and the lessons she learns - the better, but man they really struck gold bringing her to the forefront. 

also, have to applaud how layered and complex the commentary on tech actually ends up being. not a parent (yet, though i hope to be someday), but i have taught young kids who are already hooked to these devices like their lives depend on it, and it’s broken my heart just as much watching how fast tech ages them up and how mean these machines can make them. but at the same time… tech can connect us with people we’d never meet otherwise and help us learn more about the world than we’ve ever known. 

it can’t ever fully replace human interaction, but it can certainly aid it, and it’s not always the black-and-white enemy it’s made out to be. that’s always been a tricky wrinkle to this debate that’s hard to address, but i think this movie walks that line unbelievably well and so much sharper than i expected it would. i mean, look at me now, typing out my thoughts on an app that sure, some would say has 'ruined' film discourse with its one-liners (sorry) and 'gamification' of movie watching, but one others would say brought them closer to like-minded cinephiles they would have never known elsewhere and exposed them to art they might not have given a chance to without learning of it here. hell, i met some people i’d call my best friends - including my boyfriend lol! - on here and twitter. my life wouldn’t be the same without this stuff, for better or for worse. 

so yeah, tech can be addictive and insidious and sometimes make me want to gauge and/or bawl my eyes out depending on the day, but it’s opened up my world a whole lot too. and though this film focuses on its impact on a much younger generation, i think what it has to say about its use - both the good and the bad - applies to all of us, and i’m just really impressed by how successfully they navigate the gray space, all while crafting such a hysterical and heartfelt animated adventure simultaneously. 

like i said at the start, i’m not sure any new toy story sequel could ever surpass the artistic and emotional heights of the original trilogy, but at the very least, as long as kids live in an ever-changing world, this one shows there will always be something new they have to say."

—zoë rose bryant