History Awesome / ToyStory3

* Blake Clarke deserves praise for his work taking over the role of Slinky Dog. While often when actors pass away, their iconic characters are written out, Pixar was able to find Clarke who sounds so much like the late Jim Varney, a good friend of his no less. Only a trained ear can hear the difference, and Clarke’s casting is solid proof that TropesAreNotBad when it comes to TheOtherDarrin if someone truly worthy of succeeding the role can be found.

[[caption-width-right:350:"Barbie, not the Nehru!"]]

** The aftermath of the incinerator scene really sets the seal on his CharacterDevelopment. While Hamm and Slinky are understandably itching to get back at Lotso for what he did, Woody just [[NotWorthKilling washes his hands of Lotso in disgust.]]

** It becoming the first of the Toy Story films to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature can be seen as a great way of rounding things out as well (the first two came out before the category's creation). This makes it the only one of the trilogy to actually win an Academy Award. Also, Randy Newman won for Best Song, which could be seen as a way of making up for his loss for "You've Got a Friend in Me" from the original.

** A lot of the trash was probably built for Wall-E.

* The toys' plan for escape from TheAlcatraz. It was a multilevel success for the entire team - a combination of several smaller, brilliant plans - and even when an unexpected factor is thrown in (Buzz almost alerting Lotso before becoming Spanish and [[DaydreamBeliever thinking he's a real space ranger]], Mr. Potato Head losing his tortilla body, [[TwartedEscape Lotso and his goons intervening right at the trash chute]]) they still manage to work around it one way or another and eventually escape the daycare without leaving anyone behind.

* The toys' plan for escape from TheAlcatraz.
** Not just that. It was a multilevel success for the entire team, a combination of several smaller, brilliant plans.

* Lotso getting his much deserved comeuppance by being tied up to a garbage, presumably forever.

* The adorable little green aliens [[BigDamnHeroes saving Woody and friends from a fiery fate with]] '''[[BrickJoke THE CLAWWWW!!]]''' It's a dramatic moment in itself, if a bit of a ''deus ex machina'' -- but then you remember how they see the Claw, and realise that they've just saved the others from plunging into a fiery pit. How often do cute little green toys in a kids' movie ''[[AGodAmI ascend to godhood]]''?

* The film's box office performance. Yes, it sounds funny, geeky, and a bit stupid. Yes, we know filmmaking is more about entertainment than the money. But, Toy Story 3 becoming the ''highest grossing animated film of all time (until Disney/{{Frozen}}) '''and''' the first to exceed one billion U.S. dollars'' is something that Pixar -- Pixar who we all know and love, and contributed so much to many people's childhoods -- really, really deserve, as their own Moment of Awesome, isn't it? It's a perfect cap to the last fifteen years of win after win after win, and we all want to see Pixar do well because they are ''awesome''. Plus, the film just shows how brilliant they are. Don't deny it -- you were a little bit happy when you heard the news (winning the Oscar for "Best Animated Feature"). After all, they've earned it.

** Ah, hell, every second of the confrontation at the dumpster is incredible. The sheer level of emotional intensity in this scene makes you want to cheer (Jessie throwing Lotso's offer back in his face, followed by Woody reducing him to a VillainousBreakdown with a few simple words), cry (Big Baby realizing that his owner never stopped loving him, with a little, heartbroken "Mama?"), and maybe even laugh a little (Ken being in his underwear while giving a RousingSpeech), but all of it works ''perfectly.'' But really, would you expect anything less from Pixar?

-->'''Lotso:''' I didn't throw you out. Your kid did. Ain't one kid ever loved a toy, really. Chew on that when you're at the dump. ''*turns to leave*''

** Ah, hell, every second of the confrontation at the dumpster is incredible. The level of emotional intensity in the dumpster scene makes you want to cheer (Jessie throwing Lotso's offer back in his face, followed by Woody reducing him to a VillainousBreakdown with a few simple words), cry (Big Baby realizing that his owner never stopped loving him, with a little, heartbroken "Mama?"), and maybe even laugh a little (Ken being in his underwear while giving a RousingSpeech), but all of it works ''perfectly.'' But really, would you expect anything less from Pixar?

** Ah, hell, every second of the confrontation at the dumpster is incredible. The level of emotional intensity in the dumpster scene makes you want to cheer (Jessie throwing Lotso's offer back in his face, followed by Woody reducing him to a VillainousBreakdown), cry (Big Baby realizing that his owner never stopped loving him, with a little, heartbroken "Mama?"), and maybe even laugh a little (Ken being in his underwear while giving a RousingSpeech), but all of it works ''perfectly.'' But really, would you expect anything less from Pixar?

** Ah, hell, every second of the confrontation at the dumpster, and the ensuing aftermath, is incredible. The level of intensity in the dumpster confrontation makes you want to cheer (Jessie's and Woody's ShutUpHannibal moments), cry (Big Baby realizing that his owner never stopped loving him, with a little, heartbroken "Mama?"), and maybe even laugh a little (yes, Ken being in his underwear still looks goofy), but all of it works ''perfectly.'' But really, would you expect anything less from Pixar?

** Also, before it happens, she gets him into a lockdown and snaps his neck. BARBIE.

** Also followed by Ken: "Everyone, listen! Sunnyside could be cool and groovy if we treated each other fair. It's Lotso! He's made us into a pyramid, and he put himself on top!"

** Keep in mind the fact just seconds before Lotso was pushing around Big Baby and yelling his supposed StrawNihilist spiel about how all toys are nothing more than trash inevitably designed to face the dumpster. Big Baby didn't just fight back against Lotso, after finding out he used him, he immediately exposed Lotso as a cowardly hypocritical liar who doesn't believe his own bullshit, throwing him to his supposed fate kicking and screaming.

** The aftermath of the incinerator scene really sets the seal on his CharacterDevelopment. While Hamm and Slinky are understandably itching to get back at Lotso for what he did, Woody just washes his hands of Lotso in disgust.

* Small moment, but Rex and Hamm managing to tackle and pin Brainwashed!Buzz counts as one. Buzz may be the most competent combatant out of the toys, but when the two [[BigGuy Big Guys]] of the group rally together and use their strength, Buzz can be kept down.
* Woody escaping Sunnyside all by himself.

--> '''Woody:''' ''*snaps back*'' She replaced ''you''. [[IfICantHaveYou And if you couldn't have her, no one could!]] ''[[OhCrap *Lotso glances anxiously between him and Big Baby*]]'' You lied to Big Baby, and you've been lying ever since! ''*reveals Big Baby's locket*''

-->'''Woody:''' She loved you, Lotso.
-->'''Lotso:''' ''*livid*'' She ''NEVER'' LOVED ME!
-->'''Woody:''' ''As much as any kid ever loved a toy.''
** Even more awesome when you consider that Woody's actions in the first film could have ended with him going down the same dark path.

* A tad meta, but Pixar ''definitely'' deserves one for doing what many movie franchises have only dreamt of doing: creating a third movie that's as good as, if not better than, the second.
** Which is doubly awesome when you consider that the second movie is as good as, if not better than, the first, which is ''[[RuleOfThree triply]]'' awesome when you consider that the first movie is considered a modern-day classic.
* Another meta-level one goes to director Lee Unkrich who spent the better part of the first few days after the movie's release on Website/{{Twitter}} reading fans' reviews and in many cases, directly responding and thanking them for the support.
* Yet two more meta-examples can be found in the film's box office performance. Yes, it sounds funny, geeky, and a bit stupid. Yes, we know filmmaking is more about entertainment than the money. But, Toy Story 3 becoming the ''highest grossing animated film of all time (until Disney/{{Frozen}}) '''and''' the first to exceed one billion U.S. dollars'' is something that Pixar -- Pixar who we all know and love, and contributed so much to many people's childhoods -- really, really deserve, as their own Moment of Awesome, isn't it? It's a perfect cap to the last fifteen years of win after win after win, and we all want to see Pixar do well because they are ''awesome''. Plus, the film just shows how brilliant they are. Don't deny it -- you were a little bit happy when you heard the news (winning the Oscar for "Best Animated Feature"). After all, they've earned it.

* While in a bit of a different theme than the other examples here, and to continue with the meta theme, Pixar gets another for their depiction of [[FireAndBrimstoneHell the Incinerator]], which genuinely feels scary for both the toys and the audience. Pixar, by terrifying moviegoers, continues to prove that they know what they're doing when it comes to making movies.
* Another meta-example: realizing, halfway through the landfill scene, all the effort that went into building and rendering EVERY SINGLE piece of trash.
** A lot of the trash was probably built for Wall-E.

* Still another meta example: Toy Story 3 is now the ''third'' animated motion picture to get an Oscar nomination for ''Best Picture''.
** It becoming the first of the Toy Story films to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature can be seen as a great way of rounding things out as well (the first two came out before the category's creation). This makes it the only one of the trilogy to actually win an Academy Award. Also, Randy Newman won for Best Song, which could be seen as a way of making up for his loss for "You've Got a Friend in Me" from the original.
* Find a stuffed Lotso-Huggin'-Bear in stores. Any stuffed Lotso. Whether it's actual-teddy-bear-sized or even just a little keychain in the Disney Parks, it ''will'' smell like strawberries.

* Yet two more meta-examples can be found in the film's box office performance. Yes, it sounds funny, geeky, and a bit stupid. Yes, we know filmmaking is more about entertainment than the money. But, Toy Story 3 becoming the ''highest grossing animated film of all time (until Disney/{{Frozen}}) '''and''' the first to exceed one billion U.S. dollars'' is something that Pixar -- Pixar who we all know and love, and contributed so much to many people's childhoods -- really, really deserve, as their own Moment of Awesome, isn't it? It's a perfect cap to the last fifteen years of win after win after win, and we all want to see Pixar do well because they are ''awesome''. Plus, the film just shows how brilliant they are. Don't deny it -- you were a little bit happy when you heard the news. After all, they've earnt it.

--> '''Woody:''' She replaced ''you''. [[IfICantHaveYou And if you couldn't have her, no one could!]] You lied to Big Baby, and you've been lying ever since! ''*reveals Big Baby's locket*''

* Two fans spent eight years remaking Toy Story 3 in ''[[LiveActionAdaptation live-action!]]'' and StopMotion. You can watch the results right [[https://www.youtube.com/YfduDq5gLnE here]]!

--> '''Woody:''' She replaced ''you''. And [[IfICantHaveYou if you couldn't have her, no one could]]! You lied to Big Baby, and you've been lying ever since! ''*reveals Big Baby's locket*''

-->'''Woody:''' She loved you Lotso.

--> '''Woody:''' She replaced ''you''. And if you couldn't have her, no one could. You lied to Big Baby, and you've been lying ever since! ''*reveals Big Baby's locket*''

-->'''Woody:''' No, she lost you.

-->'''Woody:''' Wait. What about Daisy?

--> '''Woody:''' She replaced ''YOU''. And if you couldn't have her, no one could! You lied to Big Baby, and you've been lying ever since! ''*reveals Big Baby's locket*''

-->'''Woody:''' As much as any kid ever loved a toy.