Toy Story 4 Review

Toy Story was the film that put Pixar on the map and the subsequent films made the series a perfect trilogy. So it was seemingly bizarre that Pixar would go back to the well for a fourth entry.

After the events of Toy Story 3 Andy has given up his toys to a little girl called Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw.) Since then Woody (Tom Hanks) has been struggling to find his place. He is no longer the leader of the toys, nor does he get picked by Bonnie to be played with. When Bonnie makes a new toy, Forky (Tony Hale) on her first day at school Woody sets out to look after the living spork so the child can be happy. When Forky attempts to go on the run Woody has to go on one last rescue mission.

The theme of all the Toy Story films is where is Woody’s place in the world. In the first film his position as Andy’s favourite toy was usurped, the second film was finding out about toys who were neglected, and the third was about Woody facing up to the inevitable – that Andy has outgrown him. And the fourth film carries on down this route because Woody is now questioning his place in the world since he completed his task of being Andy’s toy. This was a huge risk because Toy Story 3 was a perfect end to the series.

Toy Story 4 is filled with existential musings. Woody has a personal crisis because he is trying to find a purpose – he wants to help Bonnie like he did with Andy but the connection is nowhere near as strong. When Woody talks to Forky about the purpose of a toy the cowboy reveals his pain and doubts.

The creation of Forky leads to some big existential questions within the Toy Story universe since Bonnie made a sentient being made out of trash and he ponders the big question – ‘why I am alive.’ This is Rick and Morty levels of existentialism, but without the cynicism or nihilism. Forky was a bit like a reserve of the Pass-the-Butter robot.

One of the strengths of the Toy Story sequels is the villains having tragic backstories. Stinky Pete was embittered because he never had a kid and Lotso the Bear was replaced, leading him to become a dictator. In the case of Toy Story 4‘s villain Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) was born damaged and all she wanted was to be loved by a child. She was willing to do anything to achieve this, including vivisection and kidnapping. Yet Gabby Gabby is the most sympathetic villain in the series.

As well as being a film about the meaning of life, Toy Story 4 is a love story. In the first two films Woody had a spark with Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and he was clearly hurt with her disappearance in Toy Story 3. Pixar decided to continue this plotline. In a prologue Woody had the choice between going with Bo or staying with Andy and his choice was obvious. Woody gets a one-in-million chance to reconnect with Bo but she has changed because she has lived as a scavenger for seven years. Despite Woody’s previous adventures Bo is the one who takes the lead in the rescue mission.

Toy Story 4 plays a bit like a greatest hits, using elements from the previous films. Forky is like Buzz, he doesn’t realise he’s a toy, Gabby Gabby is a combination of Stinky Pete and Lotso, and Bo sells the life as a Lost Toy like Lotso did with life at Sunnyside Daycare – that they will always be played with. Despite Toy Story 4 reusing plot ideas, Pixar was able to keep the film feeling fresh because characters have learned from their experiences. It wasn’t like Incredibles 2 that was mostly a repeat of the previous film with little to say.

Toy Story 4 introduced a number of new characters. The promotional material highlighted them all – Forky, Ducky, Bunny, and Duke Kaboom. And they deliver. Forky was the highlight because of his existential crisis and his dynamic with Woody was hilarious. He was delightfully naive. Duke Kaboom (Keanu Reeves) had some funny jokes about him being Canadian and his relationship with owner. Ducky and Bunny were voiced by the double act Key and Peele and the fun of their characters come from violent personalities despite their fluffy appearances.

However, due to new characters the old ones didn’t have much to do. Most of them were stuck in the RV and have to delay the family. Even Buzz who was a part of the adventure with Woody and Bo joins by accident and he seems to have gotten dumber over the years. His actions were dictated by his voice recordings and he had no thought of his own.

Being a Pixar film the animation is second-to-none. When Toy Story 4 is compared to the original film you can see how much the animation has improved. There is more detail like the stickers on Buzz were starting to peel and there were great sequences throughout the film.

Toy Story 4 is similar to Finding Dory in the sense that it was a seemingly unnecessary sequel but manages to be an enjoyable entry in the Pixar canon. It is rewarding for people who have been invested in Woody’s journey.