The perfect ending to any film trilogy or franchise is something longed for but often unattainable. Almost ten years ago, Toy Story concluded its story with one of the most excellent third installments of all time. A film that was thought to complete my childhood with the perfect ending of Andy, Woody, and Buzz’s story.
Things changed when Disney officially announced Toy Story 4 during an investor’s call on November 6, 2014. The announcement came off as more a money hungry move for the sake of a perfect end. Boy was I wrong as Toy Story 4 is not only a suitable continuation of Buzz and Woody’s story but moves Toy Story from the greatest trilogies of all time and immediately enters the conversation as one of the greatest film franchises of all time.
At the end of Toy Story 3, nine long years ago, Woody and company have said their final goodbyes to college-bound Andy, and have a new child to love, Bonnie. Similar to Toy Story 3, things are changing for our favorite toys, especially Woody. Bonnie is neglecting Woody and, when she attends kindergarten orientation, Woody, worried that Bonnie will be overwhelmed by the new experience, sneaks into her backpack. He then proceeds to put different arts and crafts on her desk encouraging her to make a new toy out of a discarded spork. With that comes the creation of one of the most endearing characters in the franchises long and storied history, Forky.
Forky is convinced he is “trash” and wanders off on a mission of self-destruction. Woody is on a mission to save Bonnie’s new favorite toy. Bonnie’s family sets off on a road trip in a rented RV, which is where the adventure and the laughs hit their peak. The use of a carnival and an antique toy store were brilliant ways to introduce us to our new toys. What follows is a brilliantly constructed conclusion and like its predecessor had no trouble bringing out tears from this critic.
As with any Pixar film, Toy Story 4 is more than just a kid’s animated film. It is a story about coping with the knowledge of not being needed and the ability to be able to understand that moving on may sometimes be the best option. The film embraces this theme throughout and invokes the realization that while moving on is sometimes the best option; it is never the easiest.
The toys represent us as adults, who sometimes, myself included, are truly afraid of change and moving on. Similar to Inside Out, this film taught us that being sad and embracing all emotions is a good thing. It goes on to tell us that it’s ok to let go and move forward.
Along with tears, I found myself laughing quite a bit throughout the film. Tim Allen is once again magnificent as Buzz Lightyear, whose inner conscience may be the underrated star of the film. The new toys were charming and funny. Keanu Reeve’s continues his monster year in his portrayal of Duke Caboom with a backstory that is both heartbreaking and hilarious. It’s hard to imagine being a 33-year-old man and not having a Duke Caboom action figure growing up after watching this film. Keegan- Michael Key and Academy Award winner Jordan Peele’s Ducky and Bunny had some of the best LOL moments of the film. Their hypothetical what-if scenarios that had me on the floor laughing.
After four films, Annie Potts’ Bo-Peep is given something to do finally. Potts gives an empowering performance that should have fans of the franchise wondering why wasn’t she given this much screen time earlier.
Despite the great performances mentioned thus far, Tony Hale’s Forky and Tom Hanks’ Woody were best in show. The parallel to Toy Story where Buzz believes he’s a real space ranger, Forky thinks he’s nothing but trash. The chemistry between the two is dynamic and may be Hank’s best portrayal is our favorite cowboy. From their journey through the antique store to the film’s eventual conclusion, Hale and Hanks shine.
I found myself sobbing at the film’s conclusion because while Toy Story 3 felt like the conclusion to everyone’s story, Toy Story 4 showed us it was only Andy’s story that was complete. The toys’ story concluded with this film. A franchise that I’ve loved since I was eight years old, Toy Story 4 is not only a great conclusion to this series but one where I’ll always cherish Woody and company for the joy they have brought me throughout the years.
