Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang embark on a road trip with Bonnie and a new toy named Forky. The adventurous journey turns into an unexpected reunion as Woody's slight detour leads him to his long-lost friend Bo Peep. As Woody and Bo discuss the old days, they soon start to realize that they're worlds apart when it comes to what they want from life as a toy.Director: Dexter Fletcher
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves
Release Date:
Biography, Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Rated G
Runtime: 1 h 40 min
Review:
Toy Story 3 really felt like a proper and fitting send off for the venerable franchise while leaving fans an emotional wreck. This fourth entry had some work to do to explain its reason for existing besides an obvious money grab. Thankful this fourth entry is a fitting epilogue to the franchise that ties up storylines while maintaining the high level of layered storytelling that’s always been a calling card of the franchise. The story isn’t going to level your emotions the way part 3 did but it’s still got a solid bit of bite in spots particularly in the final frames. Thematically it’s got some heady issues at play, particularly finding your personal worth and self actualization which is hefty stuff for a kid’s movie. That’s not to say kids won’t enjoy it because they will, it’s probably one of the most vibrantly animated entries in the series. The setting like the antique shop and carnival are visual cornucopias of colors and details that you’re liable to need a few views to see everything they put in. The cast delivers across the board like they always do even though some of the characters are regulated to the 2nd or 3rd tier. The new additions of Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele make that easier to deal with but I would have liked a bit more of a spotlight on some of the established characters. Tom Hanks’ Woody is the primary focus here with most of the story serving his character arch. Adding Annie Pott’s Bo Peep back into the mix as a strong self realized female character makes for an interesting dynamic that really adds to the overall impact of the story. If this truly is the end of the series, it’s a fitting bittersweet send off.
A-
