Toy Story 4: Film Review

Toy Story 4: Film Review

Vocal cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Tony Hale, Christina Hendricks, Annie Potts, Keanu Reeves
Director: Josh Cooley

It's hard to know where to start with Toy Story 4.

The third film wrapped things up so well, that anyone moving forward with the series was always going to face a monumental challenge of epic proportions.

But while the fourth Toy Story doesn't hit the peaks of the first film, it does prove a solid, if uncertain entrant into the series. There's some good within though, but admittedly, there's also a feeling that this was a series that didn't need a revisit.

Deja vu haunts much of the storyline this time around, with Sheriff Woody (the ever reliable Hanks) now struggling to find a place in the world after his kid Andy has moved on. Sure, he's been handed down to Andy's sister Bonnie, but Bonnie's more interested in Jessie, leaving Woody in the cupboard and not picked for playtime.

Determined, Woody climbs into Bonnie's backpack to accompany her for her first day at kindergarten (much of Toy Story 4 concerns itself with moving on, next stages of life) and to ensure she has a friend. But Woody's goodwill inadvertently leads to the creation of Forky, a toy thrown together by the loner Bonnie out of a white plastic fork, some googly eyes and pipe cleaner.

Bonnie adores it - but things go awry when Forky goes missing during a family trip, prompting Woody to launch a rescue mission.

Toy Story 4 is clothed in familiarity.

It opens with a rescue as Woody's Leave No Toy mentality comes to the fore again, and concludes with another rescue attempt as Woody and a small group of toys try to pull off a daring heist.

In between all that, there's a smattering of the usual Pixar sentiment and silliness as well as superlative CGI as it plays out.

Yet, Toy Story 4 doesn't deliver the highs you'd want, and while the endings function both as standalone for this adventure, and a capper for those wallowing in the nostalgia, the film's raison d'etre isn't quite as clear cut as you'd want.

Sure, there's a living in a world without kids message and a take on how parenting leaves parents bereft when the kids move on, all delivered in the usual solid Pixar way. But while the heart of Toy Story beats on, the existential crisis that lies within (What are toys' purpose, what is Woody's purpose, what can stop Forky being obsessed with trash) is a little too reminiscent of what's transpired before.

That's not to Toy Story 4's detriment, and there are many joys to be had - chiefly in the form of Bo Peep's Lara Croft-esque demeanour, and Reeves' Duke Caboom. It's just a shame that it's come at the expense of Buzz Lightyear being sidelined, and other faves fading out of the limelight.

But if you're after the solid emotional payoff previous entrants in the series have offered, you may - bar one ending - be left wanting. Feeling more like a spin-off franchise entrant than a consolidated animated push for eternity, Toy Story 4 may pitch for a heartfelt message, but the emotional coherence that rendered the rest of the series so essential is sadly lacking, rendering this more an epilogue than anything else.

That said, Pixar still delivers something superlative, even if it does feel like a bolt on.