"Toy Story 4” Review
"Toy Story 4" is another sequel from Pixar that no one asked for. After watching it, if they decide to make another one, I would totally be fine with it.
After one of the most emotional endings of all time, Toy Story 4 serves as an epilogue of sorts for Woody. One of the main criticisms I had with the previous films is that his and Bo Peep's relationship were never truly fleshed out. We sat glimpses of what could've been as a relationship and as a decent story but it was dropped completely in the previous film without any real explanation. This one wisely chose to revisit that dynamic. She returns to the narrative as a more experienced and tougher presence which is evident from the very first scene. Along with that, we continue to explore a sentient toy's purpose after a child loses interest in playing with them. We get introduced to a DIY spork in Forky who becomes Woody's surrogate son post-Andy. In other words, Toy Story has never felt more existential than it has in this one. All these themes coalesce in what I think is one of the most complex antagonists in any movie I've ever seen: Gabby Gabby, played by a very subdued Christina Hendricks.
There's a lot of story to get through and we don't get to spend as much time with characters like Buzz, or the rest of Andy's and Bonnie's toys -which is a bit of a bummer. But I think this is all the better for it as it really follows Woody's character arc as he grapples with his purpose as a child's plaything and as a guardian to Bonnie and her only friend, Forky. We do get fully realized plots for Buzz, Bo, Gabby, Forky, and even Duke Caboom (kudos for casting Keanu Reeves as a Canadian motorcycle-loving stuntman) but the heart of the movie is really all about Woody and its conclusion reflects his journey and the themes surrounding him. Tom Hanks gives perhaps the most empathetic and mature take on this ironic character he's portrayed for 24 years and it's hard for anyone to not be swept up by his charm and the direction the character takes. In short, Pixar makes me super emotional and sad.
Once again, Pixar has created one of the most visually impressive movies of all time -I feel like I say this with every new Pixar movie but each one doubles down on its visuals. The rainstorm in the prologue sequence is jaw dropping. It renders water and mud and casts light like nobody's business. There's also a lot of heists going on as there usually are in Toy Story movies but it's incredible how much visual storytelling is packed into each shot and still have it feel comprehensible and straightforward. There's also this impressive tracking shot early on that acts as a nice piece of editing and summary of the adventure so far which will have cinephiles nerding out about it for years to come.
As I think back to my experience with the Toy Story movies, I think this is the second time they've delivered the perfect ending to these characters. It's a mature story about a father's purpose after you've already given everything to raise a bunch of kids. I've grown up with Woody and it's heartbreaking to watch him go through hell and back and realize that the thing you gave everything to has moved on while you stay in existential purgatory. The catharsis I felt watching him reckon with that fact adds up to one of my most memorable experiences at the movies so far. Although it feels compact and although it spends a lot of its time away from its more familiar characters, the story it chooses to focus on has the most dramatic weight behind it in the whole series by far. I can nitpick about pacing and accelerated character beats and, yeah, those are issues I have with the movie -but I can't deny how great it ultimately feels to walking out of it. "Toy Story 4" is not only my favourite of the series at the time of writing this, but a near-perfect movie and a must-watch.