Is Toy Story 3 Appropriate for a Preschooler?

I think Julie B said it best.
I haven't seen one Pixar movie that is was really for older teens and adults.
Shrek was not a Pixar movie.
The kids that are smart mouthed , etc , are pointed out as being the villain in pixar films. I've never seen a bad Pixar film.
Toy Story 3 is a great film.

Let her see it, it is a disney pixar moive, I took my 4 year old to see it, and he loved it, we have the other 2 movies as well and even my 1 year old watches it. I have even doen there room in a buzz light year theme. They are kids and this is a kids movie. I do not see anything wrong with it.

Totally depends on the kid. My 4 year old son saw it in the theater. That said, the other move he saw in theater was Up which is also kind of grown up.

It's not like the Shrek movies, if that's what you're worried about... but yes, there are some scary parts and not all of the characters are nice.

HTH
T.

The Toy Story movies are anything but dark and smart-mouthed! They're wonderful stories and my children, who are 2 and 4 LOVE them. My 4 year old saw the first two when he was 3, and we took him to the theater to see Toy Story 3. His preschool also had a movie night and showed Toy Story when he was 2, but he wasn't into watching any full-length movie at that point unless he was in a movie theater, so he and several of his friends ran around outside for most of it. His younger brother is the same way right now. Have you ever watched one of them? How anyone could think ill of these films or think that a 4 year old wouldn't absolutely love them is beyond me. Here's a tip -almost ALL feature length animated films have parts of the story line that appeal to adults and children. The parts the adults "get" and love usually fly right over the kids' heads. I think you're doing your daughter a great disservice with this attitude -not to mention sheltering her unnecessarily. Believe me, I cannot STAND to see young kids dressed like adults or teens, and I will not put up with a smart mouth. I don't like a lot of the advertising urging us all to make our children teens from the get-go, but the Disney/Pixar films are great, and I really think you're singling her out and cutting a really fun and wonderful part of her childhood out of your lives. You should do yourself the favor of watching all three Toy Story films and UP. If a sweeter, funnier, more touching and wonderful film that UP has been made in the last 20 years that the whole family can enjoy -I don't know of it. They'll definitely NOT make your daughter jaded.

I don't think that you should take her. From the way you sound you will NOT like this movie-you even kind of don't like it without even seeing it. IT is definitely appropriate for kids her age but thruthfully I don't see YOU thinking that it is. This was the scariest of the 3 and since your child does not know the characters she may be frightened also.

I loved it though and so did my kids. Although they didn't like it as much as the first 2. Pixar and movies like it are my favorite kid's movies and the only ones that I actually "enjoy" seeing.

My 4yr old son has seen it and loved it. He likes all the Toy Story movies. Movies are for entertainment, they almost always have a villain, and bad situation, and a happy ending/learned lesson. If you go into any movie looking for the "bad" stuff, you will not enjoy your time. I choose to take my son to a kids' movie to enjoy it and if there is something that isn't quite right we will discuss it. He understands it is pretend and he sometimes comments on how the bad behavior wasn't right and what that bad person should have done instead. If you look at it as a learning experience and a thing to enjoy you will see the good in the movie and will have a fun time. Pretty much every kids' show has something I don't like about it but I use the ones my son watches to teach a lesson. Examples - Care Bears has a villian and a grumpy, pouty bear but gives a lesson on caring a love. Bob the Builder has a whiny character that isn't usually sure of themselves but give a lesson on teamwork and getting things done. I could go on and on. Just as in life, you have to look for the good and teach as needed around bad situations because you can't avoid them all together.

I loved it and so did my toddler. You probably wont though. The monkey gaurd is freaky looking, barbie and ken fall in love, andy and his sister tease each other a bit, the bear is mean and controlling, and they almost die.
You have some pretty strong views about Disney/Pixar movies. Disney movies have always had dark scenes in them. Snow White was poisoned, Bambi's mom was shot by hunters, and so on and so on. Not to mention a male and female fall in love in many of them, and there is always an evil/controlling/manipulating character. I don't view the newer movies any different then the older ones.
The choice is yours but like I said, you probably wont like it.

I'm watching it right now with my 2 yr old. We have all three of the Toy Story movies and LOVE them! (he was Buzz Lightyear for Halloween).

I think any of those "jaded" type moments are over their heads at this point. Plus, my husband and I believe in exposing our son to all kinds of things and using them as a chance to teach him right from wrong. (not sure if that makes sense)

As a mother of 4 and a Film major in college. There are PLENTY of movies to keep from your children, but the Pixar movies are NOT part of that category! Most of the Dreamworks films I wouldnt let my kids watch, because those are more likely to involve adult themes. I would be careful with Nickalodeon, Warner Brothers, Twentieth Century Fox, even ABC Family, but Disney is a company that has mostly been true to their values. I mean, DEFINITELY watch a movie yourself before letting your child watch it. just to be sure. Because you never know.
But Im telling you now, if a movie was going to have a good sequel, then it is a Pixar movie.

ps, your child is going to grow up someday, make sure you can see it, and dont try to repress it. You cant protect yourself from an enemy you know nothing about. If you want your daughter to be able to protect herself in this world, than she (unfortunately) needs to learn about society and our world.
raise her with strong values and you dont have to worry (as much)

EDIT
wow Gail, talk about hostility.
Disney and Pixar are different companies, i never said disny sequels were good, i said Pixar was good, and i stand firm by that, Pixar doesnt answer to Disney, Disney just pays Pixar to stick the name on their movies.

From your post it does not sound like you have watched the movie yourself. How do you ask strangers to judge what will be appropriate for YOUR daughter if YOU Haven't watched it? It sounds like you want to make an excuse for not being asked first. Especially if you do not let her watch THESE kinds of movies from disney pixar. My kids both saw the movie 4x in the theater. girls ages 5 and 2 1/2. They LOVED it. You single out Disney Pixar for talking like adults but I think the others are much worse. Dreamworks????? Terrible. All of the SHREK movies... SO NOT FOR KIDS. Toy story (1,2,3) yes they have dark/scary/intense moments but they are wonderful movies and kids relate to them. I don't hesitate to take my kids to see them. Just curious, what movies do you let your child watch? If she is not exposed to this type of movie maybe you shouldn't take her. She may embarass you and conform to peer pressure.

You can rent the movie for a buck from RedBox and watch it on your own before you decide it's a horrible movie for little kids. are you by chance getting this movie mixed up with the Shrek movies? I haven't seen anything in any of the commercials to think that this is inapropriate for young kids.

Seriously?!?
I'm actually very surprised that this is even an issue. We homeschool and my husband is a pastor, so I absolutely understand the desire to filter through the things that your little ones are exposed to, but Toy Story 3?!?!?! It's a great movie that also has some laughs for adults, but none of it is inappropriate! I'm glad you decided to go ahead and go, because there are much worse things in life to be battling over!!

We took our son (3) to see it in the theater and now own it as well. There is one scene that they almost die, so its a little dark I guess, but he's too you to understand whats going on anyway. I don't see a problem with it. Its a kids movie.

Jaycee needs to tone down the bitter hostility a notch... :)

I and my children have seen all three Toy Story movies and 3 was the least favorite. Lots of dark tone to it. 2 was BY FAR the best!!! 1 had Sid which made it dark, too.

I took my kids, 4 y.o. and 2-1/2 y.o., to see it in the theater and they couldn't sit through the whole thing. Too much drama.

In response to Sarah, I would have to disagree. Old Disney reflects good values and politeness while new Disney teaches children to be sassy and rude. Prime example, Peter Pan vs. Return to Neverland. My son came away from Return to Neverland having learned how to act huffy, stomping one foot and crossing his arms, turning his nose up at whatever it was that he disagreed with. Oh great! Thanks Disney!
No, new Disney (& Pixar) does not have my trust or confidence. Walt had a different set of rules than this new set of folks.

Do you let her watch media generally? My daughter is attending a Waldorf preschool. They discourage letting your child view media of any sort at this age. It hijacks their imaginations and shapes who they become. It is challenging to protect our children from the constant bombardment of media and advertising, but I think it is worth the effort to protect their innocence and their own imaginative powers. Personally, I don't want my child dreaming about the lives of characters in cartoons. I want her to develop an internal world of her own creation. I would consider changing to a school that understands little people in a way that is compatible with your own views.

Well my three year old loved it :) We enjoyed it too. I just took him to see Megamind yesterday which he also loved. I do have a few I won't let him watch if I think the characters have nasty attitudes, but I have found that Pixar usually focuses on themes like loyalty, friendship etc. I don't think it would jade your daughter to see it at all. Just my opinion, good luck!!:D

i have a two year old son and he loves all the toy stories and was never scared or effected by the movie in any negative way. At the sad parts he says buzz sad moma woody sad moma.... i love the movies and i think they're all great i also have a niece and nephew who i babysit for and they love the movies too! There are way worse things in this world than a kids movie.... If you shelter her from things such as "pixar movies" She will be scared of things that aren't really even scary.... Don't shelter her. I know a few people who did that thinkin they could "save their kids from the world" And when they hit teenagers they ran wild, Because they were so sheltered and just wanted to experience everything.

I'm pretty picky about what my kids watch. And, I would probably say it's okay. However, depending upon your child, you may feel differently.
This family review site recommends 5 and up, so maybe not yet: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/toy-story-3

Good luck.

I would suggest you watch it first and then make your decision. My 3 year old liked it, but yes there are some "scary" parts, but she was fine and loved it. But it really depends on your child. I thought it was a heartwarming story though at the end.

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I took m 4-year old and she loved it. Still talks about it, actually. There is humor in their for adults, that frankly the kids wont understand but the message is a good message and the ending is heartfelt and sentimental.
You have some very strong thoughts on something you haven't seen. All of the pixar movies I have see have been wonderful. And most of the classic disney movies have VERY dark scenes in them-snow white being poisoned, cinderella being locked away in a tower, the dragon in sleeping beauty, etc. However, we choose to let our children be exposed to situations that will make them think and then we discuss it.
Good luck to you.

I guess you should rent it yourself first and decide, that seems to be the concensus. I am just writing to say that I am very liberal with what my kids watch. I'll throw in there that my daughter (3.5) is very active with imaginitive play, even her pediatrician has commented on it, so it seems that her imagination hasn't been hijacked yet by all this outside media.

I just want to point out that you can never tell how kids are going to respond to what they watch. Example, my daughter loves Disney's Sleeping Beauty and for some reason isn't fazed one bit by the super-scary Maleficent and the whole dragon sequence. On the other hand, the "bruja" in a Dora episode had her hiding under a table and not wanting to fall asleep one night. If you could see a picture of these two cartoon characters next to each other, Dora's bruja looks so harmless compared to Maleficent.

One more thought, in my opinion, kids pick up WAY more cues from the REAL LIVE people around them (parents, classmates) than they do from cartoon characters. We don't give kids enough credit. They can process more about real/pretend and what's appropriate in real life than we think. And some kids are more advanced in this ability than others, so you have to judge where your daughter is in distinguishing the difference.

my 3 year old loves it! She's seen all the toy story movies and she likes the third one alot.

That being said, it is fairly dark and my husband wont watch it again, it was too sad for him.

I agree that I think YOUR attitude about the movie is the tipping point here. I also think your daughter would probably be fine with it. My sons (2 & 4 yo) saw TS3 in the theater (1st theater film for both) and both sat through the whole thing with only a potty break for youngest part way through. There are some scary parts near the end and a sad scene at the very end (I cried too!) but I think it's harder for parents than kiddos (since it's more of a sentimental/ bittersweet sad that kiddos won't understand.) I would suggest you get the books from the library or bookstore and read them yourself and to your daughter beforehand in addition to or if you don't want to rent the movie. We got the "golden books" version (short & inexpensive) and read them quite a bit before we saw the movie so my 4 yr would be prepared for the scary part. If you want to "sanitize" (although I agree that it is not needed) the experience, reading the books will give you the most control.

Before I brought my 5-year-old son I would have said "go ahead." He'd seen a lot of other Pixar movies and liked them.

We saw it Saturday in at the $1 theater in 3D. Wow. There's a part with a cymbols-monkey that REALLY scared my son. I had to carry him out of the theater because he was so scared. I was really surprised. The third one is slightly scarier than the first two. (I think people who saw the first two may think it's exactly the same; I sure did.)

There's a great site to help let you know what age it's rated for: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/toy-story-3. It says that it's rated for 5+.

But you also have to know your kid. My son is more sensitive (than even his brother). If you are concerned, say no. No shame in that.

Good luck!

BTW, after reading a lot of others' answers, I need to remind people: "Shrek" is NOT a Pixar movie. It's Dreamworks.

There is a scene at the end of that movie that is very scary. I let my son watch it but I was right there with him and talked him through it when he saw it the first time. I would not let my son watch the movie for the first time without me.

I agree with the other moms. I took my four year old to see it (actually he just turned 5) and he was freaked out and had to turn away. My son who just turned three was super scared and all this after I had heard so many great things about it. I liked it as a movie, but definitely for an older age group (maybe 8-9? + adults?)

Don't take her if you don't want to...use your Mommy instinct!

Maybe you can make a special mommy movie night and pop popcorn, make a "tent" with furniture and blankets, buy a special candy or a juice box for it and have fun with it--then maybe she won't be so bummed about missing out on it!

I took my 3 year old to see it in the theaters and he really enjoyed it. I don't think there was inappropriate language and I would feel comfortable letting him watch it again. Do you have a chance to rent it and watch it yourself one night after she goes to bed, prior to the showing at school? There are some sad scenes, but I don't think it was too much to handle.

If you decide not to send her, I think you should plan a very special evening at home for her so she isn't too disappointed. It sounds like she is pretty excited for it and will be sad if she doesn't go.

K.
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I know that you have already taken her, and this late, but... We took my 4 year old son to see it at the drive in theatre. Big mistake! Of course, it was WAY too late for him to be out and awake. And I think impart to him being so tired, he cried at several spots during the movie. We saw a Toy Story 3 commercial today on t.v. and he said "I don't like that bear because he was mean". But I used it as a learning experience and was able to teach him a valuable lesson about how we treat other people. (When the toys helped Lotso at the recycling center and then he didn't help them.) Glad it worked out for you :^) Don't think we will watch it again for a while!

I know I'm really late on this, but my family just watched it last night. As I was putting my almost 6 year old to bed tonight, he made the comment that he was scared of the monkey. Yes, I know that is his way of avoiding bedtime, but my point is that he actually remembered the monkey with cymbals. BUT... My 3 year old didn't even blink. My point is, every child is different. I personally love the movies that are made for children and adults alike.

I haven't seen Toy Story 3 yet but I would let my kids watch it on video. I just wouldn't trust them to behave in a theater... They have seen the first on on TV. If you are worried rent it and watch it yourself first. I am not a huge Disney fan and I think some of the older movies can be sexist. But the Pixar ones I have seen have all been good and appropriate for a preschooler. My son loves the Cars movie and watched it over and over since he was 2.5 (he's 4.5 now).

Yeah Baby Bratz is not a good idea. Disney likes to put inappropriate inuendo in there. You should do what you think is best for your daughter and how you want to raise her :)

My son who is also 4 loves it. We are pretty conservative about what he watches, but honestly, it's Toy Story. Most of the "bad" stuff goes right over his head. I don't really think there is anything wrong with it, but that's just me!

Every situation (movies included) is a great opportunity to chat with your child about behaviors of those around him, "does anyone treat you like that?", appropriate lanaguage & the way we speak to others, and the difference between entertainment (fantasy) and reality. We have let our daughters (now 9 & 11) see a variety of movies-Disney & Pixar & a host of others, listen to several styles of music, etc., and guess what - they are excellent students, very disciplined dancers, amazing sisters, and very thoughtful, caring, loving, respectful children.They have emathy for those around them. They recognize & respect authority. They are able to understand their own emotions, and the emotions of those around them. They think about how their actions may affect others, and what the rewards & consequences of their actions might be. Yes they have their moments, but not because they were exposed to TS3 or any movie for that movie, just because they are growing up and have many influences around them and are trying to figure out how to express themselves in that moment. Yes, we are all disappointed in the Disney films, but really, it didn't start with them...re-read some of the Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales! SCARY! Many of them are about controlling children through fear. We are all familiar with them, and we all turned out just fine; many of us are fine even though our parents didn't sit down to discuss the stories with us. I love the idea of reading the books ahead of time. Then maybe you can rent the movies (1&2) to watch and then make your decision about showing either of them to your daughter. Of course don't "go along with the pack". Your daughter will be upset, but you can tell her that you & Daddy have a special movie night planned for the family and you are all going to watch something together. Peace to you, B.

I agree, this is a very personal decision. However, I will throw this out to you--the Bugs Bunny cartoons I used to watch 30 years ago also had very adult themes and humor that went above a child's head, however, I never noticed it at the time. Watching the cartoons now as an adult, I see more layers of humor. I think kids take cartoons from a kids perspective, and more important than what's on the screen are the values that you impart to them, as that's the true lens that they will view everything through. Also, my thoughts on this (I have a 3 year old son and 2 year old daughter) are that I would rather expose my children to things and be there to answer their questions or help them interpret things, so that they have the tools of independent thought and critical analysis as they get older and I'm not there to filter their childhood. Good luck, I'm sure you'll do what's right for your family, parents usually have the right instincts!

My husband takes our daughter to see every movie. I disagree, but he is a big movie freak! I could do without and often I do.

She is fine. If we are home and I see a scene I don't like, I make a comment and ask, why is he so mean? She will usually tell me and I just say, "Oh, I don't like the way he acts". She is fine and I don't see her mimic the movies. I would say you could just have a talk about it after the movie.

The movie is very appropriate

I took my four-year old, but realized too late that the themes are rather adult. She is too young to understand the metrosexual references of Ken, maybe a little of the romance with Ken & Barbie, but the disturbing part for me is watching "toys" realizing their impending death in a furnace. They don't die, of course, but it seemed like a pretty big thing for kids to ponder. Lots of abandonment references.

db

I think it really depends on the kid. We took our 3 kids to see it when it was in the thearter (only the 2nd movie they had seen in the theater). I have 6 year old twins and a 3 year old. My 3 year old was fine...the scary stuff seemed to go over her head. My 6 year olds had a harder time with it....but ended up liking it. Now, one of the reasons we haven't gone to too many movies is my older two would always get scared and want to leave. My little one...no problem. I liked the movie, but agree there is some stuff in it that I could do without. I sometimes wonder why it is in there, but I think it is to attract the older kids. There is adult humor that goes over the kids head. There were a few things that I cringed about...but didn't seem to affect my kids at all.

If I were you I would definately watch it before your daughter does...you know her best and know how she would handle it.

You are going to get answers all across the board. Everyone has different values, and ideas of what is "appropriate." Ultimately you have to decide what is right for you, as you are the one raising your child.

That said, just know that if you are sending her to school, other people are going to be imposing their values on her for hours and hours every day - and she's going to hear/learn a lot worse than anything she'll see in the "Toy Story" movie.

Personally I've never seen it, so I can't really speak to that - however many of my daughters' friends who are preschool/K age have seen it and I have not heard anything awful. Why not watch it yourself first and decide?

I took my 3.5 yr old son to see it last week. I have NOT let him watch the others because I think they are too naughty. Especially toy story 1...Sid is just evil and I dont think kids need to be exposed to that. There are enough dark people in the world today. We saw it at the 2nd rate theatre so it was only $2.50 a person. He did watch it all. After seeing it myself I will not let him watch it again until he is older. I think by Barbie telling Ken she likes his "ascot" that was just like a Shrek moment. Theres NO need for it. The monkey and baby are freaky. While watching it I did think my son might be scared. I am pickier when it comes to movies...my son does not watch the older disney movies yet either. They have their whole lives to watch any movie they want so why start at the unappropiate ones so early? Your daughter will NOT be missing out on an important part of her life like someone else said. It is YOUR decision. NOONE should make you feel bad for that. YOU know whats wrong and right for your daughter.
Good luck in your decision!

The movie itself was a bit intense and scary in some parts, I'll be honest. My daughter is 4 and I took her to see it with a friend of hers. My daughter just has the type of personality that is extremely logical and she has a very good sense of what "pretend" means, so she wasn't scared of it. Her friend, however, who was just a few months younger, was terrified and her Mom had to take her out of the theater during some parts. I'm sure some of it had to do with the "big screen" and the fact that it was SO loud, but there really are some intense scenes and the one doll that starts yelling at the other one until it cries was a bit over the top in my opnion. I'm not sure what I would do in your situation, but as far as the movie goes, be aware that it is kind of intense and may not necessarily be appropriate for kids that age (something I wish I had known before we went to see it in the theater).

This was my son's very first movie in a movie theater. He saw it in 3D! he is sensitive and cried during Cars so I waited till he turned five! He loved it and was never scared. It was a great first movie expperience1 He had seen the other Toy Story movies on the tv. He also loved A Bugs Life and Monster's Inc

Stand your ground! I took my 5-1/2 year old boy. He cried at one point when a bad toy was physically mean to another toy. Towards the end there is a very scary scene that is too intense for little ones. Wait until she is older.

toy story 3 is a great movie.. my 4 year old saw it.. we loved it... the toy story 1 has a bad kid in it.. but toy story 3 is really fine...

my kids are 5 and 7 they have never seen a movie in the theater. I personally haven't seen this particular toy story but I have watched the others. My thoughts are, she is only 4, you don't need to have her see this movie for anythign other than entertainment and there are far more age appropriate things to do or for her to watch.
I don't know how organized movie nights are at her school, but from what i have heard at my kids elem school, it's just a huge chance for the kids to run around and the parents that are there to gossip. i would be busy that night and not worry about it a bit.

This is a really hard question to answer because everybody has different standards, expectations, values they teach etc... So everyone's take on the movie is going to be very personal. I saw the movie with my two toddlers. They enjoyed it and didn't seem bothered by any of what others have labeled scary scenes. There are some adult themes but the kids usually don't pick up on these anyway until they are little older. You can read a synopsis of the plot here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_Story_3. I would either watch it yourself or read up on some reviews before making your decision.

I think many of your opinions are valid and concerns we should all have for our children. However, she is in school and will be exposed to all of these things for the rest of her life. At this point you have to try and find what is the best way for you to protect her and teach her right from wrong without completely sheltering her. She will become resentful at some point if she feels like she is always missing out. She is only 4 right now. I don't think she is going to feel resentful yet, in a few years...maybe! Can she attend part of the event and leave after watching just a little bit of the movie? Can you read her the synopsis and let her decide if it even interests her? Good luck and let us know what you decided to do!

I'll just throw this in the mix, my sons preschool last year hosted several movie nights. He wanted to go to them all (of course) and we didn't attend any of them (for the same reasons as you listed above). Plus, the timing really didn't work for us, we have a 7:00 bedtime, so a 6:00 showtime is too late for my kids.

I just said no, and yes he was disappointed, but he survived. Just tell her no, and rent a more appropriate movie for your household, and have a family movie night at home. Make popcorn, sit on the floor on blankets, and enjoy yourselves. If you want, ask around and see if there are others who do not intend to go. Then, invite a few friends from school - I'm sure you are not the only one who feels that way.

J.

J.

Maybe the only one what wouldn't be appropriate would be Shrek. Toy story is good though. "Safe"

Have you seen the movie yet? If not, watch it for yourself and then decide. My husband and I just watched it last night for the first time. I would absolutely let my kids watch it, and they're only two. There is a short segment that is dark, but not enough to really bother your daughter. It is a great movie about sticking to family.

I completely agree with you. I think the Toy Story movies are way too violent and are inappropriate for the age level that they seem to market to. The bottom line is you need to do what you think is right for your child. Don't give in just because everyone else is letting their kids go.

I have not seen 3 but the others if you got through the whole movie showed how teh charters bad beahivor was, well, bad.

My concern is their length, my daughter doesn't have the attention span to get to the point when the character learns better behavior.

If you child can't sit still for the whole thing, then I would advise waiting.

We went to see it, thinking it would be a great Disney movie, but it ended up being super scary for our brave 4 year old, our 7 year old didn't like it, and my husband and I cried. Most of the adults we've talked to said they were disappointed in it. I wasn't thrilled with the content, but I don't think there were inapproppriate things in it, except maybe a flamboyant Ken doll that pushed the sexual line for us with kids so small.

Shrek is rude, but Toy Story 3 was just not up to par. I'd see it first, then decide if it's appropriate for your daughter. We still have not allowed our son, who just turned 8 to see Star Wars, as we don't think the violence is appropriate. He IS still 8, not 15....but all of his friends have seen and we just explain that we don't think its age appropriate.