Toy Story 4: The Culmination of A Beautiful Story

 

This article is in partnership with Pixar I was able to see the film in advance, however all opinions are my own.

If you consider yourself a Toy Story fan, you aren’t alone. Millions of fans all over the world are patiently waiting for the release of the upcoming Toy Story 4 movie. I was able to have a sneak peek of this AMAZING movie and I can’t wait to share a little bit of that fun with you!

Toy Story: The Legacy

When Toy Story first came out in 1995, which was 24 years ago, I was 13 years old. I remember watching the trailers for it, and just completely in awe as it was something I had never seen before. The graphics were amazing…and the thought of toys being able to come to life to tell a story was totally out of this world awesome.

In the original Toy Story, we get to meet Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) who are owned by the child character, Andy Davis. Little secret? I fell in love with Woody from the get-go since I loved Tom Hanks in “Big”. (another great movie, right?!) Plus, the friendship that both Woody and Buzz had was something to be admired.

Toy Story: The Tradition

Fast forward to June 2019 where we now have had the pleasure of having not one but four different Toy Story films. Isn’t life just great when it comes to animated movies? Not only have I been able to grow up with the franchise, but it has also been wonderful for my kids to get to learn about who Woody, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head, and Bo Peep are as well. (and honestly, I love talking to them about them so it’s a win-win all around!)

Toy Story 4: The Set Up

Just last week, we were able to watch Toy Story 4. (I’m still in awe over how much I loved it!) As someone who watches a lot of franchise movies, I often go into films thinking “I hope this one was better than the last film”. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking this exact thought as we settled into our theater seats. Honestly, I was wondering where the storyline was going to go with this movie since, during the last one that came out back in 2010, we saw Andy go off to college, and give his beloved toys over to Bonnie.

What to expect with Toy Story 4

In Toy Story 4, you’ll get to experience an array of emotions during the film. We laughed A LOT, we cried and, truth be told, this film was more than I had anticipated.  With the introduction of hilarious new characters like Forky (voiced by Tony Hale), the movie was fresh, new and engaging the entire time.

We also got to meet Ducky and Bunny (voiced by Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael) who are hysterical throughout the film. We had so many laughs because of their witty combination throughout the whole movie.

Toy Story 4: Surprises

Who doesn’t love surprises? One big surprise was the character, Duke Caboom (voiced by Keanu Reeves). (I have to say I was super ecstatic to find out that he was going to be playing this character!)  Duke is super adventurous in the movie, and we can all relate to him as he has some obstacles that he needed to overcome like all of us do in our own lives. As Keanu said, “We all have a little Duke Caboom in all of us!”

There were some characters I have to admit that my kids were a little scared of in the beginning. However, as the movie progressed they were not as scared. There are also about three little jump scares throughout the movie and they involve Gaby Gaby (voiced by Christina Hendricks) and Benson, who is a ventriloquist dummy. Just be mindful as a parent of these scenes. While I know that every kid is different in how they react to things, my four-year-old was a little bit jumpier than my seven-year-old during these parts.

Toy Story 4: Comebacks

The great thing about Toy Story 4 is the comeback of Bo Peep. During the previous movies, she was kind and adoring and played that role well. However, in Toy Story 4, she goes on full makeover mode to become a superhero type Bo who is empowered, and as in the words of Kelly Clarkson, “Miss Independent.”

Bo who is (voiced by Annie Potts) has a story of her own in this film and I love that we get to see her back story and how her and the gang get to meet again.

Toy Story 4: Family Film

Toy Story 4 is a film for the whole family to enjoy. As an adult, I enjoyed some of the humor in the film, and yet I ugly cried in other parts. My kids laughed and also cried. And we actually did a Toy Story marathon before we went and saw the fourth film. If you have not watched all of the films I recommend you do to catch up on the story. (Plus, it’s a super fun family-movie marathon night!)

The film is rated PG so you don’t have to worry about there being anything that would be inappropriate for kids. More importantly, the story line of this movie teaches about friendships and relationships in our lives, and why we should cherish them.

Make certain that you head to the theater on June 21st to watch it! Or if you’re craving even more Toy Story fun, check your AMC theater to see if they are offering the Toy Story marathon.

Final thoughts

I am sad that this is the last of the Toy Story franchise however I am really satisfied with the way it ended. It was the culmination of a beautiful story that so many of us have grown up with and grown to love throughout the years.

 

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