Toy Story 4

So I didn't see Toy Story 4 in theaters for a couple of reasons. The first was, I didn't have anybody to go with at the time and I don't care how how universally loved Toy Story 4 is, a single guy going to a kids movie still feels weird to me. But one of the main reasons was just that I was worried it wasn't going to live up to the legacy that Toy Story has held in my mind from childhood. This franchise has consistently had movies that are just above the fold and I was honestly worried that that legacy wouldn't be held up in a post Toy Story 3 world, especially since that movie closed up the franchise so beautifully. I was like a lot of people that the idea of of a Toy Story 4 seemed weird and unnecessary to me that I wasn't ready for it to disappoint.

But then it came on Disney Plus and I had somebody to watch it with.

Toy Story 4 takes place not long after the events of Toy Story 3. The familiar cast of toys are with Bonnie and Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is not the favorite toy any more of Bonnie, being left in the closet with the other forgotten toys. Woody, still idealistic as ever is still interested in making sure Bonnie is happy that he sneaks with her on her first day of kindergarten where he facilitates in her creation of a new toy, a spork named Forky (voiced by Tony Hale).

However, Forky does not understand his role as a toy and continuously tries to go back to what he knows, the trash bin. So Woody makes it his goal to make sure Forky stays with Bonnie. This is put to the test when Bonnie and her family go on a road trip and Woody has to make sure that Forky stays with Bonnie the entire time. The main conflict occurs when Forky jumps out the RV window and Woody takes it upon himself to go after Forky and bring him back to Bonnie.

In this journey, he comes across an old friend (can toys be more than friends?) in Bo Peep (voiced by Annie Potts) who has embraced the life of a lost toy with others who travel the world getting played with in random places like playground sandboxes. But Woody also comes across an antique store with a diabolical (and frankly the creepiest thing Pixar has ever created) antique doll (voiced by Christina Hendricks) looking to create the perfect moment to get noticed by a child by any means necessary. With the help of his old pal Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), old friends, and some new friends, including a Canadian stunt toy named Duke Caboom (voiced by Keanu Reeves), Woody strives to get Forky back to Bonnie and make it safely home.

Now I maintain that Toy Story 3 concluded the Toy Story story masterfully. I don't think I ever did a review of it because it predated the time that I started this blog, but it is well known that the people, like myself, who grew up with Toy Story, seemed to grow up with the character of Andy and therefore felt a sense of ownership and familiarity with that trilogy that is very hard to recreate, not only over three movies, but over a decade.

Toy Story 4, while not a necessary addition to that story, is a fantastic epilogue to that story that feels right at home in the trilogy as a great add-on.

At the end of the day, Toy Story 4 is Woody's story. It's his journey to finally ride into that sunset and everything about the movie feels earned. You could justifiably end your Toy Story viewing experience at 3 and be totally satisfied, but nothing about 4 is going to ruin that experience and I think it'll only give a satisfying conclusion to a really beloved character that perhaps might have been missing from Toy Story 3.

I think the one criticism that I can think of with this approach is that the movie focuses a lot more on Woody and a lot less on the toys we came to know really well from the last films. Buzz feels very much like he's going on a meaningless, and frankly dumbing down of the character, side quest until he's roped back into the main story, and the other characters barely have any screen time at all and honestly could have been written out and it wouldn't have made much of a difference. That being said, I think I understand why this was the case and I don't fault them for this, especially since the focus on Woody in particular is carried out really well.

I would guess that a lot of these actors thought that Toy Story was done and therefore when a fourth one was announced, they probably signed on out of loyalty, but didn't want to do too much. A lot of those actors are getting old and did that role for years, they probably thought it was time to move on. Furthermore, I would guess that due to the fact that this feels like a succinct story and not a cash grab, I would say the story didn't really call for the other characters to have a big role. I appreciate the way its written, I think I would have just liked to get a little more from the characters I grew up with.

I also appreciated the utilization of new characters. Toy Story continues to utilize unique kinds of toys, not just the fad of the moment. Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele playing two stuffed animals carnival animals, Keanu Reeves playing an 80s stunt action figure, and Christina Hendricks playing an antique doll all feel like new applications of what could be a really tired idea at this point and the world of toys continues to be interesting in this installment I don't think anybody really thought was going to work more than just being a cash grab.

Another really positive note is how beautiful this movie looks. I think it can feel like Disney or Pixar always wins Best Animated Picture, but I did have a couple of moments when I saw the animation for this movie and was really impressed with how much they have continued to make these characters move and animate beautifully while maintaining the same charm and nostalgia we've had for them since 1995.

At the end of the day, Toy Story 4 feels like how capitalizing on nostalgia should be. Of course money was involved in the decision, but at no point while watching this movie did I feel like this wasn't the world I grew up with, or that it wasn't honoring that really great legacy. Toy Story 4 feels like a continuation with a purpose and I'm really happy that it managed to stick a landing that so many remakes and continuations fail to do for the sake of just reminding you that these properties exist and not giving a solid story to back it up. Toy Story 4 obviously reminds you that Toy Story is a thing you loved, but it does that through its existence alone. It doesn't do unnecessary call backs to the previous movies, and it just feels like it has something to say. The characters still have the same heart they did in 1995, and it really does feel like there is no more to say here. I think Pixar did it right and I have confidence they won't try to get lightning to strike twice.

I could definitely find myself eating those words, but my advice from a fan only, stop while you're WAY ahead. Four movies is one more than I think people thought we were going to get from good Toy Story movies, now its time to push that great art that Pixar clearly has towards new things and not just go back to the well. It was full now, it might not be full next time.

But those are my thoughts on Toy Story 4. What do you think? Do you think they should continue to make these movies? Is there a Toy Story 5 on the horizon that I don't know about? Comment and Discuss below! You can also send me your thoughts on Twitter @MovieSymposium as well as send me your requests for films I should review in the future. If you follow me on Twitter, you can get updates on future movie news and reviews coming out of this blog.

Thanks for Reading!