As a ‘90s baby, I have lived through the making of the Toy Story franchise. The first movie?
Good. The second? Even better. The third? Spectacular. The fourth? Awesome.
“Toy Story 4” approached a different, new angle for the franchise — a focus on Woody’s character. Bonnie is starting kindergarten and Woody is now left in the closet, not being played with anymore. He then decides to take on a mission and help Bonnie adjust to her big life change.
While Bonnie is away at kindergarten she creates Forky, who is then brought to life as a toy. He becomes the ultimate favorite and Woody does everything he can to make sure Forky doesn’t jump in the garbage and break the little girl’s heart.
Aside from the main plot, this touching film brought back a beloved character, Bo Peep, who is Woody’s lost love and Molly’s old toy. I wish they elaborated on this more and answered a few lingering questions about what has happened to her. It’s obvious Woody never moved on from the loss, because when he sees her lamp in an antique store he doesn’t stop until he finds her.
Lindsay Trombly | Argonaut
“Toy Story 4” did a spectacular job connecting the past and present films by adding in this element. By utilizing Andy’s character in this way as well, the film reminds audiences that while times do change, “you’ve got a friend in me” through it all.
Woody’s loyalty to Andy in the film shows he never actually moved on from their relationship and how hard loss really can be. And sometimes, it’s just time to move on.
It reminds people the role of a toy — to be loyal to their child no matter the circumstance. Woody and Buzz have both been lovable characters since the beginning, but some of my favorite characters like Rex and even Mr. Potato Head weren’t in the film very much, which was disappointing.
Despite this, I do think focusing on Woody was also a smart choice. That’s how the first “Toy Story” started in the first place.
But they did bring in some new favorite characters of mine. The two stuffed animals in the carnival, Ducky and Bunny, happened to be my favorites with their bold personalities and storytelling techniques.
Even though I wish the older characters played larger roles, the storyline was great and the animation was even greater. The antique store in the film was beautifully designed with such detail including the dust bunnies. It made me forget “Toy Story 4” is an animation movie in the first place. It was great to showcase new toys’ stories and see how they live life in a store environment. The villain even turned out not too bad after all.
“Toy Story 4” brings a new message to the table in this film — anything can be considered a toy, even something as simple as a plastic fork made with craft materials. But the film also revealed how our inner child eventually grows up.
I was enticed the whole movie, on the edge of my seat, and especially enjoyed seeing Bo and Woody interact together.
With that being said, the ending didn’t quite do it for me. It makes me think the franchise should have just ended at “Toy Story 3.” Regardless, the movie was entertaining and I’m glad I saw it.
“Toy Story 4” is quite the tear jerker and rarely will audience members be left with dry eyes. I advise you to risk getting runny mascara and watch the film in theatres now. You will in fact feel like a child again.