For me, Toy Story 3 was the perfect way of ending the series. Nonetheless, when it was announced that
another sequel was being made, I was immediately down with it, because: a.) it
wasn’t as if Toy Story 3 was already the
last we saw of Andy’s Bonnie’s toys, as they actually starred in a
couple of TV specials and short films set after Toy Story 3, which essentially left the door open for another
installment anyway; and b.) this was freakin’ Toy Story – the GOAT of animated film franchises. So, from the very start, I was expecting Toy Story 4 to be extremely
worthwhile. And as it turns out, it absolutely is!
Toy Story 4 follows Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and the
rest of the gang as they go on a roadtrip with Bonnie and her parents. Also with them is Bonnie’s new favorite, Forky
(Tony Hale) – a toy she made in her kindergarten arts and crafts. Being essentially a spork, Forky finds it
difficult accepting his new identity as a toy, and all throughout the trip, he
repeatedly throws himself to the nearest trash can. Woody, being Woody, takes upon himself the
task of keeping an eye on Forky, and when the latter succeeds in running away
one night, the former sets out to retrieve him.
This detour brings them to an encounter with an antique pullstring doll
named Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks), who eerily takes an interest with
Woody’s voice box, and a surprising reunion with Bo Peep (Annie Potts).
From the very opening scene – a powerful flashback – you immediately get the sense that it’s going to be an awesome film. Any fears of it possibly sucking are quickly put out.
From the very opening scene – a powerful flashback – you immediately get the sense that it’s going to be an awesome film. Any fears of it possibly sucking are quickly put out.
The animation, as what can be
expected from a Pixar film, is stunning, vibrant, and insanely well-detailed;
the camera work and shot compositions are magnificent. And, as what can be expected from a Pixar
film as well, it has an enjoyable, clever, funny, and heartstring-pulling
story. Its themes may seemingly be derivative
of previous installments, but it actually delves deeper – albeit, for me
personally, the emotional punch isn’t as impactful as Toy Story 3’s. Playing a
part is probably the fact that I predicted what the film’s biggest emotional development
would be from piecing together details revealed in the trailers. Nevertheless, as a whole, this film is simply
superb, and kudos for first-time feature director Josh Cooley for doing a masterful job
helming it.
My only tiny disappointment is
that the script doesn’t focus more on Forky’s existential crisis. In this universe in which toys are secretly
alive, the concept of non-toys gaining life and sentience when children treat
them as toys has intriguing, game-changing implications, and raises a lot of
questions. But the narrative simply
grazes over these, as relatively early in the film, the possibility of Forky’s
unique state playing an integral part in the plot down the line is quickly
extinguished, and the character is essentially treated like a glorified
MacGuffin from then on.
The spotlight of the story is
clearly on Woody and Bo Beep. The
emotional core is hinged on them. The
antagonist, Gabby Gabby, also has an interesting arc, and also takes a major
slice of the narrative pie. The rest of
the toys are basically just supporting characters of varying importance, even
Buzz. Nonetheless, none of the
characters really feel underused, but this still depends on how much you are a
fan of particular toy, like, if you’re a die-hard Jessie fan, you may be
disappointed that she doesn’t take part of the central action. In my case, I’m more of a Buzz fan than a
Woody fan, but I’m mostly satisfied with his role in this adventure (though, of
course, I wish he had more to do).
Aside from Forky, the other new
toys are Duke Caboom (voiced by Internet darling Keanu Reeves), a Canadian
daredevil toy; and a pair of carnival-prize plushies named Ducky (Keegan-Michael
Key) and Bunny (Jordan Peele). The most
notable comedic moments definitely come from these three. There’s even this one gag from Ducky and
Bunny that is so Key & Peele hysterical that I busted my gut laughing.
In the end, I still think Toy Story 3 is the best film in the
series (also, the best film of 2010). Followed by Toy Story 2. Third place is
a tossup between Toy Story 4 and Toy Story. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Toy Story 4 is brilliant. It’s also possible that it’s just the
nostalgia talking, and that when I get to watch all of them again, I will
realize that Toy Story 4 is actually
the best of the lot. But this simply
shows how outstanding this series is; there’s really no weak link.
No comments:
Post a Comment