Bonnie Chow, junior in LAS, was 10-years old when she saw the movie “Toy Story.” She was awed by the story of Andy’s toys and how they had a life of their own. The animation was Pixar Studio’s first film, and the first feature-length film made entirely using computer animation.

Bonnie Chow, junior in LAS, was 10-years old when she saw the movie “Toy Story.” She was awed by the story of Andy’s toys and how they had a life of their own. The animation was Pixar Studio’s first film, and the first feature-length film made entirely using computer animation.

Now, 15 years after the original, the third movie in the “Toy Story” trilogy has been released, grossing $110.3 million as of Monday.

“I remember seeing the first ‘Toy Story’ and how much I liked it,” Chow said. “I was really excited when I heard the third one was coming out, because I wanted there to be a good ending.”

Watching the series’ third movie made Chow miss her old toys, but helped her understand that she’s older now and it’s time to move on.

“My favorite toy was a stuffed bear, so not really a toy, but I still played with it a lot,” Chow said.

Similar to Chow, Rachel Cannistraro, 2003 Illinois alumna, relates to the “Toy Story” movies.

“There were times in my life where I just felt like I was Andy,” Cannistraro said. “I think a lot of people do, where they are able to relate to him and how innocent he is, ready for the world.”

This ability to create characters that relate to real people is prevalent in Pixar films, said Jeremy Curtis, theater manager for Savoy 16.

“Pixar just has a way with movies where they appeal to such a variety of crowds,” Curtis said. “People just become so attached to the individual story and the animation. You could tell that people cared about (‘Toy Story 3’).”

Curtis said there was only one theater open for the midnight showing of “Toy Story 3”, as there was not a huge rush like is expected for movies in the “Twilight” or “Harry Potter” series. But he said the people there were definitely excited.

“You had a lot of older teenagers and people in their young 20s who grew up watching the trilogy of ‘Toy Story’ movies,” Curtis said. “They all had a personal attachment to the film and the story at hand.”

That is why Chow went to the midnight showing, so she could experience it with people similar to herself who have experienced the entire story.

“I thought it would be a good atmosphere, that there would be a lot of college kids,” Chow said.

“Little kids, they just wouldn’t quite understand because they haven’t seen the movies with all the space in the middle; it’s just a different experience for them.”

Cannistraro tried to carry the tradition on to her two young children.

“They liked the movies and are big fans of Woody and Buzz, but it is different for them,” Cannistraro said. “They see new animated movies all the time. But this has encouraged me to give them my old toys, and them to be more gentle with (their toys), because everybody has feelings, everybody has a story.”