Existential crisis: Forky's urge to throw himself into the trash can proves to be the catalyst for the movie's plot.

With its laugh-out-loud gags, superb storytelling and charming new characters, Toy Story 4 perfectly concludes — or extends — the beloved animated franchise.

The fantasy of inanimate objects, from household appliances to automobiles, coming to life has been the subject of numerous stories and adaptations. With children, the most common object would be their toys.

Perhaps this is the appeal of Pixar’s Toy Story franchise, where dolls and action figures you play with gain sentience and have their own adventures as soon as they are out of sight.

While the story seemingly ended with Toy Story 3 and Andy’s transition to a young adult, it seems that Disney has other plans down the line.

Toy Story 4 picks up immediately after the last installment, where Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and the rest of the gang find a new home in the hands of Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw), a young girl who’s as imaginative as Andy was back in the day.

As Bonnie goes into her first day of kindergarten, she comes home already making a new friend, literally.

Road tripping: Toy Story 4 sees Woody (Tom Hanks) involving himself in an adventure to save Forky (Tony Hale), an animate spork created by little girl Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw).

Forky (Tony Hale) is an animate spork, created by a child’s imagination and a little bit of movie magic. Believing himself to be trash, as he was literally thrown together from things that get tossed into the trash can, Forky develops the urge to throw himself back into the bin, something Woody seems intent on changing.

When Bonnie and her parents go on a road trip, Forky launches himself out the car window and into the wilderness. Woody, believing Forky to be supremely important to the girl’s well-being, takes it upon himself to bring Forky back to the gang, no matter the cost.

The latest sequel sees several new additions to the cast alongside familiar faces; Jessie (Joan Cusack), Rex (Wallace Shawn) and Hamm (John Ratzenberger) are joined by an all-star voice cast such as Christina Hendricks and Keanu Reeves in the role of vintage doll Gabby Gabby and Canadian daredevil Duke Caboom, respectively.

Some movie reviewers suggest that Forky’s neurotic behavior represents the existential crisis often experienced by millennials — a generation who has grown up with Woody and the gang over the years. But this has prompted many parents on social media to question: Isn’t that heavy for a kid’s movie?

Though most of the beloved gang reprised their role, Toy Story 4 does not put that much emphasis on them. Which is understandable, really, as Woody has been the de facto face of the franchise alongside Buzz.

This becomes immediately prominent as the plot goes on. Though new characters and obstacles are thrown into the mix, the storyline is distinctly Woody and Woody’s alone. Even the reintroduction of quasi-love interest Bo Peep (Annie Potts) seems to be a vehicle for his quest for self-discovery.

Light stroll: Christina Hendricks plays Gabby Gabby, a sweet doll that looks too sweet to be true.

Throughout the journey, the audience can see how Woody’s heroics have become an excuse to keep himself in the spotlight as if to convince himself that he still matters to someone who doesn’t see him that way.

The clear foil to Woody is no longer Buzz, but rather Bo Peep, who has turned into a self-reliant, independent heroine after being lost.

If there is one thing that can be taken from the intense character focus, it’s that it serves as character development. It becomes quite clear that Woody is increasingly despondent over not being part of Bonnie’s regular retinue of toys, much so when he seems to be unable to let go of his memories with Andy.

In a way, the movie is sort of like the process of grieving and letting go; the five stages of grief, if you will. It’s a surprisingly deep message hidden beneath cutesy graphics and kiddie characters. Then again, this should be expected from the studio that gave us the tear-jerking Up.

Also, unlike previous movies that have a clear-cut villain role that has nothing else beyond being dastardly for the plot, Gabby Gabby alongside her minion Benson has a unique predicament that unfortunately puts her in the antagonistic side. When even the audience is made to sympathize with the villain, you know that this is a much more mature subject we’re dealing with.

Rescue mission: The movie also sees the return of Bo Peep (Annie Potts), who was last seen in Toy Story 2.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as Toy Story 4 also packs a punch in the laughs department through numerous skits and gags. The inclusion of obnoxiously hilarious duo Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key) and Bunny (Jordan Peele) also at times nearly steals the show.

With a franchise that seems entirely built on nostalgia, Toy Story 4 engages the audience in a much more meaningful way compared to previous installments. As we learn how to say goodbye to things, will this be the time to say goodbye to Woody and the gang?

Probably not. While there currently are no plans for Toy Story 5, Tom Hanks reportedly said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if there was another spin around the toy box.

 

— Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios

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‘Toy Story 4’

(Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios)
 

Director: Josh Cooley
Writer: Andrew Stanton
Cast: Tom Hanks. Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki, Joan Cusack
Running time: 100 minutes