2019’s Toy Story 4,
directed by Josh Cooley.
Starring Tom Hanks, Annie Potts, Christina Hendricks, Tony
Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Tim Allen, Keanu Reeves, Madeleine
McGraw, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Joan Cusack, Jay
Hernandez, and Lori Alan.
What is it about?
Toy Story 4
returns the gang of toys, lead by Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear
(Tim Allen). Lovingly entertaining kindergarden aged Bonnie, things get turned
upside down when Bonnie’s family goes on an RV trip. Bonnie’s latest creation,
Forky (Tony Hale), ends up kidnapped by a antique doll, Gabby Gabby (Christina
Hendricks), who wants Woody’s parts to replace her own defective ones. While
Woody enlists a (mostly) new group of ronin inspired toys to help his cause in
rescuing Forky, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang attempt to make sure
Woody doesn’t get left behind by Bonnie’s family. Will the gang both be able to
both find meaning in their existence, and not get left behind serving the ones
they love?
Why is it worth seeing?
It’s hardly surprising that we find ourselves in a position
where we have movie studios giving themselves licenses to print money. While
missing the holy trifecta of animated sequels featuring superheroes, with two
of those qualifiers checked off we have the fourth installment of Pixar’s first
flagship franchise. The third Toy Story
made just over a billion dollars, so I suppose the real question is… what took
so long?
The good news is that Toy Story 4 is far better than it has any right to be (especially when compared to the rushed Toy Story 2). While it has plenty of return characters and arcs, it’s notable for it’s introductions of new characters, and more importantly, new arcs. The character of Woody, as always pluckily attempting to mobilize the gang of toys to stay together and best serve their owner, finds himself having to make decisions that hold consequences, forcing him to pick a side of the fence and not make everybody happy. His arc has him at times making decisions that are impulsive, short sighted, and even selfish- leaving plenty of opportunity for growth. There are plenty of new characters too, with the villain of Gabby Gabby proving herself relatable, Duke Caboom’s stuntmen ridiculousness and the Ducky/Bunny crazy duo humorous, and Forky’s existential crisis equal parts hilarious and profound. It’s a treat to focus on new characters rather than more of John Ratzenburger’s Cheers schtick a fourth time.
But the best introduction isn’t a character, but rather the return of a character and their evolution. In the previous films, Bo Peep (and her three headed sheep) made eyes at Woody, and was otherwise relegated to the background. Not so much here. With her impressive showing, it’s tough not to compare her to other cinematic female demigods of ass kickery, such as Imperator Furiosa or Ellen Ripley. No joke, Bo more than holds her own in a fight, does anything the dudes can do (and more), and makes decisions independently- even if they sting with heartburn. It’s really something, and for me, the highlight of the movie.
The good news is that Toy Story 4 is far better than it has any right to be (especially when compared to the rushed Toy Story 2). While it has plenty of return characters and arcs, it’s notable for it’s introductions of new characters, and more importantly, new arcs. The character of Woody, as always pluckily attempting to mobilize the gang of toys to stay together and best serve their owner, finds himself having to make decisions that hold consequences, forcing him to pick a side of the fence and not make everybody happy. His arc has him at times making decisions that are impulsive, short sighted, and even selfish- leaving plenty of opportunity for growth. There are plenty of new characters too, with the villain of Gabby Gabby proving herself relatable, Duke Caboom’s stuntmen ridiculousness and the Ducky/Bunny crazy duo humorous, and Forky’s existential crisis equal parts hilarious and profound. It’s a treat to focus on new characters rather than more of John Ratzenburger’s Cheers schtick a fourth time.
But the best introduction isn’t a character, but rather the return of a character and their evolution. In the previous films, Bo Peep (and her three headed sheep) made eyes at Woody, and was otherwise relegated to the background. Not so much here. With her impressive showing, it’s tough not to compare her to other cinematic female demigods of ass kickery, such as Imperator Furiosa or Ellen Ripley. No joke, Bo more than holds her own in a fight, does anything the dudes can do (and more), and makes decisions independently- even if they sting with heartburn. It’s really something, and for me, the highlight of the movie.
Of course there are other highlights too- the incredible animation, which at
times could be mistaken for live action, the manic pace of one madcap mission
after another, Toy Story’s underrated
fascination with creations that make your skin crawl, and Pixar’s unbelievably
reliable way of if not giving a tear duct workout, than at least a stretch.
Anybody who has either been a parent, or a child, can relate to the series’
mastery in depicting a sense of child-like wonder and fears.
As the fourth entry in a franchise, inevitably there are signs of slippage suggesting that things cannot go to infinity and beyond. Randy Newman, always an acquired taste, really sounds like he’s hit the auto pilot switch (certainly there is no musical montage on par with Toy Story 2’s Sarah Mclachlan number). As alluded to above, some of the original cast’s schtick can wear thin- and the ADHD jibber jabber can wear out its welcome. And there may be too much of one of the movie’s settings for its own good. But TS4 is a funny and enjoyable romp for the family that re-entrenches Pixar as a reliable vehicle of entertainment.
As the fourth entry in a franchise, inevitably there are signs of slippage suggesting that things cannot go to infinity and beyond. Randy Newman, always an acquired taste, really sounds like he’s hit the auto pilot switch (certainly there is no musical montage on par with Toy Story 2’s Sarah Mclachlan number). As alluded to above, some of the original cast’s schtick can wear thin- and the ADHD jibber jabber can wear out its welcome. And there may be too much of one of the movie’s settings for its own good. But TS4 is a funny and enjoyable romp for the family that re-entrenches Pixar as a reliable vehicle of entertainment.
No comments:
Post a Comment