Disney / Pixar
I think we were all pretty surprised when Disney & Pixar revealed that there was going to be a fourth Toy Story movie, especially after the emotional gut-punch that ended Toy Story 3 as Andy grew up and left all of his friends behind to go to college. I still get emotional just thinking about it so how on earth would they be able to continue this story that ended so beautifully yet heartbreaking?
Well, we should always rely on the folks at Pixar to not rush into things, to develop a story, and re-develop it, and perhaps re-develop it one more time before committing to turning all of those ones and zeroes into a beautifully animated feature film. The opening of Toy Story 4 is actually a bit of a fake out, taking us back nine years, making us think we’re going to see a missing chapter of Andy and the toys’ story. But what we see is Andy’s little sister feeling grown up enough that she doesn’t want or need her Bo Peep lamp anymore. Getting wind of Bo’s imminent departure, the group attempts to rescue her but she tells Woody that it’s time for her to help another child. There is room in the box with her though, perhaps a toy accidently fell in … Woody considers it but the new owner appears and whisks her away, leaving Woody heartbroken.
The story then moves into the present with the child who got all of Andy’s toys, Bonnie. While most of them have fit in with the other toys, Woody is having a hard time adjusting to not being the head honcho anymore, and is often left in the closet when Bonnie wants to play. But he finds a way, against the wishes of the real leader Dolly, to sneak into Bonnie’s backpack and go to the first day of kindergarten with her (actually orientation). All alone — and one boy even takes all of her crafting supplies which Woody manages to fish out of the trash and get on the table — Bonnie uses a few of the items to make a new friend, Forky. Shocked that Forky is more than just a collection of trash, he brings Bonnie’s new friend home to the others who are also stunned. As Woody takes it upon himself to convince Forky he’s a toy and not trash, the family decides to go on a road trip, toys in tow, and after a bit of misadventure, Woody finds himself face-to-face once agains with Bo, now a ‘lost toy’ enjoying her freedom. But another doll, Gabby Gabby, is very interested in Woody’s functioning voice box and will stop at nothing to get it so she can finally go home with the little girl whose grandmother owns the antiques store where she currently resides with a bunch of creepy ventriloquist dummies. But Woody is torn between returning to Bonnie, staying with Bo and avoiding Gabby Gabby.
There is a lot going on in Toy Story 4 but the master storytellers at Pixar keep things moving at a brisk pace, never losing focus and bringing all of the moving pieces of the story into a cohesive whole by the end. And yes, they will jerk a few tears out of you along the way. The ending won’t reduce the adults in the room to the ugly sobbing that the last film did, but you’d better bring a box of tissues all the same. But there are laughs as well and a few creepy bits with Gabby Gabby and her henchmen. As per usual with a Pixar movie, there is something here to keep all ages engaged and entertained.
Of course with a beautifully crafted story, the animation has taken another leap forward in terms of making these characters and their environments more realistic than ever (even if the cartoony humans pop in to remind us this is, in fact, an animated movie). I don’t know if they cheated the movie’s opening scene with a downpour and the exterior of Andy’s house, but it looks almost too real to be animated … but so do the toys with all of their various textures. The animators and artists at Pixar are masters at their craft and every frame of their hard work is to be appreciated.
As for the cast, all of our favorites return and are in fine form and there are a few new additions to the group who also do some great work. Christina Hendricks voices Gabby Gabby and she does a wonderful job of taking the character from a friendly child when she meets Woody, to a malevolent villain to a sympathetic character who just really needs a hug. And it’s rewarding for everyone when she finally finds her purpose. Tony Hale is hilarious as Forky, especially in the early stages of his new life.
Fans of Key and Peele should be delighted to know that they have reunited here as carnival prizes Ducky and Bunny, sewn together at the hand, who get dragged into the adventure when Buzz is mistakenly placed on the prize board at one of the games, the pair believing he’s trying to take over their turf. But once they all get free and the adventure begins, they have a decidedly skewed idea of how things should go down. And the biggest addition to the cast is Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom, a 1970s action figure based on a Canadian version of Evel Knievel. Poor Duke is a bit deluded about his abilities and the others have to encourage him to start believing in himself if they’re going to accomplish their missions. All of the new characters are wonderful additions to the story without making it feel overloaded.
After Toy Story 3, Pixar assured us that was the end of the story, but here we are today with another terrific movie with our favorite characters. I think perhaps this may be the real final chapter with how this story ends … but as we’ve learned, it’s best to never say never. If it is, though, Woody and the gang are going out on a high note and that’s all we could really ask for.
Toy Story 4 has a run time of 1 hour 40 minutes and is rated G.
Share this post
