After the perfect ending that was “Toy Story 3,” Disney and Pixar decide to keep the story going because well—merch. Merchandise. Money. Moolah. There’s really no other reason beyond why such a perfect three chapter tale like “Toy Story” would drag on. And I say that since Josh Cooley’s “Toy Story 4” is sadly about as lackluster a sequel as you can get. For a series do centered on awe, wonder, and love, the movie is shockingly dark and bereft of so much of what made the first three movies so special.
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.
A lot of fans have justified its existence by describing “Toy Story 4” as an epilogue, but it’s such a depressing epilogue. All the characters we loved are further pushed in to mediocrity with their progression either left completely still, or developed in to these often cynical and sad mementos. Every “Toy Story” had hope to it, it was about the power of love, and the importance toys can have in our lives. Here, everyone is going through the motions, including Woody who is now no longer an optimistic hero, so much as he is a character literally looking for an excuse to exist. Buzz has almost nothing to do in this movie, being turned in to a background character with about six minutes of screen time in the entire film.
Classics like Rex, Hamm, and Slinky are nearly non-existent. As Bonnie gets older, toys begin leaving all over again, and Woody faces yet another existential crisis when he meets Bonnie’s (weird, unfunny) invention “Forky.” They all once again have to rescue their new friend from the film’s new villain Gabby Gabby. She’s a talking baby doll derivative of Lotso Hugs, and Jessie, whose own need for a new owner becomes her primary motivation making her more menace than good guy. Everything about “Toy Story 4” screams “Been there, done that” with the entire hazy message being lost in so much dark themes.
To its credit, the voice cast is great with Christina Hendricks giving a sad performance as Gabby Gabby, and Keanu Reeves pulling some good laughs as Duke Caboom. I also loved Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele as erratic pals Bunny and Duck. In either case, “Toy Story 4” is a wholly unnecessary sequel that mines nothing new from this concept and runs on fumes from minute one. Sadly we’re on the way to “Toy Story 5,” so fingers crossed we can see something fresh and unique.