Toy Story 4 (2019)

 

Genre: Family/ Adventure

Time: 1h 40mins

Director: Josh Cooley

Quick 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.

As much as I love this one, they really didn't need to make another one. The third film felt like the perfect conclusion. 

One thing I will immediately start talking about is the quality of the animation. Because holy god. It is stunning. This is so easy to forget this is animation because everything looks so real. Each different material works perfectly as if it were capturing real-life toys and places. You can see every single scratch, blemish and texture which is so impressive to me. 

I liked how touching this is. Almost childlike. There's a sweet innocence that brings a lot of joy. The main subject for this is "Forky" a toy created by Bonnie to help her through school. I had worries that he would have become annoying very quickly, but he wasn't. He was like a small child filled with curiosity and honestly, it's just the most adorable thing to watch him interact with absolutely anything. I loved his phase about being trash because honestly same buddy. A lot of the scenes with Woody and Forky really felt like a tired dad with his child, which is so funny to me as he answers Forky's endless questions and saves him from death. 

Another thing about how touching this is is the way Woody can give everything just to save Forky or other events in this film, as well as the love story that happens in this. Woody and Bo are adorable together, perfectly filling the gaps the other has. The ying to each other's yang. Bo is more outgoing, adventurous, and strong-willed, whereas Woody is more cautious, follows his heart and is cynical. The soft spot they had for each other years ago plays a bit part in this that will surely pull at heartstrings. I adore them as well, even after all those years, they were as close as they were the day separated. If that is the most lovely thing, then I don't know what is. 

One scene I partially really enjoyed was the chase scene right in the middle of the film. A few members of the gang are being chased by ventriloquist dummies through the narrow aisles of an old antique shop, running behind cabinets through dust, hiding from humans, and dodging a ruthless cat. It was such a fun and intense scene that stands out. 

A lot of the side characters I enjoyed a lot too, as they added so many layers to the film. Ducky and Bunnie are one of my favourite duos (Next to Lemon and Tangerine from Bullet Train). They bounce off each other so quickly and they're just so damn funny. They're extra and dramatic to the point of saying they would murder an old lady through an elaborate plan of her day at home, waiting for her to go to bed before they execute the "Plush Rush." To which they see no problem and get offended when told it's a horrible idea. 

The villain in this was interesting. I wouldn't say that's a bad thing either as they didn't actually feel that evil. Just someone who was sadly very lost and had found their only chance at feeling safe. Their story was very touching to me, as it is something I feel like a good handful of people could relate to. The feeling of being lost and unwanted. I won't spoil what happens, but it gets very emotional. 

There are many layers to this film, but simply I recommend you watch this. As perfect of an ending as the third film was, this was a lovely addition that I didn't know was needed. 

9/10

"Woody: Uhhh... this is Forky...

Forky: I'm trash."

"Are you lost too?"

"Sometimes change can be good."