Toy Story (1995, John Lasseter) is arguably one of the most influential movies when it comes to animation. Pioneering the digital age of animated movies, which has now eclipsed the more traditional hand-drawn method, and made the Pixar the top animation studio in Hollywood! And still to this day the Toy Story franchise is Pixar's biggest hit. Audiences initially thought that Toy Story 3 (2010, Lee Unkrich) would be the ending for this franchise. With the toys saying goodbye their owner, Andy, in quite an emotional way.
But now it seems that Pixar isn't quite done with Toy Story just yet! As this new instalment brings back everyone's favourite characters for one last ride! But after the love and praise that the last instalment received, can this new movie live up to the hype?
Initial Thoughts
This is a good movie. It's fun, enjoyable and hilarious. Plus, fans of the previous movies will get quite a kick out of it. However, I got to say, compared to the previous movies, particularly Toy Story 3 which I think ended the franchise story on a really good note, it doesn't really live up to the hype. Feeling more like a continuation to an already perfect goodbye rather than a final goodbye.
Woody/Tom Hanks
Usually, when it comes to actors reprising their roles after long periods of time there seems to be something missing in their performance. They don't particularly care much for the character anymore. But luckily, that is not the case with Tom Hanks! (Big, Cast Away) He plays Wood with the same level of enthusiasm that he had all the way back in 1995. This movie has a very heavy focus on Woody, which is not unwarranted as he is the overall favourite for most fans of this franchise. But the movie takes Woody into new territory. Questioning the role he plays in bringing joy to his kid and doing his best to stay relevant. A little resemblance to the problem toys and dolls are having at the moment. With the world going digital, kids more interested in video games and computers and big-brand shops like Toys R Us closing down, it seems that Woody's storyline was a reflection on that. But bottom line it was great seeing Woody back in action!
Buzz Lightyear/Tim Allen
Sadly, due to this movie being focused on Woody, Buzz doesn't get as much of a storyline in this movie and is sadly sidelined for the majority of the time. Which is kind of annoying as the relationship between him and Woody has been such an important part of this franchise. But this movie seems to forget that, leaving him as more of a side-character than he was in older movies. However, he does have his moments, his interactions with new toys Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key & Jordan Peele) are brilliant and
Bo Peep/Annie Potts
I quite liked Bo Peep in this movie. She is very different from how she was in the previous movies and it worked! now re-imagined as a Mad Max-esque scavenger who's incredibly resourceful. I really enjoyed this new Bo as she has a lot more character than she did in the previous movies. But also, the relationship between her and Woody is different, as they've clearly grown apart and lead separate lives and different views on how the world works, and can they find that spark that they had all of those years ago? This was a very interesting storyline that I thought was handled rather well. Overall, Bo Peep got quite an upgrade in this movie and I was very happy with it!
New Toys
Really the majority of laughs come from the new character in this movie. Like, Ducky and Bunny, who are both hilariously sinister in their methods, which is made all the funnier by their cute and fluffy designs. Key and Peele have always done well with dark humour and they do a good job of delivering a more kid-friendly version of their work. And then there Duke Caboom, the self-doubting stuntman played brilliantly by Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, John Wick). I didn't think Reeves would do well in this role, mainly because he's never been great at line-delivery. But I'm happy to say I was wrong and Reeves was great in this role, with his character being my favourite new character in this movie!
Old Toys
As for the older characters I'm sad to say that they are even more side-lined than Buzz is. Even Jessie (Joan Cusack) who is a favourite for many fans, doesn't really have anything to do in this movie. Which is really disappointing. Toy Story 3 did a better job at balancing all of its characters, whilst this movie doesn't really do that. Older characters are pushed aside for the newer ones.
Animation
As for the animation, Toy Story has never looked better! The attention to detail in this movie is astounding! The character designs to the environments. There are a lot of dust bunnies and cobwebs in this movie and they look so well done! Also, in a brief moment in the movie, we see Andy again and he looks so much better than how he looked before. Back in 1995 Pixar didn't quite have human faces down and they looked pretty weird but now they have it nailed, thankfully!
Emotion over Narrative
My biggest concern with this movie is its heavy reliance on nostalgia. It seems more interested in getting its older audiences to cry than it is telling a coherent story and entertaining its younger audiences. One of my friends, after seeing the movie, was quite annoyed that the characters were making decisions that she felt they wouldn't normally make just so the story can seem more emotional, and I agreed with her! I know that making audiences cry is something Pixar is well known for, but I felt that they sacrificed the story for that emotional moment.
Conclusion
Overall, this is a fun movie. And, if you like Toy Story then you will definitely like this movie! However, in terms of being a final ending, it's a bit of a whimper. I really felt that Toy Story 3 was a much better farewell to these characters compared to this, but it was still a very good time and, if you grew up with these movies then you'll enjoy it.
So that's my review for Toy Story 4. What did you think of the movie? Do you agree or disagree with anything I said? Leave a comment down below. And, if you liked this review then you can follow this blog for more content. Thank you for reading!
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