Between Playtime, a Group of Toys Has More Transitions to Face

Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and Forky (voiced by
Tony Hale) in "Toy Story 4"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

In 2010, Disney and Pixar brought audiences the much-anticipated “Toy Story 3,” a film that concluded the storyline of Andy and his toys, including Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), with a satisfying finale that couldn’t have been more perfect.  Because of this, it was impossible to think that anymore movies would be made in this series.  So, when “Toy Story 4” was announced four years later, it was difficult not to think that this would be more than an unjustified cash grab.

To my pleasant surprise, this fourth installment, directed by Josh Cooley (his feature directorial debut), is much more than what I thought it would be, delivering a clever, funny, and emotional continuation that’s on par with what came before.

Two years after the events of the third movie, the toys’ new owner, Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw), and her parents (Lori Alan and Jay Hernandez) take a road trip before she begins kindergarten.  When a new toy that she made, Forky (Tony Hale), and Woody become lost, they go on an adventure that will give them new insights into their lives as toys.

The characters that we’ve come to know over the last three movies make a welcome return, but it’s Woody and Buzz who continue to make these movies what they are.  The voice work from Hanks and Allen is a terrific as ever, building upon the friendship between their characters that established the foundation for this series.  However, of these two, it’s Woody who’s front and center for this installment, embarking on a journey that forces him to confront his purpose and has him make some of the toughest decisions his character has ever made.  Woody’s story has all been leading up to this, helping to make this a film that you might not have thought was needed, but has a special place in this series.

As with the other two sequels, this one does a superb job with introducing memorable new characters.  There’s Hale as the hilarious Forky, a plastic fork with googly eyes and pipe-cleaner arms; comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele as Ducky and Bunny, respectively, two stuffed animals with endless witty banter; Christina Hendricks as Gabby Gabby, a 1950s pullstring doll with some heartbreak in her life; and Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom, a daring stuntman who always aims to impress.

The story also brings back Bo Peep (Annie Potts, who voiced the character in the first and second films), a porcelain figurine who was said in the third movie to have been given away, has a prominent role in the story.  Although she’s not a new character, the transformation that we see in her makes her feel like a fresh and exciting addition.  With these new characters mixed in with the returning ones, it’s clear that this series hasn’t lost it’s ability to juggle dozens of characters and have each of them be memorable in some way.

The screenplay by Stephany Folsom and Andrew Stanton manages the impossible and somehow create a narrative that’s able to continue to adventures of these toys that we’ve loved for years.  Throughout the other three movies, the toys are confronted with various issues in which they much confront themselves and think about what it means to live as a toy, and this film succeeds in providing another angle from which to explore the directions in which their existences as toys are taking them.  Just like in the other installments, this film focuses on the connection that children feel when they become attached to a toy, something that can provide them with emotional support in a time of uncertainty, which is highlighted in a scene near the beginning of the film where Bonnie creates Forky during her kindergarten orientation.  This also sheds light on a child’s imagination of not just taking an ordinary toy and playing with it, but creating something on their own and giving it its identity and purpose, which is something that Woody and Forky explore within themselves during the movie.  The last three films had insightful themes running through them, and it’s terrific to see that this installment does so as well, especially when it didn’t seem like there was anywhere else for this series to go after the third movie ended.

Cooley treats audiences to the best animation that this series has seen.  It’s remarkable to think how far the animation has come ever since the first film was released in 1995.  There’s a beauty to everything that you see within the designs of the toys and the places where the narrative takes them, and we witness how the animation has evolved every bit as much as the characters and story.

The other three “Toy Story” movies have offered flawless blends of comedy and emotion, and Cooley makes sure not to make this installment any different.  This movie will have you cracking up at one scene and then becoming misty-eyed in the next because Cooley knows that there’s so much to the arcs of these characters in which we become invested, and having us experience multiple emotions throughout the movie is one of the main reasons why these films are as good as they are.  These films have a lot to give us in terms of story and characters, which causes us to always move between laughs and tears and have a cherished moviegoing experience.

As much as I love this series, “Toy Story 4” is a great place where it can end.  The filmmakers and characters have given us plenty of wonderful memories with the times that we’ve spent with Woody, Buzz, and the gang, and I can’t thank them enough.

Grade: A