Directed by Josh Cooley
Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Pots, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, and Ally Maki
Backstory
This past decade has become one where Pixar became infamous for cranking out sequels. It gave us Cars 2 & 3, Finding Dory, Monsters University, Incredibles 2…and it began with Toy Story 3 and now ends with Toy Story 4. Did we really need another Toy Story? The third one seemed to be such a perfect end to the franchise. Well, let’s find out.
Plot
It’s been two years since Andy went to college and gave all his toys to neighbourhood girl Bonnie. While everyone has settled in, Woody still hasn’t found his role in this new playgroup. Woody sneaks along with Bonnie to her first day of kindergarten, where Bonnie makes a new toy out of a spork, that she dubs Forky. To Woody’s surprise, Forky comes to life, and Woody introduces him to the rest of Bonnie’s toys. This doesn’t sit well with Forky, though, as he’s convinced it’s his destiny to be trash and keeps trying to throw himself away. As Bonnie and her family embark on a summer’s end road trip, Woody and Forky soon find themselves separated from Bonnie in an old antique shop, where they run into Woody’s lost love Bo Peep. Woody and Forky are soon making new friends and reuniting with old ones as they try to escape the antique shop and get back to Bonnie. Will they be successful? Will Woody find new purpose?
What I Liked
There’s such a wealth of rich, new characters introduced. From Forky, to our villainous doll Gabby Gaby, and then there’s Duke Caboon, Canada’s greatest stuntman, voiced by Keanu Reeves giving it so much energy. It’s been 24 years since the first Toy Story, and this film just kind of drips with nostalgia for that first film. And you know me, I don’t mind nostalgia. The voice acting is great. This is probably the funniest Toy Story movie with tons of gags. But, they still manage to inject a lot of heart into it, with an ending that brought me to tears.
What I Didn’t Like
With these films, I often wonder what the point is of getting a celebrity to voice every role when they only get one or two lines. I’m going through the credits as I write this, and marveling at all the talent that was wasted on just two lines.
Final Verdict
A very worthy addition to the franchise, and another very satisfying end for Woody, Buzz, and the gang. If Pixar finally decides to end it, I’ll be very happy.