Ten years after the original trilogy, Toy Story 4 returns for a reprise, telling a more personal story that’s no less heartfelt.
While Toy Story is one of those rare franchises where each entry is better than the last. Once Andy left for college, however, the original story was complete. What Toy Story 4 does, however, is bring the personal stories of Buzz and Woody to conclusion. It’s a smaller story, but it succeeds in pulling the heartstrings, delivering an experience that works well for both kids and adults.
Woody (Tom Hanks) finds himself playing chaperone to Bonnie’s new favorite toy, Forky (Tony Hale), who has a strange fascination with trash. When Forky gets lost during a road trip, however, Woody takes it upon himself to rescue him. On the way, he meets both familiar faces such as Bo Peep and new toys such as Gabby Gabby and Duke Caboom.
One of the main themes explored in this film is the concept of lost toys, and whether or not toys need to be with children to be truly happy. At one point, for instance, Bo Peep, who has been living on her own in the wild, asks Woody if he’s the one who’s truly lost. He’s still hungover Andy, and although he likes Bonnie, she never replaced the void left behind by Andy. Buzz, on the other hand, tries to listen to his “inner voice” as he tries to rescue Woody and Forky, running into a pair of plushie toys, Duckie and Bunny (Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele) in a carnival.
The main cast puts in solid performance, as usual. In a recent interview, Tim Allen talked about how the emotional ending ‘got him choked up’. That’s to be expected, because the story isn’t about just Woody moving on, it’s also about the fans moving on to greener pastures. In many ways, Toy Story 4 feels like that mythical reunion concert where all the band members are in good health, replaying their greatest hits with gutso and aplomb. And then it ends with the band members saying goodbye for the final time.
While there are antagonistic forces at play in the film, they aren’t quite as vicious as Prospector Pete or Lot’sa Huggins. It’s there to mostly pad the runtime (and act as obstacles for Woody and Buzz), but the writers wrap this thread up nicely by the end of the story.
Is this the best Toy Story film yet? Not by a long shot. But the film earns its stripes. While the new cast of characters takes the spotlight away from mainstays like Jessie, the Potato Heads and Rex, the new characters are fun too, especially Duke Caboom, played to hilarious perfection by Keanu Reeves. It provides closure for the main characters, and bids adieu to the franchise in touching fashion.
Could there be a Toy Story 5? Certainly, but at this point it will feel too soulless and disrespectful, like a Beatles reunion without John Lennon. Better to close the chapter with this entry, and move on to other stories that need to be told.