Beautiful Epilogue to a Masterful Tetralogy

Rating: 9/10 (21 June 2019)

"Toy Story 4" comes 9 years after "Toy Story 3", giving us another tale of the toys after their saying their goodbyes with Andy. To be honest, I felt "Toy Story 3" was the perfect conclusion, given that Andy had been the toys' owner over the course of the film series, and their separation and Andy moving on just felt like the apt place to end things. I was a bit skeptical that this installment would feel unneeded, and out of place, because what could possibly be there to explore. It would be a shame if a redundant installment ruined one of the best trilogies of all time, but I'm glad to say it may perhaps make it one of the best, if not the best tetralogy of all time.
This installment is mainly focused on Woody, dealing with the aftermath of no longer being with Andy, and being left with Bonnie, leading to questions of his self-purpose and what-not. Bonnie is an adorable character but she's no Andy, and perhaps because of that, I associate "Toy Story 4" as more of an epilogue instead of a full-fledged installment. It's not a bad thing, but it does stand out being the only movie where Andy is not in the background.
There are a bunch of new characters here; Forky, a newly made toy struggling to cope with his sentience, Duke Caboom, Canada's greatest stuntman voiced by everyone's favorite actor right now Keanu Reeves, Ducky and Bunny, the fluffy duo brought to life by the comedy duo Key and Peele. These characters are plenty of fun to watch and each of them have their own unique charms. They are excellent characters and an appropriate amount of screen time is dedicated to each of them. That said, this means that the characters we have been familiar with (Jessie, Rex, Mr. Potatohead, etc.) are sort of given the backseat. It would have been great if they had been given a more central part in the action but it's understandable to manage the time to give to the newcomers.
The story itself is beautiful and not as dark as Toy Story 3, with Lotso essentially transforming the kids' center into some sort of prison camp. It deals with questions of what it means to be a toy and what a toy dreams life should be. I feel it to be somewhat more existential questions than I had expected, especially with the arrival of Forky, a newly created being brought to life from trash. Perhaps with age comes the boldness to ask more challenging questions. This is after all, a 24-year-old franchise.
The animation is beautiful and some of the scenes just stood out as being immaculate and gorgeous. Some of the scenes are set in a carnival with lights and serving as a backdrop with all the lights illuminating in the background, it was just a feast for the eyes. That said, I have to point out that the movie does not really have a wide setting, it's pretty much limited to certain locations. It's more expansive than "Toy Story 3" but not as diverse as "Toy Story 2". Somewhat with the ever-growing ensemble of toys, it also is narrower in scope.
Ultimately, "Toy Story 4" is an amazing movie and wiped away any notions I had that this movie would be a letdown, considering how "Toy Story 3" acted as a very sweet conclusion. I personally think "Toy Story 2" is still the best and this one particularly acts as more of an epilogue, but it is a damn good one.