An Epilogue you won't want to miss!

Rating: 8/10 (2 July 2019)

Is Toy Story 4 a necessary film? This is the question that I has been wondering since they announced the film back a few years ago. Toy Story 3 had what was in my opinion the greatest ending to a trilogy ever! Not only did it punch you in the heart, but it just felt right. Andy is grown up and his story is over. However as we learn in this movie, not everyone's story is over.
Yes. I think Toy Story 4 was a necessary film. As mentioned near the beginning of the movie, Woody never got over Andy, and Bonnie has grown out of Woody. His character kind of went full circle since Bonnie didn't care too much for him anymore just like how Andy didn't care too much for him when he got Buzz. But of course in this movie, Woody doesn't try to kill Buzz so there's that.
Woody's adventure in this movie shows that there was still a story left. It was Woody's retirement as a kid's toy. They didn't focus too much on the other characters, because THEIR story was completed at the end of the 3rd.
All of the new characters are great. Forky, Bunny and Ducky, and Duke Ca boom, are all hilarious. Gabby Gabby however is such a great character. She isn't the villain, she is instead a lost toy longing for a kid. Her moment at the very end when she gets her kid feels so rewarding, because we saw how devastated she was when Melody rejected her.
The amount of cohesion and foreshadowing in this movie just shows how self-aware they are about every little decision. The moment we see Bo Peep again, we already know just from one line of dialogue that she has moved on from her previous owner, and loves the life of a lost toy! And at the end when Woody stays with Bo Peep it feels perfect, because Woody's purpose as a child's toy has been fulfilled, and now he wants to retire with the love of his life.
However I do still have some issues, such as what they did with Buzz's character. Buzz Light-year is much more than just a funny gag. They made him seem stupid in the movie for not understanding what a conscious is, and even in serious moments using his voice box for guidance. We have seen Buzz make meaningful decisions in all Toy Story movies. He is a wise and good minded character. I was expecting him to eventually go against what his voice was telling him because his REAL voice (conscious) would tell him otherwise. However in the one scene where that could have worked perfectly, he still listens to his voice box. Very much a missed opportunity, but at the end of the day, it isn't really his movie. Ducky and Bunny got kind of annoying at some points. I kind of wish they expanded on what it means to be a living toy. They had a good opportunity in there with Forky, but it didn't really go anywhere.
The comedy in this movie is actually pretty great. It balances the tastes of the new generation, and the generation that grew up with the first 3 pretty evenly. There are a few edgy jokes like something you would find in the first and second movies, and there are some light heart-ed kid type jokes for the little ones.
At its essence, this movie is a welcomed epilogue. It gives closure to the main character of the films, and is just a really fun ride. You could watch Toy Stories 1 2 and 3 and feel fulfilled, but something about Woody and who he is just gives the impression that HIS story isn't over. Pixar were well aware of this and made sure to focus the movie on HIM and not the others. Honestly, this movie very easily could have been Hot garbage, but what we got was not that. That is why I am satisfied with this movie, even if it doesn't outdo the 2nd and 3rd in my opinion. My rankings of the movies: 1, 4, 2, 3. I dearly love all of these movies, and 1 and 4 feel interchangeable when I think about it, but I think that since Pixar was able to pull off another satisfying conclusion to this series, it needs to be just SLIGHTLY above the 1st. Also the 1st is the only Toy Story movie that doesn't make me cry. Yes I cried during the 4th, but it took me 2 times to watch the ending to get to that. Every character in this series has a satisfying ending that we can stick with for Infinity and Beyond.