When Pixar released Toy Story 3 in 2010, many of us, including myself, saw it as the conclusion to a long-running saga. So, to many, it came as a surprise when Disney announced in 2014 that Buzz (Tim Allen) and Woody (Tom Hanks) were returning for one more adventure. Toy Story 4 came to theaters on June 21, 2019 to prove once again that Pixar is the master of animated storytelling.
The plot this time around follows the cast of toys belonging to the young Bonnie, to whom Andy gave his toys when he left for college. Bonnie and her family, along with her toys and new favorite, Forky, head on a road trip where at a carnival, Woody encounters Bo Peep, his old love and a toy that was sold off years ago. From there, we are introduced to several new characters, as sequels tend to do, some of which are kind of hit or miss.
For one, Bo Peep (Annie Potts), who isn’t technically new but has been completely reinvented for this movie, is great. Her personality is wonderfully fun and her emotional and thematic role in the story is terrific. Giggle McDimples (Ally Maki), her diminutive cop partner, is another riotously fun character. In the same vein are Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), and Ducky and Bunny (Key and Peele). These characters are all delightful, in no small part due to their eccentric and smart casting. On the villainous side, however, we have Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) and her posse of dummies. The former is a bit flat and her arc is a little bit cliché. The latter’s problem lies in the fact that they are genuinely unnerving. The issue here is not just that it might not make it as much of a family film, but that the tone set by these characters feels a little off compared to the rest of the movie (or even the franchise). As for the aforementioned Forky, I personally found him a bit weird as a concept (a toy that has recently gained consciousness and refuses to accept that is a bit macabre for Toy Story) but he’s definitely a good time on-screen.
Regardless of smaller gripes, each of these characters are at least at a baseline level of entertainment, made so by great vocal performances from the cast and consistently good humor throughout the movie. Additionally, the folks at Pixar certainly have no shortage of creativity when it comes to character design. With each installment they seem to keep finding different types of toys to make into characters and doing so with great success. With as big as the cast is by this point, however, it doesn’t seem like every character gets their time to shine. I don’t know what really could be done about this as it just seems to be a natural consequence of making sequels. That being said, Toy Story 4 still does as good a job as it can of giving every character as much interesting moments as possible.
The movie’s overall plot is very well written, despite some awkward pacing at a couple moments. It maintains the emotional lessons that Pixar is known for and delivers them in a way that is consistently engaging. In this regard, what I think Toy Story 4 does especially well is the structuring of its emotional tension. At the risk of very minor spoilers I’ll say that the key tension in the movie has to do with a difficult decision that must be made. This, I think, is incredibly potent. The tear-jerker of an ending comes not from simply a sad or happy circumstance, but due to the stress of making a difficult choice. In this way, Toy Story 4 ends on a naturally bittersweet note, providing a wonderful send-off to these characters. Above all else, this is what I love about this movie. In a franchise where every installment was as meaningful as the last, Toy Story 4 feels like a beautiful, satisfying conclusion to one of the best animated sagas cinema has ever seen.
4/5 STARS