Toy Story Trilogy on Blu-ray 3D – Gift Guide Pick

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The long awaited Toy Story Trilogy on Blu-ray 3D arrived in stores November 1.  Just in time for holiday gift giving!

As I mentioned in my Cars 2 review, Pixar knows their stuff, and the  quality of the Blu-ray 3D picture and sound on the discs is exceptional.  Even the picture on the trailers for upcoming Disney/Pixar Brave and Planes releases on the discs were perfect.  It was very visually appealing to watch this original Toy Story that started it all off in 3D, I caught so many more ‘hidden’ gems in the animation that I don’t remember seeing before.

The original classic Toy Story 4-Disc Combo Pack includes: Blu-ray 3D Feature Film, Blu-ray Feature Film + Bonus, DVD Feature Film + Bonus, and the Digital Copy of the Feature Film.  The bonus features on the Blu-ray include:

• Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: Blast Off
• 3 Animated Studio Shorts
• Buzz Takes Manhattan (which is so enjoyable!)
• And Over 90 Minutes More Bonus!

If you don’t have a 3D or Blu-ray enabled TV/DVD player, the Feature Film Disc still has a number of bonus features including the first three mentioned above on the Blu-ray disc.

I love that all of the Disc Combo Packs in the trilogy include a Digital Copy – loading the movies up on my iPad for traveling certainly relieves the boredom on long car trips!

People often ask us what prompted our family to buy a 3D TV, because most people think that 3D is too expensive.  But if you’re looking to invest in a new TV you may want to go that route and here’s why.  Almost all of the new movies are coming out that way and as is the case with Disney, many of the older movies that you love are being re-released (like the first two Toy Story movies) in 3D.  When our older TV needed replacing we chose to spend a little more up front and go with a 3D enabled one for that very reason.  Once you’ve purchased the TV (which usually comes with at least a couple of pairs of the glasses), some extra glasses for the rest of the gang, and a 3D DVD player and/or PlayStation 3 (which also plays 3D Blu-ray discs) (Yes it’s the initial outlay of the equipment that is pricey, but again if you’re looking to buy a TV anyway….)- buying the Blu-ray 3Ds to watch at home is actually equivalent to or cheaper than one visit to a 3D movie with a family of four in the theater.  And then you can watch it as often as you like!  But I digress…back to Toy Story…

The Toy Story 2 Blu-ray 3D 4-Disc Combo Pack probably has some great 3D animation.  But then Toy Story 2 is my favorite out of the three, so I’m a little biased.  This DVD in 3D is just plain fun.  The story you know and love of Jessie and Bullseye being added to Andy’s toys was skillfully done in 3D, and again the animation is wonderful.  You truly feel almost like you are watching a ‘new’ movie and not one that you have seen before!

What you get in the case of this 4-Disc Combo Pack is the same as the original (well except that it’s the Toy Story 2 movie of course) and the bonus features on the Blu-ray Disc are:

• Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: International Space Station
• 3 Animated Studio Shorts
• Pixar’s Zoetrope
• Toy Box:  Outtakes & Alternate Scenes
• Deleted Scenes
• And Over 60 Minutes More Bonus!

Toy Story 3 I think was the most serious of the three movies – with Andy growing up and leaving for college, one couldn’t decide if this was an end for the toys we’ve come to know and love or a new beginning with Bonnie.  I mean it was the only Toy Story movie that made me cry…that may have more to do with the fact that my daughter will soon be headed off to college and it doesn’t seem that long ago I remember her eyes completely lighting up when she opened HER Buzz Lightyear action figure for Christmas when she was 4 and slept with it every night…but again, I digress.. back to the Toy Story 3 5-Disc Combo Pack (oh yeah, this one gets FIVE discs!).

This was actually the third time I saw Toy Story 3.  The first time I saw it in 2D and the second in 3D but on the bigger screen.  The 3D version on the Blu-ray DVD rocked.  Once again Pixar did beautiful animation with this one.

In this Combo Pack you’ll get the Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray Disc + Bonus, and entire Blu-ray Bonus Disc, the DVD and Digital Copy.  Here’s what you’ll find on the Blu-ray discs for bonus features:

• Day & Night Theatrical Short
• Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: The Science of Adventure
• Toy Story Trivia Dash – Interactive Game
• Cine-Explore with Director Lee Unkrich & Producer Darla Anderson
• Bonnie’s Playtime – A Story Roundtable withe Director Lee Unkrich
• Paths to Pixar: Editorial
• 3 Studio Shorts
• Plus Much More!

The Toy Story Trilogy has come full circle, both in story and in technology.  We watched it begin in 1995 and now in 2011 we can watch them all over again in 3D in the comfort of our own homes – they’re all grown up just like Andy!

You can purchase the Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 Combo Packs at retailers nationwide.  These would make a great Christmas gift for kids or collectors and remember each package also includes a Blu-ray disc of the feature film and a regular DVD of the film plus a digital copy as well, so even if you don’t have a 3D enabled TV you can still watch one of the formats in the package.