Just got back from seeing the movie. I don’t want to walk the fine line of deciding what is/isn’t a spoiler, so I’m just going to put everything in a spoiler section:
[spoiler]So, I would say the film was good overall, but it left me with some mixed feelings, primarily related to the story. Let’s get the positive out of the way first:
POSITIVE
VISUALS
Visually, the movie looked stunning. Toy Story 3 already looked practically perfect, and I would have been content if they matched its quality of animation, but they managed to surpass it. There were some very nice looking lighting effects and improved textures. Close-ups of Woody’s face actually showed a subtle plastic texture; it was as though you were looking at live-action footage of a Toy Story Collection Woody, only he was moving. The lighting in the antique store was notably impressive, as was the flashback scene in the rain at the beginning of the film.
NEW CHARACTERS
I enjoyed most of the new characters introduced, which was good given that they largely overshadowed the returning ones. Ducky and Bunny added a great new style of humor that has never really been in a Toy Story film before this one, and their involvement in the story was well-balanced. Duke Kaboom was also quite funny, and somewhat defied expectations; it seemed as though he was going to be a hotshot/inflated ego-type character, but beyond posing on his bike, he was quite humble and kind-hearted, if a little bit naïve. Giggle McDimples was a fun, if insignificant, companion to Bo Peep. Forky is conceptually a very fun character, and I think he was well-executed, but I wish that they had not shown so much of him in the trailers; his constant desire to be thrown in the trash was initially funny, but it never developed much past that, and by the time the “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” montage was over, it grew tiresome. Gabby Gabby is a unique case; she definitely earned sympathy both from Woody and from me as a viewer, and her character arc was both heartbreaking and heartwarming, but it’s difficult to overlook how objectively badly she treats Woody when she first realizes he has a voice box. Though the vintage male dolls (can’t remember their names) were primarily the characters who attempted to forcibly mutilate Woody, she certainly provoked the behavior and didn’t do anything to stop it. This made Woody’s forgiveness feel sudden and somewhat forced. I wish they had found another way to make Woody feel endangered in the antique shop without painting her in such a negative light, because ultimately she is meant to be likable.
THE BEGINNING SEQUENCE
So, the first ten or so minutes of the film were very strong to me. Perhaps nostalgia played a factor into this, but starting with a ‘9-years-ago’ flashback provided a really fun opportunity for us to see the gang in the setting of Andy’s room once again, only with a much different tone (again, the lighting + rain effects here were GORGEOUS and served the scene well). The cameo from RC was fun, but what really made this scene work was giving the audience the chance to see Woody say goodbye to Bo Peep. It reminded us of the special connection the two shared, explained Bo’s absence from Toy Story 3, and set up the theme of moving on/finding new purpose for the rest of the film, all without feeling forced. The brief “You Got a Friend In Me” montage beautifully recapped the toys’ transition from Andy to Bonnie, and even managed to tug on the heartstrings. My only caveat with this beginning sequence is how they characterized Bo Peep, but I’ll go into that more when I bring up returning characters.
REFERENCES
Another highlight of this film was how chock-full of references it was to other Pixar/Toy Story films. It was full to the brim with easter eggs: the Battlesaurs lunchbox in the background of Bonnie’s kindergarten classroom, Tinnie showing up in the antique store, Bonnie’s family stopping at Poultry Palace on the road trip, Bo referring to Buzz as “my old moving buddy”, the grape soda pin from Up (I don’t remember where it was), and dozens upon dozens of references to Pixar shorts and films on books/VHS tapes/signs/etc. None of this really impacted the story, but it made watching it as a fan all the more entertaining, and I’m sure there are tons that I missed (Pizza Planet truck?) that I’ll catch on subsequent viewings. It helped the film feel like it was honoring the legacy of not only the Toy Story franchise, but Pixar as a whole; I had forgotten Pixar used to do this sort of thing and it was great to see it come back, without being shoved in your face.
Now, unfortunately, we get into some problems I had with the film.
NEGATIVE/MIXED
BO PEEP’S CHANGE OF CHARACTER
It was clear from the start when looking at trailers and marketing of Toy Story 4 that Bo Peep was posed as a strong, independent female protagonist. I think having a strong, independent female protagonist is great; Jessie and Barbie somewhat fit this bill in Toy Story 2/3, but it never hurts to push it further, given how mostly male-dominated the franchise had been. Bo’s character was more interesting in this film than it’s ever been before; prior to this she really only supported/flirted with Woody and served as a damsel-in-distress in Andy’s playtime scenarios. It was cool to now have a character who prides herself on being independent, free of desire to belong to a child and finding purpose in helping other toys around her. I don’t have any issue with this character concept, but it was so far beyond what we had previously seen from Bo’s calm demeanor that it didn’t feel like Bo Peep; she might as well have been a new character. Had they acknowledged that this was a departure from her characterization in Toy Story 1-2 and more thoroughly explored what experiences got her to this point, I wouldn’t have had a problem with this. But instead, they suggested that this was the character Bo has always been, as reflected in the flashback scene in the beginning of the film. When Woody climbs onto Molly’s desk to look out the window, she strikes an action pose with her cane and immediately springs into action for the rescue mission, something she simply would not have ever done in Toy Story 1-2. For a film so otherwise careful about honoring the legacy of its predecessors, this felt like a jarring retcon.
SECONDARY CAST + BUZZ’S ROLE
This is an issue that I’ve already seen others talk about online - the vast majority of the returning characters simply don’t have much to do in this film. Don’t get me wrong, I’d prefer a focused plot with a few characters over an unfocused plot with many characters, but Toy Story 3 proved that Pixar is well capable of striking a good balance with its usage of the Toy Story cast, and this felt underwhelming by comparison. Save for a couple of characters with standout moments - Slinky, Trixie, Buttercup, and Mrs. Potato Head - I honestly could not tell you anything most of them contributed to the story. Jessie felt particularly underutilized - she did contribute to the arc of Woody feeling a lack of purpose, but this was when she was in toy mode, and so ultimately this was instigated by Bonnie. She also lacked any notable interactions with Buzz, a big disappointment given how much fun those previously proved to be. Mr. Potato Head’s involvement is excused due to the passing of Don Rickles, but the others really felt tossed aside. The aliens saved the lives of the entire main cast at the end of Toy Story 3. Did they even have a single line of dialogue here? And then there’s Buzz. Formerly the most important character in the series after Woody, he definitely was given a more minor role here. It seemed as though the writers had the story written out, realized Buzz was barely in it, and then worked to give him a small subplot of following his inner voice. While this kept him from feeling absent from the film, it ultimately seemed like one long-running gag that didn’t affect the outcome of anything, equivalent to Rex’s arc of defeating Zurg in Toy Story 2. This wouldn’t have been bad for a short or TV special, but in this context it felt like Buzz got demoted to a supporting character, while the supporting characters got demoted to little more than cameos. The controlling-the-RV scene was the most the secondary cast amounted to, and I only wish that there were more moments like it.
THE CONCLUSION
Okay, if somehow you’ve read this much without seeing the film, be warned that there are VERY BIG spoilers here. My biggest issue with the film is how it handled its conclusion of Woody leaving his gang to live owner-free with Bo Peep. Now, like with my gripe about Bo’s change of character, I don’t dislike this in concept. The character arc they set up for Woody is a strong one; he’s clearly dealing with lack of purpose and needs to let go of his past in order to find a new one. That’s a side of Woody we see as early as the first Toy Story, when Buzz becomes Andy’s new favorite toy. We see it come out again in Toy Story 2 and 3 in different contexts, and here it is explored more thoroughly than ever. Though Woody overcame his attachment to being Andy’s toy at the end of Toy Story 3, here he is forced to overcome his attachment to being anyone’s toy, as he realizes he will never truly have what he used to have with Andy. He acknowledges his insecurities when Bo questions why he’s so insistent on saving Forky, and leaving Bonnie behind to fulfill a greater purpose with Bo is the only real solution. This is a very real and adult theme, and it’s satisfying to see Woody further develop as a character even after all these years. However, while this greatly benefit’s Woody’s character, I cannot help but feel it detracts from the overarching story of the films as a series. In Toy Story 3, Andy never intends to give Woody away to Bonnie, and only does so when he sees that she is visibly attached to him. He’s reluctant, but ultimately decides that Bonnie is the right kid for Woody, and asks her to take extra special care of him. That entire interaction was so delicately crafted to make us feel comfortable with the toys moving on to a new owner. But in the small amount of time implied to have happened in between Toy Story 3 and 4, Bonnie becomes so disinterested in Woody that he feels comfortable leaving her. In setting up this new character arc for Woody, they effectively take away from the character arc with Andy and Bonnie, which feels dissatisfying when looking at the films as a series.
I think that this could have been mitigated if they set Toy Story 4 a couple of years after 3, when Bonnie is in 2nd or 3rd grade rather than in kindergarten. Had they implied that Bonnie’s detachment from Woody was gradual, it would have felt less like Bonnie broke Andy’s promise and more like she naturally changed tastes as she grew older. This still would have worked with the road trip/antique store/carnival/Bo Peep scenarios and even the Forky scenario (3rd grade is probably the furthest they could push this). But by suggesting that all of this happened so soon after the end of Toy Story 3, they’ve made it difficult for me to be complacent with how things concluded.[/spoiler]
Well, that ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would. Overall, I’m not really sure what rating I would give Toy Story 4; I think I need to let it sink in and think about it for a bit longer. The film was a blast to watch, but I’m not sure if all of the risks taken will have paid off in the long run.