Toy Story 4 Movie Review: the flashback feel-good film

Toy story 4 directed by Josh Cooley is a movie which will make you a little jittery and scared in parts but also leave you with a large smile plastered across your face by the end of the movie. I am not the biggest toy story fan so my knowledge of the characters was a little rusty, but that did not interfere with my movie experience and my ability to grasp the plot. 

The movie has lots of laughs throughout its runtime, especially from the new character Forky and my favourite new addition Duke Caboom. But to enjoy this you have to loosen yourself to the experience because the jokes are not innuendos or intelligent since the target audience for the film is children. The characters also get great dialogue which explores deeper issues of human life but these issues never drive the plot so for a child it is easy to grasp. Each character whether old or new is quite sharply etched with character arcs which will leave you satisfied. All of them also have one quality which makes them very different from each other, their different views also shows how a quality which may generally seem “good” in extreme doses can be harmful.

The movies plot and is very simple and easy to follow, but it’s not simplistic that an adult viewer would be bored while watching the movie. It is also quite refreshing to watch all the characters we love and adore on screen again after 9 long years. You feel an instant connect to Woody’s blind loyalty and when Buzz says “to infinity and beyond” you will feel an adrenaline rush. The background score by Randy Newman manages to underline each emotion and action sequence quite effectively but never becomes so loud that the dialogue or emotion drowns out.

As with all Pixar films here too the animation is extraordinary, everything looks and feels quite real and the detailing of especially the carnival is amazing to witness. The voice overs with Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear have always been good and they are on top of their game in this movie also. The new additions Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom and Tony Hale as Forky are a delight to hear and add a dollop of fun into their characters.

The only problem with this movie is that it is a little repetitive and has a similar messaging as the previous films. The end too was not my favourite, but other than this for its target audience the film was about as perfect as it could get. Go for this movie to feel-good and maybe for a few flashbacks.