Toy Story 4 (Review)
Toy Story 4 Is a Fitting Farewell to the Toys We’ve Loved so Much.
Pixar has done it again with Toy Story 4. The studio is the best of the best when it comes to animated films, having scooped up 15 Academy Awards over the years. That’s because they make meaningful movies that stay with audiences long after the credits roll, which is why when You’ve Got a Friend in Me started playing once more, I found myself smiling warmly, excited to once more take a journey with Woody and Buzz Lightyear. This though is the final chapter for the toys we’ve all gotten to know and love over the years, but it’s a fitting farewell for them. It’s been a long journey, which is why Toy Story 4 feels like it’s a film made for the parents as well as the kids they’re bringing with them to theaters, and will leave them both happy and satisfied with it’s graceful and beautiful ending.
The gang is all back together for Toy Story 4 and at the top of their game. Those who saw Toy Story 3 will remember that Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and the rest of the gang have transferred ownership form Andy to Bonnie, their new kids. While they’re thankful to have a kid of their own, things just aren’t the same. This became abundantly clear when she brings home a new toy that she cobbled together from trash and random art supplies named Forky (Tony Hale of Arrested Development fame). No longer the favorite toy, Woody tasks himself with the responsibility of watching over Bonnie’s newest favorite toy, which proves to be no small task given that Forky have a similar reaction to being created as Frankenstein (yeah, I know it was the name of the doctor and not the monster). This gets all the more difficult as the toys join Bonnie on a family road trip and inevitably become separated from her.
I can’t tell you how wonderful seeing and hearing all those loveable toys together again on the big screen. Of course, Tim Allen and Tom Hanks are as charismatic together as always. They bring with them a lot of recognizable actors from the previous films including Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, and Annie Potts, who returns as Bo Peep. However, I found that the new characters tended to steal most of the scenes. Of course, there’s Forky, who makes quite an impression. He’s joined a pair of stuffed animals joined at the hip (Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael Key) who escape from a carnival and join the toys on their quest to get back to Bonnie. The big new addition to Toy Story 4 though is Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom, a toy based on Canada’s greatest stuntman who sports incredible likes like “look who jumped 40 school buses back into my life” and “Yes, I Canada!” While he might not get a ton of screen time, Reeves manages to earn his way into becoming my favorite part of Toy Story 4.
One thing I have to note about Toy Story 4 is that it deals with a lot of incredibly dark and creepy elements. Don’t worry, it’s still kid-friendly, but there were plenty of moments where I whispered “oh no” to myself before bursting out laughing. Case and point is the fact that the toys have to deal with a gaggle of henchmen who happen to be ventriloquist dummies. That’s right, some of the most feared dolls in cinema play a part in Toy Story 4. There’s also a carnival element which gives us Ducky and Bunny, who tend to want to solve most problems with comedically absurd levels of violence. Of course, none of the other toys are too keen to follow through on their “plans.” Oh, and then there are the underlying implications of children having the God-like ability to breathing life into their creations a la Forky. It’s unsettling to think about for too long, which is probably why Toy Story 4 doesn’t linger too long on it or try to offer a comforting explanation. As I said, this is definitely a kid-friendly movie, but I loved that it wasn’t afraid to get a little dark at times.
Pixar is not a studio that simply makes movies. They make masterpieces because of the incredible thought and attention to detail that goes into creating their stories. Toy Story hit theaters long enough ago that the kids who grew up on it are all grown up and have rug rats of their own. That makes it hard to ignore that this might be a film that’s meant for them, especially since some of them might be starring down the barrel of becoming empty nesters in a few years. That’s probably why Toy Story 4 has a message about learning to live life for yourself and not for the responsibilities you put on yourself. Woody can’t imagine not being a kid’s toy anymore and when he finds himself no longer the favorite, he gives himself the responsibility of being Forky’s guardian angel. He’s unable to let go of his past and defines himself simply by his role. He has it in his mind that there’s only one path in “life” for a toy, but once he sees that the alternative isn’t so bad he’s left at a crossroad to decide what his future will be. Luckily, Toy Story 4 knows that there is no right or wrong path, just a traditional and non-traditional one. Either will get you where you’re supposed to be in the end though
Toy Story 4 is the family film of the year. Kids and parents alike will find nothing but joy and laughter with this movie, even if it has a few tearjerker moments in it. As always, Pixar features some of the most beautiful animations in the business with painstaking attention to detail from blades fo grass to scuff marks on the toys themselves. Because of that, I wholeheartedly recommend seeing this in 3D or Imax given the chance just so you can soak in every last glorious pixel. More importantly, it offers what feels like a fitting farewell to one of the greatest animated sagas ever created. Sure, Toy Story 3 was great, but it felt like there was more to the story. Toy Story 4 is a definitive and satisfying end to the adventures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear, and while it might be sad to see them go. I’m happy I got to take this trip with them.
