In 11 years you grow UP

I know that you're leaving 

You must have your reasons 

The seasons are calling...  

The steps that I retrace, 

the sad look on your face... 

And its happen once again, 

I'll turn to a friend

Someone that understands 

That sees through the master plan 

But everybody's gone  

And I've been here for too long 

to face this on my own... 

Well I guess this is growing up. 

- Blink 182: Damn It 

Blink has been with my for years, their songs have resonated through several moments in my life. But never once did I really think that this song would go hand in hand with what I felt about a Disney movie, but it did. Honestly I had forgotten that this song even existed, until about a month ago when a college graduating friend sang it acoustically on a ukulele during her own party. Yes, no joke on a ukulele. Since then I realized the words of the song were much more powerful today, in these moments of life than they were years ago when this song first was released. Damn It was actually Blink 182's first real success and hit single hitting the charts in 1997, when I had no idea the lyrics would ring true outside of the fictional break up that was being sung about. 

I was listening to the song again on Sunday morning of this week, three days after seeing the midnight showing of Toy Story 3 and the lyrics reminded me of the movie. Toy Story was released in 1995 just two years before this song became a commercial success, and Toy Story 2 hit theaters in 1999 just two years after. So it seems that Toy Story (and basically Pixar) have been in my life as long as Blink 182 has and it seems fitting that for this latest installment I relate the old song. Of course I adored the newest Toy Story as I always knew I would (though there was that scare there when Disney was trying to do the movie without the Pixar peeps). From the moment I saw the extended scene at D23 with the home videos of Andy playing with that awesome Space Cadet and lovable Cowboy I knew this movie was going to be a bundle of emotion. I was never disappointed.  

Its been 11 years since the last Toy Story film and the audience grew up just like Andy did. The setting has changed, the story has grown but our old toys are still waiting to tell their story. It was just as captivating, funny and impressive as the first. I couldn't help but wonder if the young boys behind me (one in his cowboy suit and hat) were as impressed by the movie as I was. I mean at a whole six years old those boys didn't know that back in my day, cartoons didn't look like the well crafted 3-D wonders they do today. Pixar's Toy Story was to my generation what Snow White was to the generations before, a moment when story telling was taken to a new and unbelievable level. The incredible feat though is that even after 15 years, I'm still impressed by Pixar. Each movie brings something new to the table, the colors, the details, the maginficant backdrops have even brought tears to my eyes (I know, I know, dork). I don't want to give to much away about the story but I do warn anyone over the age of 15, all my adult friends that you might tear up a few times. The themes in the life of Andy, in the life of the toys is parrallel to our lives and growing up is easy when you don't have to think about. 

You are going to laugh. You are going to cry. You are going to have your breath taken away. Because this is the stuff that our dreams were made of, and don't lie you all thought one day that your toys were having meetings when you weren't in the room. Those 11 years were well worth the wait, because this is a great ending to a love saga we've had with Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch Toy Story 2 again.