Director: Josh Cooley
Original Release Date: June 21st, 2019
Summary: When a new toy called “Forky” joins Woody and the gang, a road trip alongside old and new friends reveals how big the world can be for a toy.-IMDB
Hello Readers!
Welcome to my first movie review. Today I am going to be talking about Toy Story 4, by Disney Pixar Studios. I am going to discuss what I like about the film, some things I didn’t like and giving my overall rating of the film. So with all that being said, I let’s dive into this review!
The first thing I want to talk about is the film’s story. Overall the story of the film is really good. It is very touching while also being funny. It’s the kind of film that will make you laugh and cry at the same time. Also, the film will allow you to reflect on yourself by watching the characters in the film. For a movie primarily make for kids, I’d say this is pretty impressive. The movie also does a good job of adding to the continuity of the franchise instead of detracting from it. In this movie, we see how to toys lost Bo Peep, which explains her absence in Toy Story 3. It also serves as a nice continuation of Bonnie’s story. Pixar gave a lot of thought into the story.
There are some pretty mature themes in this ‘kids’ movie. The main theme of this film is retirement. The film attempts to answer the question of what purpose your life serves when it’s time to move on. This theme is exemplified in both Woody and Bo Peep’s story arcs. Bo Peep has fully embraced the idea of being free and creating her own experiences while Woody is still fighting to hold on to the life he once knew. I loved that this movie explore this theme. It was a mature choice by the filmmakers and was a great way to end this franchise.
I also want to praise the acting in this movie. I thought all of the voice actors gave an amazing performance. Some of the standouts for me were Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Tony Hale (Forky), and Annie Potts (Bo Peep). These actors were all outstanding with their voice talents and really gave their characters a genuine personality. Also Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele (Ducky and Bunny) were a delight in this film.
Another notable thing to mention about this film is the animation. Pixar is known for its amazing animation style. The animation in this film is up there with all of their films. Firstly, there are some incredible details in the animation. The hair on Ducky and Bunny, as well as Gabby Gabby, are just incredible. Also how realistic and expressive the character’s facial features are. Animating them this way allows them to look and feel like real, tangible things instead of computer-generated creations.
Now I would like to talk about some of the standout moments in the film. These are the moments that I thought were funny, emotional, or memorable. The first is Buzz Lightyear’s “inner voice.” Throughout the movie, Buzz uses his talking buttons to guide his decisions in the film. His “inner voice” would give him a phrase, and he would execute an action accordingly. This was easily one of the funniest bits in the movie. Another funny moment is Forky’s running away montage. When Forky is newly created, he still thinks of himself as trash so he continuously tries to escape Woody and go to the first trash can he sees. The montage is hilarious and builds character for both Forky and Woody. Lastly is the character of Duke Kaboom played by Keanu Reeves. The character is one of the best new characters in the franchise. He is funny while also having a past that is both sad and inspiring. He is a supporting character that is easy to root for. Also, Reeves gives a very entertaining performance in the role.
As for the negative aspects of the film, I can safely say there aren’t many. The first one I found was that the toys seemed a little overpowered in this movie. The toys in this franchise have always been able to do incredible things but in this film, they just seemed to get away with anything. Also, they movie plays fast and loose with the idea that toys cannot be seen moving and talking in front of humans. Of course no humans in the movie spot the toys but there are times where they come pretty close. Other than these two minor things, the movie is still amazing.
Overall, I found this movie very enjoyable. At first, I had my reservations about the film because I didn’t think it was totally necessary. Toy Story 3 had such as satisfying ending for the toys and Andy. It was hard to imagine an ending that would be more satisfying than that one. But I am happy to say that I was wrong. While Toy Story 3 was a satisfying ending for the toy’s relationship with Andy, Toy Story 4 is an ending for Woody. Woody was always the main character and the hero of these movies. It would make sense to give him an ending of his own.
MY RATING: 4.5/5 ★
Question: What did you think of Toy Story 4?
Until next time,
Happy Viewing!
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