Movie Review: Toy Story 4

Movie+Review%3A+Toy+Story+4

The beloved gang is back: Buzz, Woody, Jessie, with the addition of characters voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Christina Hendricks and Keanu Reeves.

Directed by Josh Cooley, “Toy Story 4” delivers what audiences want to see: a nostalgic trip into childhood adventure.

The movie begins with a flashback in which Little Bo Peep’s lamp, a prized possession of the toys’ previous owner Andy’s sister Molly, is sold to another family after she grows too old for it.

Sheriff Woody and Bo Peep share a heartfelt moment before she is taken away.

Flash forward to present day, Woody has become a “forgotten toy”. He no longer seems to be one of his kids, Bonnie’s, favorites. We even see Bonnie go so far as to remove Woody’s sheriff badge and pin it on cowgirl Jessie.

Bonnie is soon to start kindergarten. Woody, worried for her, stows away in her backpack to accompany her to kindergarten orientation for comfort. On that big day, Bonnie is alone and upset. Woody scrapes up some discarded craft supplies from a nearby trash can and places it all on Bonnie’s table.

Bonnie uses these supplies, a spork, red pipe cleaners, yarn, googly eyes, rubber band, Popsicle sticks and clay, and creates her new best friend: Forky, everyone’s new favorite sentient spork.

However, Forky does not believe himself to be a toy and seeks out any and every trash receptacle to “throw himself away” in.

Upon seeing how happy Forky made Bonnie, Woody immediately appoints himself as Forky’s guardian, attempting to make sure that Forky does not get thrown out with the trash.

It is on a last-minute before the school RV trip that the adventure truly begins.

Forky has a bit of an existential crisis and flings himself out of the RV window, leaving Woody to follow him and reunite him with Bonnie and the other toys.

Woody and Forky meet Gabby Gabby, a doll with a broken voice box, and her henchmen, all named Benson. Gabby Gabby sets her sights on Woody’s functional voice box and captures Forky when he and Woody try to escape.

On this journey, Woody is reunited with Bo Peep, now a “lost toy” who has become quite the adventurer herself.

Woody and Bo Peep, along with Bo’s sheep and her companion Giggle McDimples, embark on a journey to rescue Forky from Gabby Gabby and reunite them with Bonnie and the others.

The film seems to cater to the older generation that grew up watching “Toy Story”. The humor and general tone of the movie are slightly more grown-up, but still manage to cater to the new, younger audience.

The animation is stunning and the story line is deep, yet humorous. The film is a fantastic conclusion to the “Toy Story” series.

I would suggest it to any fan of the series looking to re-experience the nostalgia of their childhood. I would of course also suggest it to parents of young children, but I feel as though the film would truly hold a special place in the hearts of the older fans.

The film is a perfect ending to a beloved movie series: Woody once again finds himself a purpose, Forky finds his place in the world and Gabby Gabby finds a new, better life for herself.

All loose ends are tied up, and personally, I believe that it was the ideal ending to a movie series that so many people hold dear.