Pixar may have been treading dangerous waters when deciding to conceive a fourth installment to the franchise that saw toys come to life. Given how Toy Story 3 wrapped the saga up arguably the most poignant and satisfying way possible, it is understandable to believe this fourth installment has more potential of standing as a cheap cash grab to allow families to revisit our favorite play things including Sheriff Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the gang. Upon walking out of the theater, I was gifted with the duty to say fans may rest their skepticism at the door as it turns out director Josh Cooley, in his directorial debut, had something thoughtful in the mind, and it’s splashed on display in this adorable conclusion of the series families have been in love with for almost 25 years.
Toy Story 4 shares many of the previous entries’ gifts, those being its incredibly funny, charming, and carries an organic sensibility to lead viewers on an emotional rollercoaster — if not as much as its predecessor. After their the toys’ owner Andy handed them over to young Bonnie upon departing for college, it marked a cathartic turning point for the lives of the gang that made everyone believe their adventures have reached a conclusion. As it turns out, Pixar had one last thing on their agenda for the characters that really flesh out their humanity, particularly Woody as he operates the core of the story.
The toys new owner Bonnie is starting Kindergarten, and common for many kids, the jitters of inaugurating in grade school kick in for her. Fortunately, on her first day of school, she finds a way to cope with her fear, and that is building a doll out of a spork glued with popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and google eyes. Giving it a basic name destined to thought out by a five-year-old child — Forky — this little doll becomes her companion. Of course, this little guy (voiced by Tony Hale) animated to life and is instantly confused. He tries to escape to the trashcan, a place filled with the supplies Bonnie made him with. When Bonnie and his family go on vacation to the fair, she brings him along but the poor little fella is not cut out of being the child’s play thing and escapes. That is why it is up the Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), Buzz (voiced by Tim Allen), and the rest of the gang to get him back.
Of course, there are stakes when you are stranded in an amusement park filled with children who may be ready to snatch these toys up before their very eyes. But that doesn’t stop from ringing out the fatherly figure in him to convince Forky that Bonnie needs him. The plastic piece of silverware is not just a toy but an object of catharsis used to cope with her introversion. Her emotional connection to Forky provides sufficient motivation for Woody to reunite Forky with her, and to do so, he must not only snap him out of his existential crisis — a psychological disillusion the movie plays as an astounding source of laughs — but of course, the perils surrounding both the park and the antique store where the long-lost Bo Peep and her sheep are (voiced by Annie Potts) inhabited.
This time around, Bo Peep is not a regular old maid walking around with her cane but instead provides as a supporting heroine who becomes Woody’s partner-in-crime in his wild adventure involving a merry-go-round, a ferry wheel, and a chock full of action sequences inside the antique store. These scenes blossom with energy not only by their smooth delivery of giggles, their beautifully animated as well. To praise the animation may sound like cliche — because hello, it’s Pixar — but the opening sequence which involves the most photo-realistic water is so lavish to look at it deserves a mention.
Nothing unleashes the charm than Pixar’s beauty of embracing the characters with open arms, characters you not only come about all over again but simply pour hearts out to just as much as the actors behind their voices. Refreshing it is to hear veterans Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Wallace Shawn, and John Ratzenberg — to name a few — reprise their roles. Making up the other half equation is some fresh new faces including comedic duo Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key as two rambunctious stuffed ducks, Keanu Reeves as a stuntman Duke Caboom, and Christina Hendricks as a Cabbage Patch Kid-like doll Gabby Gabby who operates with one of the most poignant and emotional arcs as her tragic backstory is gradually unveiled, clearing the path for a familiar yet resonating message about the joy of being part of a child’s ownership.
To be honest, was a fourth installment necessary for keeping his legendary saga on wheels? Of course not. Was it as satisfying as its predecessors? Not quite. But this film is such an pleasing tribute to the characters Pixar has cared for since their inception, providing a sound testament that unnecessary and unsatisfying don’t always have to go hand-and-hand. Toy Story 4 is truly satisfying in that manner, one that embraces the story of these characters with a tender farewell.
Final Score: 4.5/5
Screen Plex 