I had asked Carolyn if she wanted to see Toy Story 4 with me a few weeks before the movie was released, I was so relieved when she said she would go. I didn’t want to go opening weekend and wanted to wait when the theatre wouldn’t be packed.
That moment was today.
Being a child of the 90’s meant that Woody and Buzz was apart of your childhood at some point. I like to think I grew up with them, I mean what child of the 90’s didn’t watch Toy Story during the day, at a sleep over and wished for a second and third Toy Story movie. Toy Story will always be an all time favorite and is the reason why I wanted to get into computer animation. It was the friendship between two characters that I wanted to create. To watch them come alive on a screen and develop the entire film. But life brought me down another road.
I was so excited to see my old pals, Woody and Buzz. Its not that I don’t watch them from time to time because when there is nothing on, Toy Story is always an option. I watched the trailer a few weeks ago and knew of Forky, and knew there would be some changes. Forky has some elements, that I would like to forget and had to remind myself that Bonnie is a 5 year old and imagination is important for a small child to help grow. If its a spork, so be it.
We were introduced to Gabby Gabby, who at first annoyed the daily lights out of me, but after watching this character and learning that she spent most of her life in an antique store shelf with a manufacturing defect. The character thrived for the opportunity to better herself. Being greedy for a new chance of life might not have been the right way, but in the end all she wanted to do what bring joy to a child’s life.
It was a typical Toy Story adventure and like always the adventure didn’t fail. Watching as the characters ran from location to location and running into trouble and then quickly getting out of it. Watching Woody being united with an old pal and picking up some new friends along the way. The action didn’t disappoint. And there is Buzz, who always cracked me up with his crazy way of thinking. It is nice to have some new Buzz-isms.
I don’t want to give the movie away, but as I left the theater I felt like I was in need of a therapist! I was not expecting the ending – I guess thats apart of life. Things change, situations move on… but life has a weird twisted way of bringing you back together again and maybe that is what Disney has in store for the series. I wanted to call my best friend (who at some point in our lives, we compared ourselves to Woody and Buzz) and cry my eyes out and discuss how Pixar/Disney need to undo what they already did! We have been on so many adventures with Woody/Buzz from the beginning when Woody accidentally knocked Buzz out the window and they had to over come their differences to make their way back to Andy. Then, when Woody gets stolen from the yard sale and the gang goes out to find him and bring him home… And then when Andy goes to college and the gang doesn’t end up in the attic and ends up at the child care center.. I didn’t think anything could get worse then then gang in the recycling plant trying to escape!
And yes, after watching Toy Story 4 today, I feel like I need a therapist to help me get through the years before Toy Story 5 is released. Until then, I will watch Toy Story 1, 2 and 3 and pretend that Toy Story 4 didn’t happen.