Toy Story 4 - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

Thinking outside the toy box.

Toy Story 4 does not need to exist. I think that's something we can all agree on, since Toy Story 3's ending was absolutely perfect and a great sendoff for the franchise that started Pixar's monarchy over animation. Doing a sequel after an ending as exemplary as that goes against everything I believe as a writer, so Toy Story 4 needed to do a lot to convince me this wasn't an awful money-grabbing idea... which it did.

I wonder if we'll ever reach Toy Story Infinity... and beyond!

Two years after Andy gave his toys to the young girl Bonnie, the gang are nervous because Bonnie is about to start kindergarten. Woody especially is in a panic because he's feeling more and more unneeded around the toy room, and so he decides to help. This eventually causes the creation/birth of a new "toy" named Forky, who quickly becomes Bonnie's favourite, and who Woody must teach to embrace his new role as a child's toy, but things go awry when Forky runs away during a road trip to a carnival, and Woody runs into a blast from the past, Bo Peep!

Almost all the voice cast from the originals are back. Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenberger as Hamm, Doc Rickles as Mr Potato Head (in a posthumous performance made of archive recordings), and all of them are as great as you remember. Even Bo Peep is played again by Annie Potts, which must have been quite a shock for her since she only had a few lines back in 1995!

He'd get bullied if I had him. I used to own a Zurg!

Again, everything on the technical side is great. The animation is gorgeous to look at and some textures are starting to look almost realistic (the rain in the first scene is a particular standout), and everyone moves in their own way with their own rhythm and it just works... well, perfectly. There's no other word for it. The music is great too, with Randy Newman giving us another song that's probably too on-the-nose but is still fun. And the screenplay is stronger than ever.

A great example of Pixar's writing strength is new character Forky, voiced by Tony Hale, a literal spork that has come to life after having been made by Bonnie. He's convinced he belongs in the bin, and refuses to be a toy, causing Woody a lot of stress. Much like Finding Nemo's Dory, it's so easy to see how annoying Forky could have been in another writer's hands, but instead he's brilliant, with his dialogue and motivations, and the way he waddles about put a smile on my face every time. Even the concept is, dare I say it, genius! A character that is almost not a toy, created in the world right in front of our eyes, and learning about what it means to be a toy for a child. And his existence brings about some compelling questions about this world, but not in the annoying way that Cars franchise does. (How do those cars procreate?!)

Caboom!

The other new characters are also just wonderful. Somehow, Pixar always find a way to make fun, interesting and clever friends and enemies for our heroes, and Toy Story 4 is no exception. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele play Ducky and Bunny, two smart-mouthed toys sewn together that provide some great comedy, as does Ally Maki playing dedicated tiny cop Giggles McDimples. Keanu Reeves, who seems to be 2019's Moses, is a scene-stealer as Canadian daredevil and poser Duke Caboom, and we get a very compelling performance from Christina Hendricks as the mysterious Gabby Gabby doll, but I won't spoil anything here.

One of the downsides of this story is that, other than the new characters, we only really get to follow Woody. This is entirely his story, which works great because he's the one going through drama as he ponders what he should do and why, but it also means we barely see Hamm, Rex, Slinky Dog and the others. Even Buzz feels secondary, which is understandable but still disappointing. There's a reason Buzz is a fan-favourite who got a spinoff cartoon back in 2000, and I would have liked to have seen at least some more emphasis on the unlikely friendship between the cowboy and space ranger.

I wonder if she got some... plastic surgery!

That being said, the story of Woody is great. Unlike Toy Story 3, this isn't a story with life or death stakes, but focuses on belonging and loyalty. Some of the choices and conversations Woody has in this movie are moments the original Woody wouldn't have made, and that's what great stories do. Everything he does feels different, but natural because this is where the past films have brought him to. Will he ever get over Andy? What does he truly believe is best for Bonnie? Is he doing this for others, or just convincing himself he is?

Seeing Bo Peep look and act this way does smell slightly of retcon, but the performance sells it, as do the years apart and the environment she lives in. I can't deny it would have been great to see some sort of montage or flashback showcasing this more, but that might have been time wasted. Honestly, it makes me wonder what happened to the other toys of Andy's Room. R.C, the army guys, Lenny, or even the Buzz and Zurg from Toy Story 2 (which is still my personal favourite of the series).

With how formulaic some Disney films have been lately, I'm almost surprised these two weren't revealed to secretly be villains.

Does Toy Story 4 justify its existence? Probably not. The third film's ending is one of the best scenes Pixar has done in any of their movies, but I can't deny how much fun and charm this follow-up has. While nothing beats the ending of 3, Toy Story 4's third act is full of emotional moments and feels... oh the feels... that are going to stick to me for quite some time. And if you asked me how this film compares to 3 as a whole, then I'm going to be honest with you; I think Toy Story 4 is better than Toy Story 3.

When I think of Toy Story 3, I remember there being a lot of misery and darkness because of the daycare. A lot of dark colours, ugly greens and browns, angry characters and a few jokes that didn't land as hard as the other films. Sure the ending is fantastic, but you have to get through that disgusting monkey scene to get to it. On the other hand, Toy Story 4 is funnier and brighter, with something as mundane as an antique shop able to give off great visuals, and I personally had more fun with it overall. Again, 3's ending is great, and Toy Story 3 is a great film, but Toy Story 4 beats it. For me, at least.

If this is the end of the franchise, it's a great ending worthy of the name. If it isn't, then I am super-scared of seeing what they would have to do next, since they'd have to contrive extra-hard to justify it. That being said, I would have said the same at the end of the third film, so for all I know I could end up loving a fifth movie even more. We'll just have to wait and see.

Film Rating: 9/10

Best Part: Woody's drama.

Worst Part: Original supporting cast kept on the sidelines.

Best Performance: Tom Hanks as Woody.

We could all stand to hear these words sometimes.

Shiggins:[Admin]
  .

Born under the stars of the Dark Gods, Shiggins owns the power of the Great Eye and is utterly magnificent in his omniscience. If you dare to discover more about someone as great as him, then go ahead. And to all my friends and family members, YOU are wrong and I should be disappointed! Not the other way round!,. You can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere or go to his tumblr page http://otakugajeel.tumblr.com/