Toy Story 4

Nine years after giving us a perfect ending to the Toy Story trilogy, the creators at Pixar have decided the story is not over. Toy Story 3 did not end with the cliche, And they lived happily ever after, though we could have believed that. Instead, in Toy Story 4, we see that while Bonnie promised Andy she would take good care of Woody, he often is not picked for playtime. She simply plucks his sheriff badge off his chest and gives it to Jessie, leaving Woody feeling rejected with the old toys in the closet.

With little playtime and no longer the leader (that’s Dolly’s role in Bonnie’s room) Woody is struggling with his purpose. Then he has a hand in Bonnie creating Forky, a spork figurine, so Woody feels responsible for him. Especially when Forky keeps throwing himself in the trash. When Forky gets lost, Woody takes it upon himself to find him and ends up meeting new adversaries and old friends in an antique shop and a traveling carnival.

From the promos, we all know Woody finds his old flame, Bo Peep, and I love how her story has turned. The beginning of the film, shows us how she left Andy’s house on a sad rainy night. We find out that years later she decided that instead of wasting away in the antique shop for someone to take her home, she became a lost toy, traveling around the park and sandbox in an RC car disguised as a skunk. She’s come a long way from her bonnet wearing days playing the damsel in distress in Andy’s room.

While there’s a lot to think about in this film, one of the best things about it is how comical it is. Forky flinging himself into the trash never gets old. Buzz’s way of discovering his inner voice is perfect for his character. Duke Kaboom’s backstory and posing is hilarious. Ducky and Bunny (voiced by Key and Peele) are wonderful new characters that add some seriously silly moments (especially in the credits). And my favorite laughs came from how the toys left in the RV keep stalling for time and eventually try to navigate the car, without Bonnie’s parents figuring them out.

To be really honest, I thought there was too much Forky and not enough of our old favorite characters. I mean what’s going on with Buzz and Jessie these days? There was so much with them in 3. But this isn’t their story, it’s Woody’s journey, and Forky is a big part of helping Woody get there. I get it, sorry, but I felt like we were left hanging, like that Combat Carl looking for a high five.

There’s a lot of meandering around with Forky to get to the heart of the matter in this story. It’s all about dealing with rejection and finding purpose in your life, even if it’s not quite how you imagined it. Forky wasn’t on board to be a toy at first, but with Woody’s help comes around to the idea. Accepting new roles will come for other key characters as well. And while the ending is not quite the amazing tear jerker 3 gave us, it’s still wonderfully bittersweet.

“I can’t let you throw yourself away.”

The Iron Giant

In the late summer of 1999, with Disney steadily dominating the animated film market, The Iron Giant was released by Warner Bros. Pictures.  With director Brad Bird at the helm, most known for his work on The Simpsons at the time, the film reminded audiences what an animated film could really focus on: an engaging story.  It had no catchy songs to sing along to.  No cute talking animals.  No princesses or fairy tale motifs whatsoever.  Instead, it had a boy growing up in 1957, who befriends a giant alien robot.  The film shows the unease of the Atomic Age in America, just after the Russians had launch of Sputnik.

Hogarth (voiced by Eli Marienthal) is a boy wanting a pet, but his single mother, Annie (voiced by Jennifer Aniston) will have none of it.  One night, when Hogarth notices the antenna on the roof is gone, mysteriously bitten off rather, he follows a trail of destruction to find The Iron Giant (Vin Diesel’s voice computerized).  The Giant is an innocent creature, much like E.T., and learns English from Hogarth in the same way.  The problem is keeping The Giant hidden, from his mother and the rest of town.  There is a hilarious scene with The Giant’s hand running around the house like a dog and Hogarth desperately trying to get him back outside.  Eventually, word gets out and a government agent, Kent Mansley (voiced by Christopher McDonald) is sent to investigate.  Driven by power and paranoia, all he wants to do is destroy The Giant.  The impending doom from Mansley’s actions are more realistic and solemn than what most animated films dare to convey.

The film does a wonderful job of showing children the early years of Cold War America in ways that they could identify with.  In Hogarth’s school, we see them watching a film describing what to do in case of a nuclear attack.  The little jingle, “time to duck and cover, the bombs are coming down,” seems almost like an oxymoron now.  The comic books Hogarth shows The Giant are all created out of this new idea and fear of foreign weaponry.  Superman would surely not be around if it had not been for the early atomic age.

There are other great moments that illustrate the time period.  Hogarth’s mother works at a classic diner, while Dean (voiced by Harry Connick Jr.) portrays a stereotypical beatnik, complete with his espresso and scrap metal sculptures.  Great detail was taken to make sure all the cars depicted were from the era, including the train.  Hogarth staying up late and watching a typical B-horror movie is one of my favorite scenes.  I love how he rolls his eyes when leading man asks the woman if she wants to get a nightcap.  And if you notice a star moving in one scene, it’s meant to be Sputnik.

What I believe makes The Iron Giant a great animated film is the fact that it has a strong story that both children and adults will find captivating.  Adults will appreciate the accurate depiction of the time period more, but it will not push children away.  And what kid wouldn’t love the idea of having a giant robot friend?  Best of all, it has a simple parable about being who you choose to be, that adults can feel good about showing children.

“Oh, that’s Atomo, the metal menace.  He’s not a hero, he’s a villain.  But you’re not like him.  You’re a good guy, like Superman.”