Still going strong

Rating: 8/10 (22 June 2019)

Twenty four years since Toy Story was released, and if nothing else this just shows how amazing the creative talent at PIXAR. Once again Woody and the other toys find themselves in a perilous adventure attempting to rescue the newly added toy - Forky, from the not so friendly occupants of an antique store. As before with consummate ease the makers managed to bring out the more sinister elements of certain toys, this time it's the classic old style ventriloquist dummy, aptly named Vincent. Peppering in some yet further additions to the troupe of toys, and then allowing them via own comic vignette, and you have the makings for yet another Pixar classic. But not quite, there is as before an underlying story of change and loss, previously as Toys came to terms with their "child" leaving them behind. Here it's more around Woody coming to terms with making a "life" for himself, which is well handled, but in doing so most of the supporting characters get pretty much sidelined, and the family of toys element is weakened by this, and so lessens the story arc of the film itself. Still a film to see, as what other U cert film could get in such a meaningy homage to The Shining !