Toy Story 4

Josh Cooley’s 2019 film carries two stories that barely meet: Woody’s, about what a toy is for once it is not needed, and Forky’s, about an object that does not want to exist. The second is settled before the midpoint of these 100 minutes, after which the film keeps inventing errands for Forky. Bo Peep’s return works as an objection to the previous three films. A toy with no owner who is perfectly content reverses the series premise, and the parting at the end follows from that reversal rather than from Woody’s bond with Bonnie. The real emotional payload, Woody and Buzz separating, is compressed into the final few minutes. Cooley replaced John Lasseter in 2016 and rebuilt both the story and the reason for Bo’s return. Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, the original writers, left in November 2017 citing creative and philosophical differences, and Stephany Folsom rewrote three quarters of the script. After Don Rickles died in 2017, Pixar combed 25 years of archive material for unused lines so Mr Potato Head could still speak. Offered Forky, Tony Hale answered that a utensil having an existential crisis was enough to sign him up. Go in wanting the series to argue with itself. Avoid it if the third film’s ending already felt complete.