No lesser luminary than Socrates once exclaimed, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates, meet Woody.
Kids who grew up with the Toy Story gang 24 years ago now (gasp!) have children of their own. Roles change, some people outgrow toys - and some of us don't. People adjust to new chapters in their lives - and as it happens, so do some toys.
Disney's Toy Story franchise has remained wildly popular across age groups, serving as a touchstone for play, adventure, and the importance of friendship. But the films also wrestle with existential themes of self, purpose, reality, abandonment, belonging and loss. It can be a heady and emotional mix, but it's that depth of feeling that has endeared the films to more than one generation of children (and their parents), beyond the assembly line plot mechanics of so many other films. Like Finding Dory, there's a lot going on beyond the fun and games.
In Toy Story 2, Woody (Tom Hanks) faced awareness that he wasn't just a toy, he was part of a beloved TV franchise, with companions he'd utterly forgotten. In 3, Buzz, Woody (Tim Allen) and the gang face the sobering realization that their "kid" - Andy - is growing up, and their circumstances need to change, finding renewal with a new, younger child, Bonnie, where they've continued on in the interim direct-to-video shorts Toy Story of Terror and Toy Story That Time Forgot, their plaything family expanding as they joined Bonnie's existing toys.
In Toy Story 4, Woody looks still deeper at his sense of self, of belonging and his place in the world - and the toy tribe expands even more. Bonnie (Madeline McGraw) is playing with Woody less and less, and has palpable anxiety at the prospect of going to kindergarten. Her savior? Her own imagination, and an arts and crafts amalgam of pipe cleaners and googly eyes she calls "Forky." Forky (Tony Hale) is stunned to discover he's not only come to life, but that he's now become Bonnie's favorite, the vessel for all her emotional dependence and need for security. He's also surreal and cute, and like Star Wars’ BB-8, a genuinely successful creation that actually transcends the deliberate genesis of a focused team of designers. Kids love Forky - I know mine does.
Before kindergarten begin in earnest, Bonnie's parents decide to go on a road trip in a rental RV, so the toys hit the road, some becoming lost - some literally, some figuratively. Toy Story fans have wondered why Bo Peep (Annie Potts) wasn't in the third outing, and in an exciting prologue, we learn why. Stranded in a small town with a particularly Twilight Zone-feeling antique shop, Woody and Bo are reunited, and Woody tangles with devilish dolly Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) and her gaggle of ventriloquist dummy henchmen. The theme of an individual's voice is prominent throughout the story. Buzz diligently works the suggestion of listening to his "inner voice," while another character is threatened with the theft of their actual voice box. Chew on that!
In addition to Forky and Gabby Gabby, other new characters include Evel Knievelesque Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), "Canada's greatest stuntman!" and the hilarious carnival prize-pair of Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele), all of whom do a great job of stealing scenes at every opportunity.
Potts is fantastic as Bo Peep, who's become an empowered staff-wielding she-warrior who'd be right at home in either Middle Earth or Fury Road. Her voice work is tremendously varied and full of emotional character moments. She's wonderful, as is Hendricks. In fact, there are so many new characters in Toy Story 4 who take center stage, that you find yourself missing time with the original gang and wishing there was more of them. I really wanted more of Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton)! But evolve we must. We spend a lot of time in that antique shop (I've never seen dust so convincingly rendered!), and Woody spends a lot of time navel-gazing (Sorry, Socrates). When climactic escapes occur and venues change, it feels downright liberating. The film is full of emotion, and I found it to be surprisingly more poignant/serious than I expected, and on a first viewing, less outright hilarious than the previous films.
It may take another viewing (or two, if my 10-year-old has any say in the matter) before I completely warm up to this new, different Toy Story. It definitely feels a bit less familiar. Pixar never phones it in, and they have a remarkable ability to depict characters and situations that kids absolutely connect with and lastingly embrace. If anything, Toy Story 4 surprised me with some its choices, though that's likely a good thing. Resilience, loyalty, courage, self-sacrifice and the necessity of change aren't what you might expect from a kids' movie, and it's refreshing to see these values at work here. I suspect my fondness for this movie is only going to increase, especially when it hits the cycle of near-perpetual home video replay constancy in my not too distant future.
Forky fans can also look forward to Forky Asks a Question, debuting when Disney+ begins streaming this November. In the meantime, definitely see Toy Story 4, easily the best family film in theaters, and a visually remarkable, emotionally moving treat everyone can share together.
Kids who grew up with the Toy Story gang 24 years ago now (gasp!) have children of their own. Roles change, some people outgrow toys - and some of us don't. People adjust to new chapters in their lives - and as it happens, so do some toys.
Disney's Toy Story franchise has remained wildly popular across age groups, serving as a touchstone for play, adventure, and the importance of friendship. But the films also wrestle with existential themes of self, purpose, reality, abandonment, belonging and loss. It can be a heady and emotional mix, but it's that depth of feeling that has endeared the films to more than one generation of children (and their parents), beyond the assembly line plot mechanics of so many other films. Like Finding Dory, there's a lot going on beyond the fun and games.
In Toy Story 2, Woody (Tom Hanks) faced awareness that he wasn't just a toy, he was part of a beloved TV franchise, with companions he'd utterly forgotten. In 3, Buzz, Woody (Tim Allen) and the gang face the sobering realization that their "kid" - Andy - is growing up, and their circumstances need to change, finding renewal with a new, younger child, Bonnie, where they've continued on in the interim direct-to-video shorts Toy Story of Terror and Toy Story That Time Forgot, their plaything family expanding as they joined Bonnie's existing toys.
In Toy Story 4, Woody looks still deeper at his sense of self, of belonging and his place in the world - and the toy tribe expands even more. Bonnie (Madeline McGraw) is playing with Woody less and less, and has palpable anxiety at the prospect of going to kindergarten. Her savior? Her own imagination, and an arts and crafts amalgam of pipe cleaners and googly eyes she calls "Forky." Forky (Tony Hale) is stunned to discover he's not only come to life, but that he's now become Bonnie's favorite, the vessel for all her emotional dependence and need for security. He's also surreal and cute, and like Star Wars’ BB-8, a genuinely successful creation that actually transcends the deliberate genesis of a focused team of designers. Kids love Forky - I know mine does.
Before kindergarten begin in earnest, Bonnie's parents decide to go on a road trip in a rental RV, so the toys hit the road, some becoming lost - some literally, some figuratively. Toy Story fans have wondered why Bo Peep (Annie Potts) wasn't in the third outing, and in an exciting prologue, we learn why. Stranded in a small town with a particularly Twilight Zone-feeling antique shop, Woody and Bo are reunited, and Woody tangles with devilish dolly Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) and her gaggle of ventriloquist dummy henchmen. The theme of an individual's voice is prominent throughout the story. Buzz diligently works the suggestion of listening to his "inner voice," while another character is threatened with the theft of their actual voice box. Chew on that!
In addition to Forky and Gabby Gabby, other new characters include Evel Knievelesque Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), "Canada's greatest stuntman!" and the hilarious carnival prize-pair of Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele), all of whom do a great job of stealing scenes at every opportunity.
Potts is fantastic as Bo Peep, who's become an empowered staff-wielding she-warrior who'd be right at home in either Middle Earth or Fury Road. Her voice work is tremendously varied and full of emotional character moments. She's wonderful, as is Hendricks. In fact, there are so many new characters in Toy Story 4 who take center stage, that you find yourself missing time with the original gang and wishing there was more of them. I really wanted more of Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton)! But evolve we must. We spend a lot of time in that antique shop (I've never seen dust so convincingly rendered!), and Woody spends a lot of time navel-gazing (Sorry, Socrates). When climactic escapes occur and venues change, it feels downright liberating. The film is full of emotion, and I found it to be surprisingly more poignant/serious than I expected, and on a first viewing, less outright hilarious than the previous films.
It may take another viewing (or two, if my 10-year-old has any say in the matter) before I completely warm up to this new, different Toy Story. It definitely feels a bit less familiar. Pixar never phones it in, and they have a remarkable ability to depict characters and situations that kids absolutely connect with and lastingly embrace. If anything, Toy Story 4 surprised me with some its choices, though that's likely a good thing. Resilience, loyalty, courage, self-sacrifice and the necessity of change aren't what you might expect from a kids' movie, and it's refreshing to see these values at work here. I suspect my fondness for this movie is only going to increase, especially when it hits the cycle of near-perpetual home video replay constancy in my not too distant future.
Forky fans can also look forward to Forky Asks a Question, debuting when Disney+ begins streaming this November. In the meantime, definitely see Toy Story 4, easily the best family film in theaters, and a visually remarkable, emotionally moving treat everyone can share together.
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