Review: Toy Story 4

Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.

"Toy Story 4" culminates the beloved animated series, which launched Pixar into the stratosphere, on a surprisingly kooky and not-so-surprisingly moving note. The animation studio continues to pile up the sequels for a number of its most popular titles, but it's the "Toy Story" series that has continuously kept up the quality across its four films.

While some thought that the wonderful "Toy Story 3" would have been a nice way to end the series, this final chapter goes in a few directions one might not expect. For starters, there is a bevy of new characters - some creepy dolls and their leader, Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks), a pair of squabbling stuffed animals named Bunny (Jordan Peele) and Ducky (Keegan Michael Key), a Canadian daredevil (Keanu Reeves) and, most notably, Forky (Tony Hale), a spork-turned-toy created by Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw), the young girl who is now the owner of most of the film's toys.

At the picture's beginning, Woody (Tom Hanks) recalls Bo Peep (Annie Potts) being taken away with some other toys with which Bonnie no longer plays. In the present, Woody is feeling left out as Bonnie prefers to play with cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack), and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) is too busy trying to figure out what Woody means when he talks about one's "inner voice" - AKA the conscience.

Bonnie is starting kindergarten and has trouble making friends, so she creates Forky during class, and Woody spends the film's early scenes trying to keep a watchful eye on Forky, whom he recognizes as Bonnie's new best friend. Much of his time is spent trying to prevent Forky from jumping into a garbage can, which appears to be his comfort zone. It's one of several gags in the film that made me laugh heartily - another is a gut-busting sequence during which Bunny and Ducky concoct plans to stall an elderly woman.

But during a family road trip, Forky sees his chance to break free and jumps out of the window of the RV that Bonnie's family is driving. Woody follows suit and they end up in a small town that houses an antique shop, where Gabby Gabby and her creepy doll companions rule the roost, but Woody also has a reunion with Bo Peep.

"Toy Story 4" feels a little more plot driven than some of the previous entries in the series - the film mostly revolves around the toys attempting to stall Bonnie's family from leaving until Woody can get Forky back, Buzz can save Woody, etc. - and there are a number of set pieces, some funny, others more action-oriented. There's also a Randy Newman song - "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" - that seems a little on the nose, albeit humorously, at first, but ends up holding a deeper meaning as time goes on.

Ultimately, the film ends on a note that is emotionally satisfying, as one might expect from this series, which has long found poignancy in unexpected places. Pixar films work best when they combine stunning animation with emotional arcs and unforgettable characters - and "Toy Story 4" has all three going for it. It's a lovely way to end the series, which is one that has appealed to several generations of children and adults alike.