Toy Story 4

It's interesting to look back at the state of Pixar with the first Toy Story in 1995 and how much the studio has evolved their computer animated craft for many audiences. After seeing an improvement with the follow-up in 1999, we wouldn't see those beloved toys again until 2011 with Toy Story 3 where we said goodbye to them as they were left with a new owner. It was a proper farewell to the adventures that gang had been on and felt like the studio had moved away from them for good...until years later when a new Disney deal meant that another venture for this franchise. This brings us to Toy Story 4, which was the directorial debut of Josh Cooley and had some behind the scenes troubles in regards to the writing staff during production. There wasn't a whole lot of buzz surrounding this feature as many audiences probably felt that the goodbye they were given beforehand was enough. I was in that group and was getting tired of the Pixar trend of sequels being pumped out in recent years. I went into the auditorium ready to give it a chance and left it liking it but wasn't impacted emotionally by it.

What's it about? Taking place 2 years after being donated from their previous owner, the toys end up on a road trip adventure that leads into some interesting directions for our main protagonist. On paper, it certainly follows the "our friend is lost somewhere and we need to find him/get him back home before a certain time" time of format that Pixar and Disney enjoy using. There are some great moments here where the characters feel more like themselves in certain dramatic moments (notably the beginning and the ending). There are some fascinating ideas here there have promise of delivering a great feature for families to think about. It also helps that the amazing animation is incredibly gorgeous to watch as these toys interact with a realistic environment.

However, there are issues that hold this story back from reaching that potential it had. The writing doesn't feel natural in further exploring its theme when there are many other side characters who interrupt that flow with some of their own shenanigans. The humor is very hit or miss most of the time to where there's a fun occasional joke that works enough to sprite some excitement energy back in. The middle portion of the plot suffers being an adventure that feels like its trying to find its footing but sticks with being safe and passable enough to get by. The ending has problems with how rushed that resolution feels and that it doesn't quite land an emotional punch that the studio was aiming for (at least for me). While it entertaining in certain chunks with beautiful visuals, it doesn't quite measure up to the standards of its predecessors nor does it feel urgent enough to watch.

How are Woody and Bo Peep treated? With our main star and his old flame being reunited after being separated for 9 years, it was fascinating how the dynamic was going to be since the latter went through a redesign and needed to be fleshed out (due to previous minor role). As a pair, it's nice to hear Tom Hanks and Annie Potts revive the chemistry here with their respective performances. In regards to Woody, it's odd to see how he's treated with the writing in regards to another midlife crisis situation. (in some cases, his methods in trying to make his current owner Bonnie happy). As for Bo, it's good to see some of the changes she underwent and how caring she is towards Woody. Just don't expect much screen time from the rest of Bonnie's toys as they are shoved to the side. A dishonorable mention goes to Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) for being given the weakest joke in the film that makes me wish he was switched to demo mode again.

How are the new characters? There are a few additional toys that are important to this tale, Forky (Tony Hale) and Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks). Forky is a weird mixed bag since while the performance from Tony is solid with some funny jokes, his usage in the plot gets frustrating in not helping out with conflict and the fact that he was made from items dumped in a trashcan. He constantly reminds the audience he's trash and while looking at Bonnie sleeping with him at night, it's hard not to think about whatever germs she's exposed to there. As for Gabby, there aren't that any severe issues with her as they managed to avoid a recent boring Pixar "twist" trend and go with something rather fascinating. Honorable mentions go to Ducky (Keegan Michael-Key), Bunny (Jordan Peele), and Duke Kaboom (Keanu Reeves) for the performances of their respective actors and having a funny gimmick to liven things up with their limited screen time.

Overall Consensus: Toy Story 4 brings some enjoyment through amazing animation work, some funny moments, and spurts of good drama, though it suffers from writing issues that ultimately lack the emotional impact. ⭑⭑⭑3/4🎟 Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes PG

Reasons to watch it: You are a fan of any of the aforementioned actors. You enjoy this franchise and are curious about the fourth installment. You want to see how Pixar has evolved with their visuals.

Reasons to avoid it: You aren't a fan of any of the aforementioned actors. You enjoy this franchise but aren't curious about the fourth installment. You are tired of the studios recent trend of sequels over the past few years.