Toy Story 4 / Toy Story 5

[Ben]

Why does Forky's Toss sound all ten types of wrong!?

[Daniel]

A few others sound just as wrong: "Woody's Balloon Boom", "Bo Peep's Bottle Blast". That's where the creativity went!

[Otis8]

Those toys look awful!

Balloon Boom sounds more wrong reversed.

[Daniel]

Yep, real shame. I was already planning to visit Mc everyday to collect them. Oh well...

Now I'm just hoping my Theatre has a cool popcorn bucket.

[Daniel]

Four comedy legends are lending their voices to new characters. Pretty neat. Can never go wrong with Betty! Very creative with the names too, though I think Reiner-ceros sounds better.

[Daniel]

Going back to the Mcdonald toys for a minute, they started last week. While I still stand by what said, there's something more that the leak image didn't reveal. When you put all the carnival pieces together, they form the RV from the movie. Having the figures on top is tacky, on its own is pretty wicked! I like the subtleness. So yeah, that broke me!

They sure don't make 'em easy to collect though. Normally you could buy the toy outright and skip the food, not the case this time. You HAVE to buy a Happy Meal! The cashier told me this is all Disney's doing, part of their "new" contract. I don't see the point. Discourage scalpers? But that would be dumb. I'm thinking they just want to hammer home healthy food. Just a rip-off. Instead of a dollar and change, I'm now spending $4 for a hamburger and micro sized serving of fries. (For that much I could get two quarter pounders) Lesson learned, the next non Disney toy they have I'll make sure to stock up on. They still allow trades, and those will no doubt come in handy if they partner for Frozen II. (They would be crazy not to!)

[EricJ]

And getting back to the movie:
At the risk of SPOILERS, is this now--after Vanellope Going Turbo in "Ralph Breaks the Internet"--the second big Disney/Pixar movie in two years which ends with the character saying "F(orget) that, I'm going off forever to discover myself!"

This could be one of the problems with the new female execs/directors in the studio, where we're likely to get MORE messages about how indulging something for yourself is ultimately more noble and personally rewarding in the longrun than living up to your obligations of doing something for other people who depend on you...Try teaching that message to your kids.

[droosan]

{warning: SPOILERS in plain view, since the 'hide' tag is not yet working}

{seriously, DO NOT READ this post if you haven't yet seen the movie}

That seems to be the way some people are 'reading' Woody's decision at the end, EricJ .. but IMO, rather, Woody had the epiphany that his role within Andy's room had been as much about helping other toys to cope with 'toy life', as it was about being a comfort/companion to Andy (and then Bonnie).

In Toy Story, Woody helps Buzz .. in the opening scenes of TS2, it was Wheezy .. and, later in that movie, Jessie. In TS3, it was everybody, pretty much. In TS4, we see that he's had to relinquish most of these 'toy counseling' duties to Dolly (who isn't nearly as diplomatic) .. yet, he still takes it upon himself to keep Forky in line.

In the first movie, Woody is horrified at the prospect of becoming a 'lost toy' -- he views it as the worst possible fate. In the opening scene of TS4, he wavers a tiny bit when Bo dangles the prospect before him. When he is later reunited with her, he (ver-r-ry slowly) comes to see that life as a 'lost toy' needn't be something to fear, after all.

Woody's determination to return to Bonnie is ultimately exposed to be the 'selfish' action. He seems willing to do so even when the operation to rescue Forky results in Bo's sheep being damaged, and Giggles nearly eaten. Indeed -- even after Gaby persuades Woody to give her what she wants -- he is still driven to at least get Forky back home.

On my second viewing, I noticed that Woody's desire to return to Bonnie vanishes only after he and Bo help Gaby to be 'found' by the lost girl .. and the mid-credits sequence shows that the group is now dedicated to helping carnival toys get a start at fulfilling their purpose. Kinda the opposite of 'selfish', really.

As an aside .. I also noticed that -- at the moment when Gaby steps aside to notice the lost girl -- there is a carnival booth marquee above her in the background which reads "Take A Chance" .. very cool.

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In the AV review, it is stated that Toy Story 4 may be the first Pixar feature without a Pixar short attached. Technically, though, Coco was the first without a Pixar short .. and even the short which was initially attached -- Disney's Olaf's Frozen Adventure -- was pulled shortly after its first week in theaters (perhaps due to parental complaints over its 20+minute runtime; though, Disney claims it had been intended from the start as a 'limited engagement') .. and Coco spent the remainder of its theatrical run without a short subject in front.

[Ben]

Not to be picky (cue Eric comment), but the original Toy Story didn’t have a Pixar short attached to it back in '95 either.

The early CGI/hand-drawn Disney short Off His Rockers (excellent) could have been a perfect companion piece, but Lasseter apparently vetoed it as being too close to what TS was about.

In many ways, one might say TS "borrowed" quite a bit from this underrated 1992 gem that originally went out with Honey, I Blew Up The Kid (young boy gives up on his old western themed rocking horse for a hot new electronic toy, complete with retro-futuristic blaster, all to a very Newman-esque Americana score from Bruce Broughton - "ride like the wind, Bullseye!"), and the film remains somewhat forgotten.

It wasn’t even picked to be on the Disney Shorts Collection a little while back when it easily fell into the time frame for that compilation. Someone doesn’t want us to remember (maybe they were peeved that it used Silicon Graphics Wavefront instead of Renderman!), but luckily Disney put it out on the Honey sequel LaserDisc and a few dubs have made it to YouTube. Watch this and tell me you don’t get a Toy Story/Pixar vibe right from the opening title:

https://youtu.be/kGqOuRGInWc

As for Toy Story, I have a vague recollection that the US and the UK might have gotten different accompanying cartoons, but I know when I saw it in '95 we got a reissue of the second Maroon Cartoon, Rollercoaster Rabbit.

[droosan]

Ben, you're correct that the original Toy Story had no Pixar short attached to it .. I forgot about that. In fact, I can't recall whether the movie had a short attached to it, at all, when I first saw it.

I agree that Toy Story shares some themes with Off His Rockers (which I also agree is an excellent short). But -- to be fair -- Lasseter had explored the 'inanimate object comes to life when people aren't around' subject thoughout many of the experimental shorts he'd created in his career, up to that point .. starting from his CalArts student film Lady and the Lamp. I dunno whether I buy that there was a conspiracy (or other purposeful reason) that kept it from being released on DVD/Blu-ray .. but, who knows..?

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The bigger plot hole with all the Toy Story movies, though, IMO is: given that Woody was manufactured in the 1950s, why is Andy the first kid he can remember..?

Also: TS1 & TS2 take place, presumably, within a year of each other (since Andy hasn't aged much) .. TS3 jumps to roughly 9 years later .. TS4 is set, presumably, within a year after that (since Molly is just starting kindergarten). So -- assuming the first movie is set in 1995 -- TS4 takes place in 2006, at the latest.

[Dacey]

Toy Story had Tin Toy attached to it in the states, didn't it?

I'll correct the review to clarify "first for a Pixar film," since Coco still had a short attached to it, even if it wasn't made by Pixar (complaining on the internet aside, though, I'd argue the Frozen Christmas special helped boost business for an "odder" Pixar release when it came to selling it in the US).

This could be one of the problems with the new female execs/directors in the studio, where we're likely to get MORE messages about how indulging something for yourself is ultimately more noble and personally rewarding in the longrun than living up to your obligations of doing something for other people who depend on you...

This post is confusing on so many levels.

The bigger plot hole with all the Toy Story movies, though, IMO is: given that Woody was manufactured in the 1950s, why is Andy the first kid he can remember..?

My assumption is Woody wasn't "opened" until he was given to Andy. Perhaps he was kept in "mint condition" like Stinky Pete (who, yes, I know is "alive," but he's also been out of his box, so maybe Al simply put him back in there?), and wasn't brought "to life" until Andy got him?

[ShyViolet]

Short review; my immediate thoughts.

!!!!!!!!!MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!


Finally saw this earlier today; I was so affected by it that for now I’ll just jot down my first impressions:

A.). Brilliant, beautiful...and devastating.

C.). I know Lasseter definitely played a creative role in this film, but honestly, I’m glad he didn’t direct it. As much as I liked 1, LOVED 2 and enjoyed 3 (I know Lee Unkrich did that one but the “tone” was very much in keeping with 1 and 2’s) THIS film’s depiction of loneliness, childhood lost and the fear of old age/inadequacy far surpasses that of its predecessors.

3.). This REALLY should have been TS 3’s script, not Lasseter’s daycare finale, which wasn’t so much a finale as a very entertaining but hollow retread of TS2. The trilogy should have ended with this dark, bittersweet endnote.

4.). Forky was SO much cuter than he seemed to be in the trailers, where he mostly got on my nerves. Lol.

5.). Thank God not much Jessie in this film. Joan Cusack’s voice drives me up the wall. :/. Also, Tim Allen did a really great job as Buzz (oh God the scene where he and Woody said goodbye! ) although in some parts his Buzz sounded a bit “off”—his voice not as deep as before. Oh well, maybe it was just me.

6.) My God: Tom Hanks. He basically carries this film and if he’d screwed up Woody it would definitely have fallen apart. In my opinion he outdoes all three of his prior performances and elevates this character to a far deeper, more complex place than you could ever imagine would be possible in a film about a little boy who plays with toys and jumps on his bed. I know you (unfortunately) can’t be nominated for Best Actor for a VO role, but I wish so much there would be some official recognition of Hanks’ superb work in this film.



Oh, and very elegant analysis Droo!

[Daniel]

Here are a few of my thoughts. Naturally spoilers to follow...

I liked that the film opened up with a flashback to reveal what happened to Bo. It was very beautiful and poignant. That was something I felt part 3 was missing, instead of just a toss away line.

Speaking of, I was little hesitant with Bo's not so subtle change... I think it worked. Considering how minor a role she played previously it could be seen as a natural evolution. Glad she was brought back.

Forky felt a little wonky in previews, already though he was starting to win me over. I love Forky now! Although the trash montage got old pretty quickly, it was nice that his little arc was taken care of early on.

Ducky and Bunny -- Same as Forky. I wasn't exactly feeling them from previews, but I loved their design. The final verdict? I was hoping for something more. They felt so pointless! And incredibly forced. One second their trying to attack Buzz, the next "We're gonna get a kid". They really didn't add or do anything. If you removed them from the movie there wouldn't be much of difference. I guess in a way that could be seen as good, from the previews it seemed as though they were going to hog the spotlight. Still, I did find their little hypothetical idea to get the keys funny, especially the third option!

Gabby Gabby (nudge Droo! ) I thought was the best character compared to the hyped ones. She really isn't an outright villain per say, although trying to get Woody's voice box by force initially wasn't really nice! You could chalk it up to just being desperate wanting to be loved herself. There was no bitterness like Stinky Pete, and no real hatred like Lotso. She was just clung to the idea of wanting to make a kid happy and to have those "special" moments. Made the movie less predictable and played a key part in Woody's decision at the end. (unlike Ducky & Bunny)

Duke Caboom and Giggle McDimples were pretty funny and had some nice moments. Duke's arc felt familiar though, kind of retread of Combat Carl.

As for the regular toy gang, I felt they were pretty sidelined. Yep, Jessie wasn't in the film much... not that I minded too much. She had a huge role when she was introduced in movie 2, was flirty with Spanish Buzz in movie 3 and had that Halloween-ish special. Besides, she was the one with the great idea to puncture the tire! Very Woody-ish.

With all the talk of having tons of archival audio of Mr. Potato Head, both from previous films and unreleased content, I was very disappointed with how little there was of him! I think he had only two lines both of which we had already heard. Mrs. Potato Head, who's voice actress is still very much alive, didn't even get a line! Unless I missed it. Such a shame. Instead of making use a fond regulars they get neglected for unmemorable new characters.

Didn't really like the trend of continuing to make Buzz regress in some capacity, with his "inner voice" plot. Doesn't really go with how he was portrayed in movie 2; Trying to convince Woody to come back with him.

Another issue I had was how Dolly was calling the shots. It's natural and to be expected, but that's not how its felt with all the shorts and specials we've had.

For all the callbacks to Andy during the movie, I feel a present day cameo would've been nice. Like Woody spotting him at the Carnival and seeing he's found someone or simply happy.

Regarding the ending, Tim Allen way overhyped it! It was sad, of course, but it felt so rushed. This is where I think movie 3 did it better. I did like the little callback of Bo saying "My old moving buddy" to Buzz and seeing her and Jessie embrace. We never really got anything like that before, it was nice. Like I said, it didn't have that oomph of movie 3. Maybe because Andy was saying good bye to all the toys, here it was just Woody saying bye to everybody, but with how things may go they might meet again in the future. Which reminds me, Mr. Pricklepants (and probably more) didn't go on the vacation and thus didn't get to say bye to Woody. Kinda sad. Knowing him, I think he might've said something like this quote by Julius Caesar: And whether we shall meet again I know not. Therefore our everlasting farewell take; For ever, and for ever, farewell, If we do meet again, why, we shall smile; If not, why then, this parting was well made. Fits the narrative and is so in-character! Gah!

Okay... so, I think part 2 is still my favorite. This is about on par with 3, but I think I liked 3 a little bit more. The ending more so. This one felt more spiritual, what it means to be a toy, their duty, when to move one etc.. in that way, I liked this one more.

One last point, I didn't like the song at the end. It was nice, just didn't fit. Would have even been fine with that ELO song from the previews. Needed something more powerful and moving.

[Ben]

I’m waiting to see this on disc in our own theatre, but it’s going to take a lot to beat TS2, which I believe to be one of the best animated films of all time, certainly of the CG era.

[EricJ]

Forky felt a little wonky in previews, already though he was starting to win me over. I love Forky now! Although the trash montage got old pretty quickly, it was nice that his little arc was taken care of early on.

The gay community ("Pixar and WDFA are our friends, just look at Frozen!") tried to leap on the hype early, trying to spread the theory that Forky was, quote, "Pixar's first metaphorical TG character, neither fork nor spoon, struggling to figure out his identity!...And he has a rainbow sticker on his foot!"
I naturally fell for it, thinking "Yeah, and they'd do it, too... " but that also turned out to be Much Wishful Hype About Nothing.

Ducky and Bunny -- Same as Forky. I wasn't exactly feeling them from previews, but I loved their design. The final verdict? I was hoping for something more. They felt so pointless! And incredibly forced. One second their trying to attack Buzz, the next "We're gonna get a kid". They really didn't add or do anything. If you removed them from the movie there wouldn't be much of difference. I guess in a way that could be seen as good, from the previews it seemed as though they were going to hog the spotlight. Still, I did find their little hypothetical idea to get the keys funny, especially the third option!

When we got that Forky trailer, I was just....confused , but when we got that all Ducky & Bunny trailer ahead of Incredibles 2, I had the same reaction as when we first saw Dory in the Nemo trailer: "Oh, if THIS is the major central comedy of the movie, just shoot me now."
D&B weren't as painful as in the trailer, and got a good rhythm going, it just would have been nice to see them actually doing something to help further the plot. (The giant laser-eye plot was fun, and should have been in earlier, so could they could come up with more crazy plans.)

I'm sure the producers wanted to jump in on the craze for Key & Peele, and it's certainly nice to see more diversity, as it just feels like there AREN'T ENOUGH hip motormouthed black comics in kids' CGI comedies these days...Can't they give some roles to Chris Rock or Wanda Sykes?