Review of Toy Story 4 (2019) by Spongeswift — 21 Jun 2019

Toy Story 4 is a swell adventure that may be a little hard to fully digest. This was the first film where we got to see Bonnie living with Andy's past toys and it felt a little dry if not disappointing.

Not seeing Woody lead the pack was a little disappointing. But I did love Bonnie's other not showed before toys that Woody interacted with! And along with that this becomes the first film out in the series to backseat characters like Buzz and Jessie almost entirely.

They felt like they were just shoved in because of how iconic they were. When Bonnie made Forky it was instant magic. I just loved Tony Hale as Forky and the jokes. Boy did I laugh out loud to some of Forky's quips.

When they arrived at the carnival I instantly loved the setting. The thrift store was very cool and the carnival was so hyper realistic. Now did I love the new toys here? I can't say I ever loved or connected with Gabby Gabby but I can say I enjoyed the rest of them.

Duke Kaboom's back story wasn't as compelling as Jessie's but it added stakes to his small inclusion in this adventure. Ducky and Bunny were great, they formed as comedic reliefs and they did make me laugh multiple times.

Now do I consider Bo Peep new? No. But her storyline and persona has changed enough to be discussed. I like How Giggle is now her sidekick, it's cute and her sheep had such a good inclusion. I did think Bo Peep seemed a little cynical in the beginning but I started to like her more and more towards the end.

The large adventure in the carnival/thrift store was so breathtaking and funny that it helped mend the disappointments I had with the first act. But boy does the 3rd act swing you off your feet. It was a surprise I saw coming but it still hit me like a bullet train emotionally.

It really took what happened in Toy Story 3 and multiplied it, even if it wasn't as well executed. Overall this film is a great addition to the franchise but still missed the mark from past Toy Story films.