Toy Story 4: Time Moves On, But Pixar Still Delivers

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With news that Toy Story 4 crushed its opening box office with a $118 million dollar opening weekend, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the love for Toy Story hasn’t changed much over the years. What’s incredible is that a franchise that started in 1995 from a new studio would last decades and turn into a beloved family favorite that could bring kids and eventually their own kids back to the theatre time and time again.

Toy Story 4 plays on the nostalgic heartstrings as you realize Woody’s love for Andy never really faded and even though he’s now with Bonnie (who were given to her by Andy in Toy Story 3) she’s not really in love with him as much as her other toys. Woody, though ever the hero, still goes out of his way to take care of Bonnie so much so that he eventually becomes the reason and protector of Bonnie’s new favorite toy “Forky”(voiced by Tony Hale).

And as someone who used to play with toys and whatever utensils you could find Forky is quite the character, his humor and her love for the Fork is something I think parents and kids will enjoy, he’s surely a great addition to the star-studded animated cast.

Though Forky’s story is a good one it’s not the center of the movie, what’s incredible is how much time the movie only focuses on Woody this time and you sense early on that Woody is on his own journey now one that does involve saving Forky after he tries to get away, but during this Woody eventually runs into Bo Peep again, who we do see in a flashback at the beginning of the film to explain what happened to her, so thank you Pixar for staying consistent not something a lot of filmmakers do.

Now not to give too much away the film goes on to introduce you to some great new characters and some terrifying ones as well, but the overall theme is moving on. Much like we saw Andy move on in Toy Story 3, it’s now Woody’s turn. So if you cried during any other Toy Story movies expect to cry again here because even though these characters are toys it’s just that feeling of letting go and moving on and growing up that’ll shake parents and kids to the core after all the one guarantee in life is where there is a hello there is an eventual goodbye.

Is this the end for Toy Story? We’re not sure, but other publications have hinted that Toy Story 5 will be a go and why not? In a story where the main characters don’t age or “die” in the traditional sense, there really doesn’t have to be a stopping point, though if it does stop now we won’t be mad Toy Story 4 ends bittersweetly.