Woody has always been confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that's Andy or Bonnie. But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called "Forky"...
This is the movie Rian Johnson would be proud of. Not in a “oh,so terrible” way ,but in a great way. If this was his directorial debut in the field of Animation,this is exactly what would’ve been.
Toy Story is a special franchise for me. This is the one that started it all: my passion for Movies,my huge love for Pixar and my passion for Art in general (had it not been for Toy Story,I wouldn’t have known what Alien or Fight Club were). And it’s still my favorite Trilogy to this day,being such a continuous franchise of movies where they span every idea the Directors and Writers sparkled in their tiny little heads (In 2004,Toy Story 3 was supposed to be a rescue mission to save a malfunctioned Buzz Lightyear. The malfunction does happen in here,with another character in an interesting way).
And Disney,being the cash-full House Of Mouse that it is,forced Pixar (?) to make another one,where giant worries boomed on Social Medias,thinking it would ruin the franchise with a sequel as good as “Cars 2” or “Monsters University”. Personally,I was excited for it,because,unlike the other “new sequels” (not counting TS3 or Cars 2),this did feel like Nostalgia-Bait done right.
And,while Toy Story 4 may be just what I expected,it also had a lot more to offer beyond “this wasn't really unnecessary…”. New characters you actually root for,big laughs that makes it the funniest of thel 4,and a huge sense of emotion that invested me in so many ways. Oh,and also,many new ideas and stuff like that…
Right from Frame 1,I had a smile so big,you have no idea...
Ok,so to start… Am I the only one who can’t shake the feeling that Woody was like Marlin from Finding Nemo? Sure,it leads to an emotional conflict that will have the lasting power to him until the end of the movie,but think about it: He’s the overly protective toy who “needs” to protect Forky because he wants to make Bonnie happy. Hey,he beats Marlin in terms of protectiveness…
This is definitively Woody’s story. So much so that, unlike previous installments,other characters get either overshadowed or used for a funny subplot (mostly Buzz Lightyear). And when you see Woody’s plot unfold,that’s where it’ll get all “Rian Johnson”-y,as the plot twists are EXACTLY what a Director like him would do. Someone may have a problem with that twist,but it’ll make a majority of the Audience bawl their eyes out (I,like,did totally not cry at this btw… It’s not my fault the theatre flooded…)
The new characters do not feel unnecessary and/or annoying. Forky is the character everyone will ironically relate to in 2019 for the sole fact that he thinks he’s Trash. Ducky and Bunny (played by Key and Peele) steal every moment of the movie,and Keanu Reeves doesn’t disappoint in here as a Canadian Stuntman. I hope he makes more Animated movies like this…
This is,first and foremost,a love letter to all Toy Story fans. Not in a “let’s stop our movie so that they can see a Captain America vs. Himself fight” kind of way. Little details are sprinkled here and there while the big picture is narrated,and it makes the movie the “Ready Player One” of the Toy Story franchise. And it’s all accompanied by beautiful Animation that only stops for a second to be like “look at the pretty Animation!” (unlike the other final movie everyone loves for strange reasons…). Now we can also make Mud realistic,FORK YEAH.
I love how everything feels like a Videogame,specifically the Second Chance antique store. Either a Haul or a dusty hallway feels like a Super Mario game. A Haul is World 1,while a Closet is the Final Boss Fight,while the outside of the store (with the Trash Cans) is a Secret Level.
And,to finish it off,when the Third Act rolls,BRACE YOURSELF,because that’s only designed to be an Emotional Challenge,which puts TS4 as the most personal I’ll ever get since Finding Dory. I adore these characters,and they’re a giant part of what made my Childhood in the first place.
As for flaws,besides the final scene (where only a few will be perfectly and emotionally fine with it),the Randy Newman score was just an “Eh?”++. Nothing super bad or mediocre,but a rehash of certain themes make it sort of annoying,although,in the context of the scenes in which they’re played,it makes so much sense. Overall,there’s really nothing to say besides “I love this movie,man…”. Oh,and stay for the Credits. This time,you won’t regret it,I promise.
