It seems that with each generation that grows up and goes to the movies, there is another film in this franchise to accompany them while being raised. The newest installment in Pixar's most valuable and beloved franchise, Toy Story 4 is frankly a sequel that nobody asked for. With the perfect ending of its predecessor, it is hard to imagine what this film could have done to surpass that emotional level that was set almost a decade ago. However, even though my opinions about its relevance remain the same, I am glad that this film is a worthy addition to these incredible characters' stories. This animated film is actually fantastic on its own and introduces some lovable new toys that help to tell this tale as well. Even though I have some blatant issues with its storytelling, I was overjoyed to once again be a part of these characters' world that I grew up with so many years ago.
Set after the emotional ending of Toy Story 3, Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) is getting ready to start her first day of kindergarten. While Woody (Tom Hanks) worries about Bonnie not being able to find her place, she ends up creating a new friend of her own, an existential utensil named Forky (Tony Hale). As Woody tries to find his place amongst Bonnie's vast collection of toys, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of the gang end up going on a road trip and discover that the world is a much bigger place for a toy than they had ever thought. One of the outstanding worries that people have had since the announcement of this film was whether or not this sequel was really necessary. Since the third film ended on such a heartbreaking yet inspiring note, it is really difficult to put in place any type of story that could top that. All of the reviews that I have read thus far about this film have stated that this movie was really a needed sequel to finish off these characters' evolutions, but I really could not feel that. While its ending is still incredibly emotional, I could not shake off the feeling of why this movie had to be made in the first place. This script, written by a slew of 8 different screenwriters, tells me everything I need to know. This movie had to be written and advised by so many different people that it ended up being just a conglomeration of themes and ideas. Thankfully, this movie does not come off as an easy cash-grab as Josh Cooley's direction managed to tie all of these ideas together very well. Nostalgia is a large factor in this, as this movie is not afraid to play on it for the sake of getting some emotion out of its story. However, this film did have the same small-scale adventure feel that made 1995's Toy Story so creative and unique.
The main issues I have with this film, despite its failure to establish its reason for existing, all come from how the original characters from this franchise were written. More than anything, this movie is about Woody and how his arc comes to an end. I did enjoy how the writers gave him a proper sendoff, but I just do not enjoy how there was so little development with literally everyone else. The first three films in this series do have individual arcs, but they are truly stories of this group as a whole, which is what I love about them so dearly. I felt like Toy Story 4 gave far too much power to Woody's story, making me very unsatisfied with how every other character was treated. Jessie had probably four lines throughout this entire film and her ending did not quite feel deserved. Buzz was written as an absolute moron, as if he had just come out of the box in the first film. I understand that one should not necessarily compare this film to previous entries, but it is very difficult not to with an outstanding series such as this one. Perhaps it is personal bias or perhaps I missed something, but I fail to understand why Woody was given such special treatment in this movie in a franchise based around friendship and togetherness. And even though there is not a conventional villain in this film, the resolution of Woody's story with the rest of the gang will leave you in tears and still manages to be well-done. Audiences will still enjoy this ending, as long as they are fans of the Sheriff and literally no one else.
Despite me being much more critical than I have been in previous years, there is always a lot to love about this universe. It is always fantastic to explore another story with these characters that I have grown up to love so much. Especially regarding the plot of this movie, it was great seeing how huge their world really was and seeing them realize the many different paths that a toy could take in its life. With the reintroduction of Bo Peep (Annie Potts), this movie paved a message of moving on and creating your own path which I adored. Though not asked for, Woody's arc provided a very moving experience for the audience. The absolute standout characters in this film, however, are the new additions, including Forky, Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key) and Bunny (Jordan Peele). They were all hilarious as this set of iconic voices fit their roles so well. The humor in this movie surprised me as well at how tight and creative it was. Cooley's direction provided a great blend of genres and when the comedy hits, it hits hard. One thing I also adore about this franchise is watching as the animation throughout the years evolves. Particularly in this film's opening flashback scene, the crispness and detail that Pixar puts into this world is nothing less than stunning.
Toy Story 4, while unfortunately fighting to validate its existence, is still a hilarious and vastly entertaining film that anyone who is a fan of this franchise will undoubtedly enjoy. I had many issues with the majority of the original set of characters throughout this film and the way that they were handled, but I am glad that the main (arguably) character was given such a sweet and heartwarming ending to his story.
My Rating: ★★★★
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