“Toy Story 4” was a movie I didn’t know I needed. I walked into the movie wondering why another installment was necessary when the first three “Toy Story” movies already stood as one of the best trilogies in animation, and “Toy Story 3” gave us what seemed like a “final” ending –– Andy goes off to college and gives his toys to another child.
“Toy Story 4” picks off where its predecessor left us. Woody and the gang now live with Bonnie, a little girl who’s off to kindergarten. Woody is worried because Bonnie’s really nervous and doesn’t want to go to kindergarten, so he travels with her to the school by sneaking into her backpack. It’s in Bonnie’s class where one of the main characters of the movie is born: Forky, an animated spork that was created from literal trash items. But, that doesn’t matter because Forky becomes Bonnie’s new best friend.
While this introduction moves slowly, things begin to pick up when Bonnie and her family go on a road trip vacation in an RV. From this point on, “Toy Story 4” sends us on a journey that gives us moments of happiness, frustration, laughter, sadness, and so many more things. While I was watching this, I noticed that Woody and the gang encounter adversaries and new situations (like getting stuck on a prize board with characters named Ducky and Bunny) that made me think of myself. Throughout the movie, and after, I reflected on some of the underlying themes that Pixar gave in “Toy Story 4” (but let’s be real, every Pixar movie leaves me wondering about my own decisions I’ve made). Would I leave everything I know to venture off into some foreign territory that I’ve never experienced? Would I be willing to open up to people I’ve only known for a short amount of time? These are only examples of thoughts I had while watching Pixar’s latest piece.
It’s a movie worth watching, even if you’re someone who firmly believes that Toy Story should’ve stopped after the first three installments. It does give an inside look into Bonnie’s life with the toys, but it is more than that. It’s a film for all ages, and it’s one that shows us how a toy cowboy grows up and moves on.