Disney’s/PIXAR’s “Toy Story 4” brings back memories of having playthings as companionship, and other questions we haven’t really thought through before.
The franchise was always marketed as an imaginative tale of sentient toys coming to life and having adventures, but it was never shy of expressing its preponderant of existentialist themes, such as their life’s purpose, their devotion to their child owners, or what comes next after said purpose is fulfilled.
Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) have fulfilled their purpose to their original kid Andy, and now that’s he’s all grown up and in college, they and the rest of Woody’s Roundup – Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Rex (Wallace Shawn), Mr and Mrs Potato Head (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Bullseye are now living with Bonnie.
Bonnie is nervous about kindergarten, so she creates a toy out of scrap materials – including a spork – to cope. This new toy, Forky (Tony Hale) quickly becomes Bonnie’s favourite toy.
He constantly thinks he’s trash that’s meant to be disposed, forcing Woody to repeatedly save him from the trash can until one day Forky literally jumps out of a moving vehicle.,
Woody and his pals are forced to go out and rescue him, sparking adventures involving a travelling carnival, a creepy antiques store and a much-awaited reunion with an old friend.
“Toy Story 4” is from the PIXAR we know and love, after a slew of mediocre films from “Cars 2” onwards (the brilliant “Inside Out” and “Coco” notwithstanding).
It isn’t quite as frenetic as its trailers suggest – mainly because the film has no real villain – but it hops along at a leisurely pace, ziplining from one set of characters to another but with a sense of clarity underneath it all.
It has no real stakes and no momentum as a result, but this is still real storytelling, not a lazy cut-and-paste job. But the film was a pleasant surprise overall, continuing the franchise without undue embarrassment.
The film’s biggest success is how it handles Woody’s character arc. We’ve come to know and love him though the previous three films, and how his care for Andy and other toys won the hearts of children and adults alike.
In this film, he gets a wonderfully satisfying closure thanks to his old flame Bo Peep (Annie Potts), who is re-imagined here as a plucky survivor whose ideals clash with Woody’s in a non-aggressive manner.
It’s a great, positive theme to show that, yes, there is still some life left to go after destiny is fulfilled. There will be some who will greatly dislike the transformation of Bonnie’s character, however, especially with the promise shown in the previous film. The character change came at a realistic price for Woody.
We would have appreciated more screen time for fan-favourite characters especially Buzz and Jessie, who both get somewhat sidelined here.
The new additions to the franchise are all great, from the likably droopy Forky, the talkative stuffed animals Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele), the comically overconfident Canadian stuntman Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves).
Even the initially sinister Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) whose plans for Woody and Forky reveal unexpected nuances for what it means to be loved by a child.
“Toy Story 4” isn’t afraid to aim for the heart and soul – a remarkable feat despite boasting the usual top-notch animation technicalities PIXAR is renowned for.
It’s a film brimming with life that kids, adults, and newcomers alike will find much enjoyment out of. Don’t forget to bring some tissues for the ending.