Toy Story 4 (2019)
It is a true testament to the excellence of the Toy Story series that sometimes you actually wish for the films to not hit you as hard as they do. The visceral emotions that this series evokes is on par with anything you will find in a non-animated or 'adult' film. Woody being replaced by Buzz, Buzz realizing he is only a toy, Woody being shelved for his broken arm, Jessie and Lotso's backstories, and, of course, the tragic scene in Part 3 where our beloved toys accept their deathly fates taking each other by the hand and waiting for whatever comes next... goddamn... Like it's three predecessors, Toy Story 4 has its own debilitatingly-impactful moments - though I will surely not spoil them here. In fact, the general story and arc at the core of the newest instalment may be one that will strike home for adults more than for its adolescent audience making it a film that people of all ages should make an effort to go out and see.
Again, it would be a bit of a detriment to go into this film knowing too much about its plot. As we have all seen from the trailers, Toy Story 4 revolves around the toys' owner, Bonnie, creating a new toy for herself, Forky (Tony Hale), that she becomes overly attached to. When Forky becomes lost on a road trip the toys, notably Woody (Tom Hanks), make it their mission to retrieve Forky and return him to Bonnie. Along the way, Buzz (Tim Allen) and the rest of our crew meet up with new and old toys alike. The great combo of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele join the series, as well as Keeanu Reeves in a fantastic role, Annie Potts as the returning Bo Peep, and Christina Hendricks as the new antagonist, Gabby Gabby. As with most Toy Storys, Gabby Gabby's story is much more nuanced than the average 'villain' and your view of her will surely change by the film's end.
It is difficult discussing this film without spoiling much of the film's story. What I can say is that this film is brimming with heart, humour and also maturity. Even with its high-praised reception, there are many who are condoning Pixar for making this new instalment considering the trilogy was so-well wrapped up in Part 3. However, what you realize after seeing Part 4 is that this film was made because it has something to say - it bears a relevant and natural discussion following from the 'core trilogy' and one that applies to our, the audience's, lives too. Perhaps the criticisms would have been more appropriate if a different film was produced than the one we know have, but that is not the case and Toy Story 4 is just as good and maybe even better than some of the earlier ones. On a technical level, this film is absolutely gorgeous to behold. It has to be one of the most beautifully rendered CGI films ever made - just take in the rain falling in the opening scene or the fine detail of fabrics the characters are adorned in. This is 100% a film that every moviegoer should see - I would love to discuss it more when I am more certain everyone has seen it - and, in the meantime, I encourage people to discuss it with their friends, their children, and strangers (while the tears continue rolling down all of your cheeks) because it has so much to dissect, so much to learn from and so much to embrace.
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