Toy Story 4: Visually Brilliant, Painfully Unnecessary
“So long, partner” or so we thought. Nine years ago, teary-eyed audiences were left with a shot of Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the gang bidding Andy goodbye as he ventures off to college. Instead of leaving the perfect ending to this iconic trilogy alone, Pixar had another story to tell, or maybe just a nagging empty pocket. Whatever the motive, the world is much larger this time around, specifically carnival-size, with both familiar faces and new ones. Aside from updated technology that allows for incredible animation, the movie itself feels both exhausted and awfully unnecessary.
Almost a quarter of a century after Buzz and Woody fell with style into Andy’s lap, Woody still seems to transcend the synthetic grip of toy-hood. His loyalty is relentless, his humans are his purpose, but after this emotional yet anti-climatic sequel, I am left puzzled and disappointed.
Why? Well, first a warning: there are spoilers ahead.
First, I need to point out the stunning improvements in animation. The details added, from the mud and pouring rain to the glow of chandeliers — I mean even down to the light reflecting off the toys — are achievements on their own as the film’s visuals are arguably revolutionary. Pixar’s journey through CGI is detailed in INSIDER’s video found here, but as a mere audience member who grew up parallel to Disney Pixar’s evolution, it was hard not to be mind-blown. Compared to the first three films, especially the first, the attention to detail and the realistic feel are incredible and worth the watch. But my issue here was with the story.
The innovations were to the point, but the story truly wasn’t. Now, I consider myself a regular Disney Pixar fan, growing up loving the movies and the magic, but I know the fanatics will come after me for calling out this film. But let me ask this: after three incredible films that that made us question what occurred in our rooms in our absence, was it really necessary to extend the story for Woody to just…leave? I do not want to overstate the perfection of the ending of Toy Story 3, but it’s difficult not to, especially after the incinerator scene. It was at that moment when we realized that although Woody’s internal purpose was to be there for Andy, it was really to keep the gang together. One of the final images of the film showed all of Andy’s best toys watching him drive away, and shared with us this sense of fulfillment as Woody finally accepted this inevitable change. Tom Hanks’ selfish cowboy from 1995 had completed his arc, and stayed loyal to what he could — the other toys.
Until, Bonnie throws him in a closet and forgets about him. Woody suddenly wonders if the grass is greener with his long lost love, Bo Peep, who just barley played a part as Woody’s side piece in the first two films yet somehow earns a lead role in this year’s sequel.
“It’s all I have left to do…I don’t have anything else.” an exasperated Woody whines to Bo Peep after going to great (and admittedly entertaining) lengths to return Forky to Bonnie. It is true, Woody has always wholeheartedly cared for his child, but after the completeness of the third movie, this is an extended arc that we did not need. Woody had realized his purpose was with the other toys, and suddenly after being cast aside, Woody is back to 1995 where he cannot stand to be the toy on the sidelines. It is a borderline disservice to the character they built throughout three movies and fifteen years.
Was this a bad film? Not at all. The new characters were entertaining enough, (shoutout to Tony Hale’s perfectly neurotic “Forky”) and the story was interesting. Was it a nice ending? Sure. There was no way not to get emotional as the toys said their final goodbye. But it felt stretched out, an extended epilogue banking on nostalgia to propel its ticket sales. I certainly would have been content if left with the heartfelt image of all of the toys on Bonnie’s porch together rather than Woody traveling with a carnival. This is not to mention how the film made most of the beloved characters we grew up with suddenly take a back seat to random new (and old) arrivals — even Buzz (suddenly an airhead) Jessie and Bullseye felt like side characters.
Again, I am not here to say that this film was bad. It certainly was not, with a solid cast, genuinely funny moments, animation technology and shovelfuls of nostalgia. My point here is that it feels like a money-maker that could not break the surface. An unnecessary extension to a story that had finally ended. A disservice to a character that had already come to terms with his purpose and fulfilled his arc. Some things should be left alone. Toy Story was an incredible franchise that only seemed to get better with sequels, a rare find these days. Witty storylines, beloved characters and stunning visuals should not have fallen prey to what feels like a both a B-movie and a capitalization on nostalgia.
And as for the summer we’re having with Disney (Aladdin, The Lion King and the recent announcement of The Little Mermaid) nostalgia seems to be the only force at work.
