Toy Story 4

This year has been marked as the finale of great sagas. We began the year with Endgame and the conclusion to the Infinity War storyline. Here we are, halfway through the year and we have made it to another farewell.

In truth, I wasn’t a fan, die-hard or otherwise, of the first Toy Story back in 1995. My “meh” feelings inspired me to skip the second or third installments. This shocked and appalled my husband. He could not believe I loved every other Pixar movie but found Toy Story uninteresting. He insisted I give the series another try. I gave him a skeptic look, but ultimately, I chose to humor him. Three movies and countless tissues later, I conceded that thirteen-year-old me was wrong about Toy Story and proceeded to bump the trilogy up to a higher ranking on my mental list of movies. This time when they announced another Toy Story movie was imminent, I wasn’t going to let this one pass me by.

Well played Pixar. You did it again. I was a red, swollen, soggy mess grasping for napkins in the dark. I didn’t expect anything different walking into the theater. Reducing audiences to blubbering brooks is their shtick, wouldn’t you say? Toy Story 4, being Woody and the gang’s swan song, wasn’t going to deviate from the studio’s trademark emotional roller coaster. Toy Story 4 opens with a recap montage of the last three installments, reminding you of the good old days and priming the emotion pump. Then we are faded into a glimpse of Woody and the rest of Andy’s toys acclimation to life with Bonnie. Some toys fairing better than others in the little girl’s bedroom, opening us up into the ensuing hijinks.

As is true of all Pixar movies, two stories are unfolding for audiences over the length of the film. The story on the surface of Toy Story 4 is familiar to audiences, although the child and landscape have changed. In this installment, we are introduced to Forky, Bonnie’s new favorite toy. His reluctance to accept the title spurs Woody to take up the mantle of mentor and protector. Our favorite cowboy works to bring Forky around to the spork’s true purpose: bringing joy to Bonnie’s life. Despite Woody’s best efforts, the two find themselves miles away from Bonnie with a short deadline to fix their plight. To add to the tension, obstacles and distractions abound making Woody look suspiciously like the mallet attached to Wack-A-Mole.

Forky may be the apple of Bonnie’s eye, but this tale is still very much Woody’s story. In addition to the obstacles Gabby Gabby and her merry band of ventriloquist dolls present, Woody is dealing with much more significant questions. How do you reconcile impending redundancy against all of your hard work and sacrifice? He has spent his life dedicated to his child’s joy, and he is holding on to that purpose with both hands. Those days are once again waning. Woody is a different sheriff than he was at the start of this saga. The experiences he’s collected have been invaluable to him when caring for Andy and Bonnie, but will those experiences help him care for himself? In Toy Story 4, Woody has to answer the question, can you teach an old toy new tricks?

The supporting toys have their own struggles play out on the silver screen. Buzz, in particular, got his moment in the sun finding himself the de-facto commander in Woody’s absence, a place he has not had a chance to occupy in the other films. Bo Peep and her sheep return to lend a helping crook. Being reunited with the sassy shepherdess gives Woody a glimpse at what might have been. There are downsides to having such a well-stocked toy box. With the right run time, Bonnie’s original toys and much of Andy’s contingent find themselves sidelined for most of the movie. The trade-off is that we get introduced to several new toys. Duke Kaboom, Giggles McDimples, Bunny and Ducky are all lassoed into the race to get Forky back to Bonnie.

Toy Story 4 is a satisfying, entertaining, and emotional end to an adventure that has taken us to Infinity and Beyond. They say all good things must come to an end, but they fail to mention how difficult that is. Now, go, it’s your turn to blubber in public. “Yee-haw! Giddy-up partner!”