Toy Story 4 is Metal Gear Solid 3 remixed. Woody is Snake, Bo Peep is very obviously The Boss, Buzz Lightyear is Sigint (or maybe Major Zero, depending on where the story goes). I could tell you more but I was taught in the 4th grade that movie reviews should not contain spoilers, so I’m going to have to ask you to read my newsletter for a personal explanation.
The thing is, that analogy is only like half a joke (apparently, this isn’t even an original thought, since the Toy Story series apparently has been compared to MGS before) . This is because, at its core, Toy Story 4 is very much the story about old, loyal soldiers, their loyalties and those who exploit them. I don’t even feel like this is that deep a read Most of the games Andy plays with his toys are war games, even the slinky and the potato are obligated to take up arms. And how many war films have features soldiers comparing themselves to toys, played with by forces out of their control
In all seriousness though, despite the fact that these films touch on the same subjects as grittier films, the fact that these are CGI toys allow us to have sunnier views of these stories that are typical for this type of genre. It’s hard to tell a movie about soldiers and pretend forget that war is “an endless series of proxy battles, fought by mercenaries and machines;” at this point throughout much of the world, most are but a few layers removed (if any layers at all) from the very real consequences of soldiers and their work. In Toy Story, the stakes are small but still important: the soldiers are only fighting for a single child’s happiness. This allows Toy Story films to have gravitas without actually being heavy.
Toy Story 4 is no different, and succeeds in finding this balance. Seeing Woody struggle to live in a world very different from those of his first campaigns, and deal with being loyal to the the forces he has always been loyal to, while the pangs of his heart pull him another direction is painful to watch. But in the end, because it’s a Pixar film, you know that everything is going to be okay and you can sit back and enjoy the funny spork (who perhaps would be a better fit in a movie about MGS 4, since he’s clearly a Gekko).
It’s a sweet movie, with cool characters (especially) Bo Peep that doesn’t try too hard, and doesn’t overstay its welcome. In a summer of 2.5 and 3 hour movies, I really appreciate that. It also doesn’t have any jokes or references that date the movie, which is something that has hurt some of the previous Toy Story films.
All in all, I think it’s definitely worth your time, and I think this will be one of the better films of 2019.