A Reel Review: TOY STORY 4

The last time we saw our favorite Pixar toys was way back in 2010 in the outstanding TOY STORY 3. Woody and Buzz and their gang had been passed on from their beloved Andy to the play-nice toddler Bonnie, and it was a wholly emotional and satisfying assumed wrap to the series that launched Pixar’s animation dominance in 1995. Things felt finished, but with the gang still together there was an open door for more, which brings us to TOY STORY 4. 

On a road trip with her family, little Bonnie loses her newest and favorite toy; a spork that she made out of bits of trash named Forky (Tony Hale). Desperate to keep a heartbroken Bonnie happy, Woody (Tom Hanks), sets out on his own to find Forky, which leads him to an antique store which is secretly run by a sinister doll named Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks), who wants Woody for her own purposes. 

TOY STORY 4 has a lot going on. Woody is having his latest existential crisis; his place in play-time seems to have passed as Bonnie plays with him less and less…leading him to a life on the closet floor. His adventures in the antique store and a nearby amusement park lead him to a chance meeting with his old love Bo Peep (Annie Potts), which has him questioning his place in the world even more. Meanwhile, Buzz (Tim Allen), is desperate to help Woody and has to figure out his own place in the world, while Gabby, while sinister on the surface, is just another toy longing for a kid to play with. It’s a character-driven animated film like only Pixar can deliver. 

This story takes our toys through a whirlwind adventure that is one thrill after another. From the bowels and dusty shelves of the antique store to the tops and bottoms of the amusement park, they run into one fix after another and the sequences are wonderfully put together. The scenes in the antique store are downright horrifying as Gabby has her own gang of creepy puppets; they rival anything in any modern horror film and Woody goes through something horrific. It all works and it matters to us as the characters have their desires and needs that we care about, and having loved them all for over 20 years helps too. Similar to the first film, TOY STORY 4 is nearly all of Woody’s story in his quest to find himself and take care of his kid. With that, Buzz is relegated to sidekick, and our favorite toys such as Jessie, Dolly, Rex, Hamm, Slinky Dog, and the Potato Heads fade into the background. 

Director Josh Cooley keeps the pacing tight and energy high, the nail-biting sequences are excellent, and the jokes and laughs are some of the best we’ve seen in the series. As with every Pixar film, the animation takes another leap forward, with much of the film looking as photo-realistic as possible; details such as stitching and cat-fur are stunningly real. Randy Newman’s music is once again outstanding. 

The voice-cast once again delivers. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen sound as energetic and excited about their work as they did 20 years ago. Annie Potts does great work for Bo Peep and helps create a fun and solid new role model for young girls. Keanu Reeves pops in as Duke Caboom, a motorcycle-riding daredevil toy and is a blast. 

As great as everything is in TOY STORY 4, the ending may prove to be divisive and have many of us preferring the final shot of TOY STORY 3 as the final wrap to the series. Woody and Buzz wind up in places that closes the door on any more sequels (prepare to cry, again), but Woody winds up making a decision that seems to fly in the face of all that he has preached for the last 20 years…and it’s hard to believe that his beloved Andy would approve of where he wound up as well. Similar to the previous film, TOY STORY 4 is ultimately about moving on, and just like real-life, it offers changes that we may or may not be comfortable with. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it is another big bold move for Pixar. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it