It comes as no surprise that Disney/Pixar’s latest Toy Story sequel would be one to draw audiences in by the masses. For over 30 years, Pixar has produced quality animated films that have thoroughly entertained audiences and have stood the test of time. Some of their films have sparked sequels, constantly improving on the established story settings, such as Monsters University (2013) and Finding Dory (2016). Standing next to the Cars franchise, the Toy Story franchise has finally come to a close. As for how the franchise ends is another story.
When it comes to Toy Story as a whole, each sequel has one-uped the other with characters facing an existential crisis. In Toy Story (1995) Woody battles the existential crisis of being replaced while Buzz battles with the existential crisis of simply being a toy. In Toy Story 2 (1999) Woody deals the existential crisis knowing Andy won’t love him as much in the near future when he grows up. And in Toy Story 3 (2010) Woody and the gang face the existential crisis of never being played with again as Andy prepares for college. In Toy Story 4, Woody faces an interesting existential crisis given to him by Bo Peep, his long lost companion. Throughout the franchise, Woody’s worldview had been that if toys can bring their owners happiness, they have fulfilled their calling. Bo Peep, on the other hand, challenges this perspective by showing Woody toys can be free without owners. While trying to rescue Forky for Bonnie’s sake, Woody constantly faces this possibility of having his own life, primarily with Bo Peep. As if Toys having self-awareness was not bold enough, the writers one-uped that with this very interesting take on the freedom of choice.
Throughout each film installment, the Toy Story character list has grown bigger and bigger, as the heroes and villains alike rotated within the spotlight. Primarily taking the spotlight here was the new comedic characters Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key), Bunny (Jordan Peele), and Duke Kaboom (Keanu Reeves). The amount of laughter that these characters brought was honestly some of the best out of the franchise, allowing the characters to shine uniquely and individually. Considering the Comedy-Central duo Key and Peele was voicing duo characters, it was hard not to laugh when they stole the spotlight. And considering how Keanu Reeves is currently known for his dark role in the John Wick franchise, enjoying his comedic relief character came off as a great surprise for all audiences.
While the philosophy and comedy shined throughout the film, the plot structure was rather difficult. One thing that the three previous films had in common was the balance of two plot-lines; Woody’s story with one or more characters and the gang catching up. In Toy Story 4 however, multiple stories take place at once, hardly balancing each other out. There is Woody rescuing Forky, Woody’s conflict with the villain, Bo Peep and Woody finding each other, and Buzz solely tracking down Woody. The inclusion of the supporting cast heavily lacked as a large amount of the original and fairly new cast took a step back and were even dumbed down strictly to comedy. This, unfortunately, plays out in the final act of the film, which was a great fear I had since the sequel’s announcement. Screenwriting wise, the fourth and final sequel came off as forced and rather unnecessary.
Even with the philosophy going up a level higher, the structure of the franchise hardly allowed for it due to the third film’s ending. The hinting of a fourth sequel never significantly came up at the end, compared to the first and second film’s endings. This is not to say that the 4th film was of poor taste. It was entertaining for what it was, but as the final chapter, the third sequel did the franchise more justice than the fourth. In the third, Woody’s character arc was complete at the end. His mission to bring Andy happiness had finally come to a close as he found happiness again in his new owner Bonnie. Re-opening Woody’s arc in the 4th film lacked in the area of engagement from nearly the very beginning. While Woody did have his moments, they did not feel as genuine, emotional, or highly thought-provoking as they did in the previous films.
Expanding over 2 decades, the Toy Story franchise has held a special place in the hearts and memories of children and adults alike. It would not come as a surprise if this one did as well, given its popularity, nostalgic moments, and heart-gripping scenes. As for its ranking out of the top 4 in the franchise, however, Toy Story 4 sits at the lowest, with Toy Story 2 coming in third, Toy Story 3 in second, and Toy Story remaining at the top.
