Movie Review: Toy Story 4

Toy Story 4 Doesn’t Disappoint

By Joanna Patzig

Toy Story 4 hit box offices this weekend with a massive opening that made 118 million, and made fans really happy. Pixar’s fourth installment came as a surprise to many, who remembered the seemingly definitive ending to Toy Story 3 that came out nine years ago. Toy Story 4 doesn’t miss a beat though, it picks up on our favorite toys taking care of a new kid and going on hilarious and heartwarming new adventures. If you aren’t familiar with the first three movies by now there may be some minor spoilers, but I won’t give too much away about the fourth!

Toy Story is incredibly nostalgic for those who grew up with the movies in the nineties, and they’ve always been sentimental films. The first three movies follow Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang as Andy’s toys. As I was rewatching the first three movies (because why not) I was struck by how human the toys were, their crazy over the top adventures, and how far 3D animation has come since the first movie was released in 1995 (seriously, wow.) In the third movie Andy grows up and has to give his toys away, which is why it’s known as such a tear jerker. In the end Andy gives his toys to their new kid Bonnie, and in the fourth movie we see them in their great new home.

Toy Story 4 continues the hijinks of the characters we know, and new characters bring life to classic dynamics. Key and Peele make a hilarious appearance, Keanu Reeves plays an excellent motorcycle daredevil, and there are finally more femmes in the plot.  Bonnie is a creative and adorable kid, Jessie gets play time, and then there’s Bo. Remember Bo Peep, the little porcelain lamp who Woody had a crush on? She comes back as a total badass, which is so fun to watch. 

Perhaps the most curious new character is Forky, who you’ll recognize if you’ve seen the trailers. Forky is, in fact, a plastic spork who Bonnie turns into a toy, much to the existential confusion of Forky and everyone else (as some kid in the theater yelled “that’s so weird!”) That’s just one way Pixar's toy universe is expanded in Toy Story 4, there are also new perspectives from playground toys and toys who have never been played with. 

Toy Story 4 has complicated plot that’s motivated by both obstacles and the toys nuanced feelings, set against the rich background of kindergarten and a road trip. The animation is beautiful, and there are so many emotional moments. Woody struggles to adapt to supporting a new kid, and sacrifices a lot finding happiness. There are also plenty of jokes and suspenseful adventures that pull on your heart strings in that classic Pixar way. I was worried this addition to the franchise was unwarranted, but it was completely fitting and welcome. It was super fun to see in theaters and I definitely strongly recommend it to all ages. 
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