Director: Josh Cooley
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Tony Hale, Annie Potts, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves
Genre: Animation
Year: 2019
9 years since Toy Story 3, Pixar, seemingly out of blue, come back with a fourth installment for their extremely successful series with Toy Story 4 which reunites us where we left off with the toys in the possession of loving toddler Bonnie.
The beginning of the film starts off - after a brief flashback which introduces us to Woody's moral principle that he will go after any lost toy, no matter what - with Woody and the gang living at Bonnie's house; however, Woody is feeling rejected by Bonnie who has come to favour the other toys over himself and is developing increasing anxiety that he will be forgotten about and no longer loved by a kid. In a desperate attempt to cling to Bonnie's affections, he hides himself in her backpack on her first day in kindergarten. When she is abandoned by her other classmates and robbed of her arts-and-crafts materials, Woody comes to the rescue by inconspicuously delivering her items from the rubbish bin in order to salvage the situation. Using the bits and pieces acquired from the bin, she invents a new friend, an anthropomorphic spork - with a broken lollystick glued to his feet for legs and twisted red dustpipe cleaners for arms - whom she names Forky. To Woody's shock, Forky gains a conscience but cannot understand that he is Bonnie's toy, despite his incessant desire to return to the bin. Woody offers to watch over Forky when the toys are brought on a family weekend away, yet when Forky escapes, Woody chases after him, abandoning Bonnie and his fellow toys.
While many might argue that Toy Story was fine as just a trilogy, the fourth film surprisingly delivers a compelling, emotional and exciting narrative that feels fresh and while arguably it was not necessarily needed to tie up any pre-existing loose ends, as a standalone story, it works surprisingly well. Admittedly, it feels more like a spin off film and there is quite a strong sense that it is detached from the other films as there is not the motif of being Andy's toy (the trilogy - I will call it The Andy Trilogy - had the recurring theme in each film where the toys quest was to return to Andy, whereas while Woody and Forky's ultimate destination is to return to Bonnie, the actual quest they reach, which for spoilers will not be discussed, is quite different) but in a way the film accepts this and embraces its differences. Of course, that is not to say anything else is different - all the same characters and cast members return, such as Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody and Buzz respectively, but we also meet some new characters (as per usual) who add additional flavour, comedy and interest to the film and in turn expand the all star roster with names such as Key & Peele and Keanu Reeves. Everyone is on top form with their voice acting as always and they bring the characters to life with their exceptional talent!
The film itself is excellently written with some of the best humour the franchise has had to offer (my personal favourite is the high fiving army men - you will understand when you see it) and a tear jerking, heartwarming conclusion too. The narrative itself is fresh although does not feel like it has as much depth as something such as Toy Story 3 which juggles a plethora of genre conventions such as horror, espionage, action, romance and comedy without breaking a sweat. Nevertheless, Toy Story 4's narrative feels very succinct, its progression feels mostly logical and most characters feel relatively well fleshed out. The plot is difficult to fault and is entertaining and has some excellent moments in it. One possible critique is that Woody and Forky take up quite a severe percentage of the screen time, alongside Buzz's subplot, so when the film returns to the rest of the gang in the car waiting for Woody, Forky and then Buzz's return, often it feels like they exist so that there is something else to return to and also to help keep the car at bay while, again, waiting for Woody, Forky and Buzz's return. It is not that they serve no purpose, it is more like their purpose is very one-dimensional within the film.
Pixar and Disney take some very interesting thematic approaches with this film too, in particular Forky's existential dread that Woody tries to console him about. Having existed purely as rubbish only to be morphed into a living being confuses Forky and his desperate attempt to return to the rubbish bin shows his attachment to a past life and his refusal to accept whom he has become. A complex theme that Disney pitches to a young audience but yet makes it feel quite simplistic for them to understand - somehow Disney are able to write about existential crises, something 70 year old scientists and professors are having, and make it comprehensible for children. It is a bold move but gives substantial depth to a potentially ridiculous character.
Ultimately, Toy Story 4 is an absolute blast to watch. Hitting all the same comedic, action and entertaining notes as it predecessors, it manages to fit comfortably into this franchise without seeming too forced. Its loveable, memorable characters and its entertaining plot makes for a great film - probably not the best to date but nevertheless attains to the same standard the previous trilogy had set. The conclusion this time feels much more concrete and this is very likely the last one and they have indeed gone out with a bang.
Verdict: 8/10
