I remember growing up on certain movies. These movies, in a way, had a hand in raising me so that I am the persona that I am today. For me, these movies were a trip to another world with friends that I got to visit through the screen of my television. These friends taught me life lessons, took me on wild adventures, and made me believe in the power of storytelling with imagination. I would sit up for hours, watching these movies over and over again, signing along to songs and quoting the best lines as I grew more and more familiar with the films. For me, the "Toy Story" movies were a part of this personal film legacy.
To be more specific, I grew up watching "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" over and over again as a little kid. For me, these movies had the perfect blend of character, adventure, and comedy. They were well crafted tales brought together on my VHS player in a glorious animated package. The stories became part of my story legacy and the characters slowly wedged for themselves a space in my heart. I had a great love for the Toy Story series, even owning my own Buzz Lightyear action figure at some time. Thus, when I heard that they were making a third film, I definitely had to go see it and to my absolute delight, "Toy Story 3" was just as wonderful and heartfelt as the other two movies. In fact, it was even more so because the ending showcased character evolution and highlighted a sense of change and capitalized on the theme of "growing up" that most of us who watched these movies as kids were experiencing first hand. "Toy Story 3" was the perfect was to end the series and to bring those who grew up with the films together.
Thus, imagine our surprise when they announced they were making "Toy Story 4." Most fans of the series were dumbfounded and slightly outraged. After all, the third film ended in such a heartfelt and iconic way. Why did Disney feel like there was more story to be told? Never the less, those who are strong Disney and "Toy Story" fans buckled down and got ready for this movie to hit the theaters. It was coming whether we liked it or not. One question was on everyone's minds: Does this movie need to exist?
"Toy Story 4" has now graced our theaters and this question can finally be answered. To sum it up without any major spoilers: no, I do not think that this movie really needed to exist. To start, let me note the positives of this film. The great thing about Toy Story is that you can watch the animation change and advance with each film. It is amazing to see how far technique and technology have come throughout the years. That being said, this film is absolutely gorgeous. The attention to detail in character design and the fluid motion make this film a definite watch for those who love animation. A lot of heart and sole went into the creation of this movie and it shows through the way that the rain is animated onscreen, or the way that the movie specifically pay attention to the way different toys and characters move throughout the film, or even the way that light is used and emulated within different scenes. So much work went into the visuals that this film deserves all the recognition it can get in that department.
Unfortunately, the rest of the film, in my opinion, does not quite live up to the standard established by the animation. As a stand-alone film, it actually is quite good. However, the plot choices and character focuses throughout the film when you put it in perspective make it a disjointed flick. Personally, the film has a hard time of choosing on who and what to focus on consistently. It IS a story about Woody, but it feels like a story about Woody without a strong anchor to the plot; you don't know completely what is going on within the movie or what the goal is at all. Thus, the movie loses that grand size and importance that the other three films gained; the conflict is muddied so the plot points feel muddied.
On top of this, the character focus within the film feels all out of sorts. In "Toy Story 3," we get a focus of ALL the main toys from Slinky Dog to Jessie. We know all these characters and they all get balanced screen time and importance. Thus, we connect to them and their plights and we want to see them succeed. "Toy Story 4," on the other hand, does not take the same amount of love and care with its characters. We really only focus on Woody and mainly new characters rather than the ones we love and grew up with throughout the years. On top of this, the characters feel less genuine and dumbed down as a result. We don't care as much what happens to them which is a shame because the third film really emphasizes the importance of unity and family. The fourth film feels like it forgot this message and, as a result, doesn't feel as genuine with its characters.
Overall, I was not too impressed with the fourth film. Now, don't get me wrong, this was not a BAD movie. In the end, it was a pretty good movie, it just wasn't a great TOY STORY movie. The third movie, in my opinion, still has the perfect ending to a wonderful series. I don't mind the fourth film, I just wish it had the focus that the third film emphasized. Go see the fourth one if you are curious and see for yourself if it has a friend in you.
