Toy Story is easily one of my favorite film franchises. A series of films that entertained me as a child and resonated with me as an adult. I thought Toy Story 3 was the perfect way to conclude the arc of these characters that I’d literally grown up with. Because of this I was concerned and even a little irritated to learn a Toy Story 4 was in the works. I was convinced the studio had no story left to tell and they should have let these characters rest. I am happy to report though, that I was wrong. Pixar was able to craft a story that felt new within the Toy Story universe and found a way to add layers to their already incredibly fleshed out characters. I’m shocked that this movie went over as well as it did and I’m thoroughly pleased with the results.
I think it’s been a while since I enjoyed a Pixar film this much. A while since Pixar has worked that old familiar magic, to have one of their films make me feel as young and as old as I’ll ever feel. Thematically this movie is structured beautifully. The dialogue flows gorgeously and much like Toy Story 4’s best predecessors, the film can be cunningly poetic. The humor lands consistently and never feels like it’s been misplaced, and despite the steady flow of comedy the film’s writers (Andrew Stanton, Stephany Folsom) never allow that comedy to soften the blow of the drama. An issue the writers at Marvel could never reliably solve. To speak on the drama, this is a surprisingly heavy film. But despite the weight of it’s themes, Pixar never loses sight of it’s goal, to understand the weight of this world in a way that is accessible to it’s oldest and youngest viewers. Toy Story 4 tackles very real themes of loss, depression, fulfillment, and duty. It pulls it off with a dazzling degree of success and is always very careful to show you it’s observations through a distinctly childlike lens. The results are painful, occasionally soul crushing, but also powerful and triumphant. Toy Story 4 doesn’t pull its punches at all and is all the better for it.
As well written as the movie is, it’s no slouch in the visual department. The animation is better than it’s ever been, and unlike the “Incredibles” sequel, Pixar has learned and improved on it’s formula to give us a film that’s visually arresting at every turn. It doesn’t just come down to the smooth movements of the characters, or the subtly realistic sheen that every aspect of the film has, as impressive as those things are. The things that really sell the film for me is it’s lighting and framing. The film really drives it’s themes forward with the way it places it’s camera, and closeups of the characters pained expressions, or the way the slowly saunter towards the camera as their isolation within the scene grows ever more apparent. Complimenting this so wonderfully is Pixar’s bright colors and long shadows. It’s creates a visual whirlwind that feels bright and lively but also bleak and suffocating. This is one of Pixar’s darkest films and they aren’t shy about surrounding the filming with an ever growing sense of darkness that while sad is never overbearing.
So up to this point I’ve been singing the films praises, but it isn’t perfect. I felt the film’s story is a little loose. The themes and characters are what drive this movie forward, and the fact that they are so well done further drives home the fact that there isn’t a very strong story to speak of. Sure there is something that pushes the plot forward but it always feels like an afterthought, a way to get us from moment to moment. It doesn’t really bring down the film in any serious way but the storytelling this time around is certainly looser than it was in the past. I could also criticize the fact that Pixar is starting to struggle with juggling it’s ever growing cast. The voice acting is absolutely top notch and I think this alone helps keep each character distinct, even as the writers struggle to keep their eccentricities in check and give each individual character a reason to exist within the story.
These flaws though, are minor, and do not detract from the simple point that Toy Story 4 is a fantastic film. It pulled off the unlikely feat of convincing me that there was more to do with these characters. Again it’s a heavy film and can be unflinching in its portrayal of real loss and abandonment. But it’s also whimsical and optimistic, in a way any child would be. It’s this framing device that makes not only the film, but the studio special. It’s a movie that reminds you of the kid in you, and teaches you that you can draw on that to fight past the pains of growing older. Toy Story 4 is a movie about saying goodbye. It wraps up it’s story in a way that could be the end, or could just as easily be a new beginning. Whatever it may be, Toy Story 4 taught me how to say goodbye all over again, and It taught me to keep my head up doing it. Because at the end of the day, I’m still glad it happened at all.