Much like practically everyone else in the world, you had every right to be skeptical of another Toy Story. I mean, what else is there left to tell? With 2010’s Toy Story 3, the franchise ended in a poignantly bittersweet conclusion that would’ve been a perfect sendoff for our beloved characters, and to this day, it still is. But Toy Story 4, against all odds, including production delays, creative differences, etc., succeeded in giving our heroes one last hurrah that is every bit as fun, exciting, emotional, and heartwarming as everything that had come before. It may not have as much of the grim, heavy, and emotional weight of Toy Story 3, but Toy Story 4 captures what we love about this series and why it continues to touch our hearts to this day.
It’s been only a few months since Andy gave away Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and the rest of our family of toys to Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw). Now they continue life as it always was, ensuring that Bonnie is always happy as she plays with them, all except Woody, who continues to be left out of Bonnie’s play time. After traveling to kindergarten with Bonnie he witnesses her creating her own toy out of garbage, naming him Forky (Tony Hale). Forky denies his purpose as a toy, referring to himself as nothing more than trash, so Woody attempts to ensure that Forky is always there for Bonnie.
But everything goes awry during a family road trip to a carnival when Forky and Woody get lost from the rest of the gang. Ending up at said carnival, Woody and Forky encounter Bo Peep (Annie Potts), an old friend and love interest of Woody who has lived as a “lost toy” for quite some time. After Forky is kidnapped by a doll named Gabby-Gabby (Christina Hendricks), Bo agrees to help save Forky while Woody goes through a journey of his own as he attempts to move on from the life he once had with Andy.
It’s practically commonplace for the franchise to utilize a similar plot and/or story over the course of its existence. You have some toy kidnapped or missing and our heroes must venture into unknown territory in order to get their good buddy back. This was Buzz in Toy Story, Woody (and Buzz somewhat) in Toy Story 2, and the toys themselves in Toy Story 3. But it isn’t so much the plot that makes these films so special. Rather, it’s the things we see and learn along the way that gives the series its magic. Often the franchise presents strong themes of growing up and acceptance, but Toy Story 4 feels like an amalgamation of everything we’ve seen and learned with these characters throughout the other films.
Throughout the story, we get to see similar themes presented in the previous entries, i.e. the existential crisis (Toy Story), accepting who you are (Toy Story, Toy Story 2), the fear of being forgotten and “lost” (Toy Story 1, 2, 3), growing up and moving on (Toy Story 3), and so on. While the first 3 entries feel like a complete overall package deal, the fourth installment is more akin to an epilogue, an extra chapter that presents us the audience with a picture of how our characters have grown, how attached we’ve gotten to them, and how the themes and messages mentioned continue to resonate.
With this installment, however, director Josh Cooley adds plenty of new elements that ultimately make the final product that much more satisfying and fresh. For starters, Woody is given probably his most personal evolution in the franchise, only rivaling Toy Story 3, as he tries and fails to move past the duties he once held with Andy. From the get go, Woody tries his hardest to make sure Bonnie is happy, to the point where his loyalty inevitably blinds his judgment. The story that unfolds soon becomes a journey for Woody to accept his new role in this new environment. He is no longer the favorite toy like he was with Andy, as evidenced when Bonnie constantly leaves him behind in the closet. He struggles to find a new purpose for himself now that his purpose has been fulfilled. His goal in life was to ensure that Andy had an incredible childhood. Now that his childhood has ended, what does he have left?
That is where Bo Peep comes in. She acts a lot like a foil for Woody, free of any of the limited responsibilities within a child’s bedroom. Throughout the trilogy, our heroes have attempted to prevent themselves from becoming “lost toys,” citing a child’s bedroom as the only heroic goal they have for themselves. In fact, it was the fear of becoming a lost toy that motivated Stinky Pete (Toy Story 2) to hold Woody hostage while Lots-O’ turned to the dark side after becoming a lost toy himself. But with Bo, she presents an entirely new perspective on that concept. She lives her life as a “lost toy,” but while others become emotionally distraught at the idea, she embraces it and even enjoys its limitless boundaries and liberating spirit. It is the journey she and Woody go on that makes up the heart of the story as Woody tries to move on.
But in between the heartwarming story beats, there’s plenty of great comedy to go around, so much so that this is probably the funniest entry in the franchise. Much of that great comedy is thanks in large part to a whole swath of new characters. Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key reunite as the prolific comedy duo they are to voice Bunny and Ducky, two stuffed animals who were trapped in a shooting game in the carnival, respectively. Their comedy ranges from perfectly timed quips and jabs to (sometimes a little violent) physical comedy. You also have Keanu Reeves as the Canadian daredevil Duke Caboom who also has plenty of highlights, usually revolving around his stunts and a hilariously tragic backstory. Forky himself is also really fun to watch as he constantly questions his own existence and goes through an existential crisis himself, making for some admittedly dark humor and slapstick.
Speaking of new characters, you also have an new antagonist in Gabby-Gabby, but her story diverts drastically from every other villain in the series. While other villains had clear malicious intent against the other toys, as a result of being abandoned or afraid of being forgotten, Gabby-Gabby has only one goal in mind: to get adopted by a kid. She isn’t presented as some malicious evil-doer who wants to hold our toys hostage out of some flawed perception of righteousness as with Stinky Pete or Lots-O’. In the film, she wants Woody’s voice box since hers had deteriorated as time went on. With his voice box, she believes she’ll finally get adopted by a kid. She’s the first antagonist in the franchise who isn’t really a villain in a traditional sense, or any sense for that matter. She has a clearly empathetic goal in mind and as a result we empathize with her.
But the introductions of these new faces also results in the films biggest drawback. For the majority of the story, our heroes, the toys we grew up with and supported for years, are sadly left on the sidelines. Jessie gets a couple cool moments while Buzz goes through a smaller journey of his own, but for the most part, the stage is primarily meant for Woody and Bo. It’s not a huge detriment to the story on the whole. It’s just an unfortunate thing to happen to a dynamic family that is always a pleasant to watch and join along for the ride given what we’ve been through with them over the course of three films. It would’ve been interesting, for example, to see how Jessie’s tragic backstory of being abandoned can relate to Woody and Bo’s journey given that she had to accept what had happened herself. I get that the filmmakers needed to make room for the new characters and all that. It just would’ve been nice to see them all one last time in a much grander fashion.
Overall, Toy Story 4 captures everything we love about the franchise as a whole. Despite some obvious familiar beats, the story retains the heart and magic that makes the series special. While the original trilogy is a perfect beginning, middle, and end, Toy Story 4 is an epilogue, one that brings together everything we’ve been through with these characters into a story about growing up and moving forward. A lot of people will ask if this film was necessary in the first place. To that I say, it’s not necessary as a chapter, but it is necessary as an epilogue, as a way to show us how they’ve evolved and how we’ve bonded with them over the years. It maintains as much of the adventure, spirit, charm, and magic as all the other entries in the series, and even if it’s 100% objectively unnecessary, I’m still really glad it exists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmiIUN-7qhE&t=1s&w=585