#MovieMonday: Toy Story 4 Review: It’s Worth Waiting 5 Years For It

In 2010, Toy Story 3 was released.

A phenomenal film on so many levels, Toy Story 3 made us weep, cry and bawl our eyes out as we witnessed the end of Andy’s reign, a run that spanned 15 years in the making. And yet, disheartening as its ending was, I had to admit;

It’s a fitting one.

And so with a tear in my eye, I bid farewell to Woody, Buzz and co.

It has been a terrific 15 years, and I truly appreciate them for it.

But here’s the thing

Despite what every Pixar fan thought, however, Toy Story 3 was not the end to the franchise.

No, it wasn’t.

In 2014, Toy Story 4 was announced. And then five years later, it’s here:

Toy Story 4.

And so without further ado, here’s my heartfelt review for the film, a movie of such excellence and quality that it continues to bring the Toy Story franchise to greater heights…

24 whole years after it first captivated us.

Toy Story 4

The sequel nobody was expecting to get, Toy Story 4 takes place after the events of Toy Story 3, and plants the motley crew of toys in the hands of a new owner, Bonny.

Things soon get complicated, however, when Bonny’s handmade favourite toy Forky refuses to acknowledge that it’s a toy, and ran off to become trash.

And no, I’m not making it up.

Here’s an official synopsis courtesy of everyone’s favourite app:

Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (voice of Tony Hale), declares himself as “trash” and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep (voice of Annie Potts). After years of being on her own, Bo’s adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they’re worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that’s the least of their worries.

Directed by Josh Cooley, the 1 h 40 min Fantasy/Adventure film was created against a budget of 200 million USD and has since gone on to gross over $770 million (and counting) in the box office.

You can view the endearing official trailer for the film down below:

As well as a second trailer here:

Reviews wise, the film totally wiped the floor with critics and audiences alike.

Movie Review

Honestly speaking… I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it.

Toy Story 4.

Now do not be mistaken; I’m not against the idea of a sequel. After all, a sequel would mean increased screentime of Woody and co., and let’s face it;

Who’s gonna pass up a chance to see that?

But here’s the thing. Toy Story 3 concluded on such a fitting, such an amazing note, that you really can’t help but wonder;

What if Toy Story 4 fails to live up to expectations?

A frightening notion… but certainly a possible one. Though thankfully…

It’s every bit as good as Toy Story 3, if not better.

First and foremost, the story’s well-crafted. Extremely well-crafted. Woody, the toy that has been a favourite of his ex-owner Andy for so long, suddenly finds himself relegated to the bench with other toys preferred before him.

And to add salt to the wound, even a crudely assembled spork, which disregards its new-found status as a ‘toy’ and seems insistent on getting back to the garbage truck, takes precedence over him.

Ouch, that must hurt.

Nevertheless, Woody tries his best to assist Bonny, retrieving an eloping Forky time and time again and trying to get it to love its new owner like the rest of the toys. Just when he succeeds, however, things get complicated and they’re suddenly forced to go on a harsh road trip, which involves nasty things like creepy Chucky-like dolls, doll dismemberment and leg-spreading dukes on motorbikes.

Thankfully, despite the harshness of it all, Woody does reconcile with a rather special someone, and they clear all the obstacles in the way with a lofty ending in sight.

Now, I shall decline from spoiling any further, but I just wanna say that the ending of this film, the ending, could very well rival that of the third film.

Touching, thought-provoking and heartwarming at the same time, it truly spoke out to the child in me, and told me in no uncertain terms:

“You can’t just go with the flow every single time.”

“You gotta choose for yourself.”

Animation

Look, really…

Can I just rave about that animation?

Granted, Pixar’s pretty renowned for its top-notch animation quality. But even by its usual standards?

This is gold.

Soundtrack wise, the accompaniments were definitely complimentary to the mood of the movie, and at no point in time did any OST come off as out-of-place. The voice-acting too, was just as gratifying as the previous films.

Yeah, that includes John Wick too.

Though the dude’s gonna pull out some guns and go on a rampage anytime, honestly.

Overall, the film proceeded at a decent pace, and it boasted the necessary qualities to really make things tick. A fan of the Toy Story franchise or a rapid seeker for great films?

Toy Story 4’s definitely worth a watch.

Rating: 4.5/5