 I just got done seeing Toy Story 4 yesterday, with my family, who didn't want to join me to do a review because they have better things to do in their life. I respect them for that. So today I drove back to the theater in my car, even though I didn't see anything, just to give you the illusion that I just got done with the film. Although I am telling you that I didn't see the movie, so this whole thing is completely useless. Let's talk about Toy Story 4. Often times when you get too deep into a franchise, things could go awry. Or off the wheels, as you will. Thankfully, this has not been the case for Toy Story. When they announced the fourth, I was scratching my head a little bit thinking, they pretty much wrapped this perfectly in the last one, and I'm not really sure there's a reason to go further outside of the obvious moneymaking. Pleasantly surprised, I'd say as an understatement, as I had very little hopes that this was going to be anything short of just fine. I was wrong. It's great. The biggest worry I had was that since they kind of got all the heart and soul milked out of this thing, that now it was going to be kind of more of a despicable me, Minions type of affair, which they have their place. Don't get me wrong, they have their place in entertainment, but when you think Pixar, when you think Toy Story, you think pulling at the heartstrings, you think deep emotion, you know, a little bit of layer to the commentary, and that is all intact. It may be even more so this time around. Bo peeps back in the mix. If you sign any of the trailers, you see that she's now a strong female lead. She's now empowered. She's ripped off the dress, ripped off her Sunday best, and got into something a little bit more comfortable. She's rocking a staff, which she thankfully gets to use a little bit here and there to kick some butt. And for the most part, she's kind of the wise one that leads Woody down a new path. Toy Story at its heart is always focused on Woody's character, how he changes over the films. And the first one, he's selfish. He doesn't want to let go of his Andy when Buzz jumps into the mix. And the second one, he'll do anything he can to get back to Andy and make him happy. And then the third one, it's really about family and keeping everybody together for the kid. But as we all know, when Toy Story 3 ends, he's with the new owner, and that's where 4 takes off. He's with Bonnie now, but Bonnie doesn't have any interest in Woody anymore. He's been left in the closet for three or four days in a row, and he's understanding what it's like once again to be kicked to the side. The whole gang is back, but you might be disappointed if you're like a team Jesse or Mr. Potato Head, because they have very little lines and limited screen time. It really is about Woody, some of these new characters that he joins up with, Forky, who is pretty funny. If you're a fan of Versa Development or Veep, you'll recognize this actor voicing him. Along with everybody's new favorite, apparently Keanu Reeves, who I've been a fan of since the 80s, so suck on it. Sorry, that wasn't necessary. I don't know why I'm mad for liking someone. That's unfair. Contrary to assumed belief, I'm not the biggest fan of Toy Story 3. I do like it, well enough, but I don't think it's as good as 1 or 2. And it's often a little too dark for me, both, you know, like, killing off all the toys, potentially, and just the visuals of it. A lot of it takes place at night. It's just visually not the most interesting of the bunch. So 4, I thought it was better than 3. I think the ending really plays service to Woody's character, how he's grown over these films. And they found a way to make Buzz kind of an idiot for the fourth time in a row, in a clever way. Randy Newman's, of course, back for his mandatory song. I didn't think his new one was very good. I wasn't too impressed. But it was nice to hear some of the classics once more. I think Kean Peele are in this. I could look, but I don't really want to. The two fuzzy bunny duck things wasn't a fan. And I like Kean Peele, if that's who it was. It sounded like them. I just think they're a rapid-fire commentary. Didn't really work the best in the style. Thankfully, they weren't, you know, totally overplayed. They had their place and they did a good job. And there is one scene, which is kind of hinted at in the trailer, that is really funny with them. Only one scene, though. If you're hesitant about Toy Story 4, I completely understand. But I'm here to tell you, I'm sitting in my car. I drove out to tell you that this one's good. I think it's just as good as the others. I think it's better than the three. I'd have to go back and watch one and two again to see where those stack up. And I have to say Pixar, especially the opening acts in their movies, the first five, ten minutes, holy crap, they knock it out of the park almost every time. Here is no exception. Visually stunning. These movies keep looking better and better. I don't know how they're going to top it and they will in five years and I'll look like a fool. More so. Sound design is spot-on. The runtime is great. It doesn't overstay its welcome. I don't have anything but good things to say about it, really. Let me know what you thought about the film in the comments and thanks for joining me in the car. I'll get back to my family now.