Sure it might sound a little dramatic to get
this emotionally invested in the legacy of an
animated series about anthropomorphic toys,
but Pixar and Disney did this to themselves by
creating something so precious and lasting.
But I’m delighted to report that the fears were
unwarranted. ”Toy Story 4 ” is a blast and it’s
great to be back with the gang.
It took a herculean effort behind the scenes to
get here too, nine years after “Toy Story 3” left
many of us sobbing in our seats. Ousted Pixar
head John Lasseter, who directed the first two,
was supposed to direct and the screenplay
switched hands three years into development
(which helps explain why eight writers get
“story by” credits). Eventually the project was
handed over to animator, sometimes voice
actor and first time feature director Josh Cooley
to bring it home.
None of that disorder is apparent on the screen,
however. A flashback tells us what happened to
Bo Peep (Annie Potts) all those years ago, and
reminds us where we left off: With Woody (Tom
Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack)
and the rest of the toys being passed on to a
new kid, Bonnie, as their beloved Andy heads
off to college.
But it turns out Andy’s talk with Bonnie about
his favorite toy Woody didn’t have much of an
impact on the fickle 5-year-old. At playtime she
prefers Jessie and often leaves Woody in the
closet with the rest of the toys she’s outgrown.
“Remember house,” a forlorn chair (Carol
Burnett) says wistfully, as they all notice Woody
has picked up his first dust bunny.