Toy Story 4 (2019)

The whole gang is back for yet another insight into the world of what toys get up to when nobody is looking.

Now that Andy has gone to college, all of his toys have gone to a little girl named Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw). She is just about to start kindergarten, and is nervous about what that will entail.

Even though she isn't allowed to take any toys with her to her orientation, Woody (Tom Hanks) stows away in her backpack, to keep an eye on her and make sure everything goes okay.

While there, she makes something from random craft supplies: a spork with pipe-cleaner arms, popsicle-stick feet and goggle eyes, that she names Forky (Tony Hale), and who quickly becomes her new favourite toy.

Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) shows off her new favourite toy Forky (Tony
Hale).

But when he meets all the other toys in her room, he decides he doesn't want to be a toy, and he keeps trying to run away.

To reward Bonnie for being so brave on her first day of kindergarten, her parents take her on a road trip, and all the toys tag along.

But Forky throws himself out of the window of the RV on the middle of the highway, Woody must go after him to save him. They find themselves in an antique store next to a visiting carnival - the rest of the toys are at the RV park between the store and the carnival.

Inside the store, Woody and Forky meet a doll named Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks), who wants nothing more than to be taken home by a child, but as an antique doll, most children aren't interested.

When Bonnie realises Forky is missing, she is absolutely distraught, and the other toys, led by Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), do everything they can to get Woody and Forky back again before the family leave the RV park.

Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and Bo Peep (Annie Potts),
with Bunny (Jordan Peele) behind.

All your favourite toys are back: Rex (Wallace Shawn), Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Jessie (Joan Cusack), Trixie (Kristen Schaal) and Mrs. Potato Head (Estelle Harris). But there are plenty of new toys to meet and fall in love with, too: Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), Bunny (Jordan Peele) and Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key), to name just a few.

The screenplay, written by Andrew Stanton & Stephany Folsom, is just beautiful, with all the characters audiences have grown to love and a bunch of new ones to enjoy. The plot is filled with twists and turns, and plenty of moments for parents to enjoy while attending with their children. I know I've said this before, but Pixar have managed to do this with all their films thus far, and this one is no exception.

There are a lot of similarities between this instalment and the original Toy Story from way back in 1995. It feels like the filmmakers are trying to bring these characters to a new generation, but I must say, they've done a brilliant job of this.

The first indication of this is the opening titles sequence, which features the song 'You've Got a Friend in Me' performed by Randy Newman, the same way the original film began.

Randy Newman also composed the film's score, and has written a couple of new songs for this film. These new songs are similar in tone and general feel to any other songs from the previous Toy Story films. The rest of the music is just perfect, reflecting either the on-screen action or, in most instances, the emotion or intensity of the accompanying action.

Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks).

All of the voice cast are very well suited to their roles. Of course, the majority of the cast have performed these roles before, some in all three previous films. Of the new cast, some definite favourites of mine are Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key, who have a great chemistry together, having worked together extensively before on their show, Key & Peele. They have a wonderful connection here, and their dialogue bounces back and forth with brilliant comic timing.

Madeleine McGraw also injects real emotion - and turmoil - into the character of Bonnie, making her a fully three-dimensional character that will bring you to tears - in a good way.

Speaking of tears, I must advise you, if any of the previous three films brought a tear to your eye, make sure you bring tissues for this one.

Director Josh Cooley has made an absolutely beautiful film here. There hasn't been a Toy Story film this good in a long time, and I know I will be watching this one many more times.

9 out of 10.

Toy Story (1995)

The very first feature film from Pixar, this film still stands the test of time, and will always hold a special place in the hearts of audiences around the world.

What young Andy (John Morris) doesn't realise is that whenever he is out of the room, his toys all come to life, and have their own adventures going on, quite separate from the adventures his vivid imagination has them enacting.

Led by Andy's long-standing favourite toy, cowboy Woody (Tom Hanks), the toys are all preparing for the big move, as Andy and his mother (Laurie Metcalf) and baby sister are moving to a new house.

Not only that, but after Andy's birthday party, there is a new toy in Andy's life: Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), who refuses to believe he is a toy at all.

And when Woody and Buzz go missing together, and end up in the clutches of toy-torturing neighbour kid Sid (Erik von Detten), it is up to the rest of the toys to save them and bring them back home before Andy moves and loses them forever.

One of the best things about this wonderful film is the array of toys, several of them toys you will recognise from your own childhood. Characters like Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), neurotic dinosaur Rex (Wallace Shawn), Hamm (John Ratzenberger) and Bo Peep (Annie Potts) are some of the most wonderfully expressive and riotously funny characters you will ever see on film. And the inclusion of R. Lee Ermey as an army sergeant (remember those little green army men?) is inspired casting of the highest calibre.

The screenplay - written by Joss Whedon and Andrew Stanton and Joel Cohen & Alec Sokolow - is incredibly clever, and is actually one of the very first scripts for an animated film that has more in it for adults to enjoy than children, a tradition that Pixar has maintained with all their feature films since, and which other animation studios have tried to replicate, though not always to the same high standard.

The interactions between all the characters (almost entirely Andy's toy collection as opposed to human characters) are all so cleverly written, and full of wonderful references and clever puns, the film doesn't even lose its appeal upon numerous repeat viewings; you will pick up different things every time. Again, this is very clever on Pixar's part, because naturally films like this probably are on endless repeat in many family homes, even twenty years after this was first released.

With the enormous proliferation of computer-animated films out in the world these days, it is important to remember that when this film first came out, audiences had never seen anything like it before. And audiences were blown away by the standard of the animation, and the quality of the animation still stands up today. While watching the film yet again for the purposes of writing this review, I continued to be amazed by the level of detail present on the screen in every single frame.

The music by Randy Newman - which largely consists of a handful of original songs which Newman has not only written, but performs himself - is quite good. Even the song 'You've Got a Friend in Me' which - to be honest - I have heard so many times I think I could sing it in my sleep still gets me every time; it's just a beautifully written and composed piece of music. Not only that, but it has a great message in it, too.

The voice cast are so perfect for their roles, especially Hanks and Allen as the two leads. The two of them share such an incredible chemistry on screen, it is hard to believe they recorded their lines separately of each other.

Director John Lasseter has made a wonderful film with this, Pixar's first feature. Of course, Pixar have made many wonderful films since this one, but if it hadn't been for this one, I don't know if any of the others would have seen the light of day.

A beautiful film to be enjoyed by audiences young and not-so-young.

9 out of 10.

Finding Dory (2016)

It is very rare that a sequel will be a better film than the original, but this film – Pixar’s follow-up to its hugely successful 2003 film Finding Nemo – is definitely among that select few.

Blue tang Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) has been living happily with Marlin (Albert Brooks) and his son Nemo (Hayden Rolence) for a year now. One day, while accompanying Nemo and his school friends on a field trip, she suddenly remembers her parents (Eugene Levy & Diane Keaton), and decides to journey across the ocean to find them.

Unfortunately – as viewers of the original film will recall – she suffers from short-term memory loss, and has no idea where to start looking. With only a tiny fragment of memory, she sets out, joined by Marlin and Nemo.

In a repeat of Nemo’s abduction from the first film, she is snatched up into a boat by two humans, and taken to the Marine Life Institute in California.

Believing her parents to be in an exhibit in the Institute, and with the help of an octopus named Hank (Ed O’Neill), and new friends whale shark Destiny (Kaitlin Olson) and beluga whale Bailey (Ty Burrell), she makes her way around the entire Institute, desperate to find them.

Meanwhile, Marlin and Nemo are trying to get into the Institute to rescue Dory, getting help from two seals, Fluke (Idris Elba) and Rudder (Dominic West).

As I have already mentioned above, I believe that this film is even better than the original that preceded it in almost every sense.

Director Andrew Stanton (who directed Finding Nemo as well), along with co-director Angus MacLane, has created a film that not only has several nods to the original, but also many new elements to enjoy.

The array of new characters are fantastic, but the characters who have returned are great as well. The entire original cast have returned to reprise their roles, with the exception of Nemo of course (however, Alexander Gould, who voiced Nemo in the original, does have a cameo in this film).

The screenplay, written by Stanton with Victoria Strouse, is brilliant at every turn, with plenty for audiences young and old to enjoy.

Thomas Newman’s music is delightfully unassuming, lurking in the background with the utmost subtlety. In fact, in most scenes, it is barely noticeable at all. And yet when it is apparent (rare, but it does happen), it is so perfectly suited to the on-screen action and emotion.

Pixar’s films just seem to keep getting better and better every year. While there is a lot to love in their older films, they are a studio that are improving constantly with each release. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

10 out of 10.

Finding Nemo (2003)

Undeniably one of Pixar’s best films, this picture shows the incredible lengths a father will go to to protect his son.

After a tragedy robs him of his wife and all but one of his offspring, clownfish Marlin (Albert Brooks) is incredibly protective of his young son Nemo (Alexander Gould), in fact, he is incredibly overprotective of him, not really allowing him to do anything on his own.

When Nemo is taken one day by two men on a boat, Marlin – without a second thought – swims after the boat as fast as he can. But he is not fast enough, and now his son is gone.

While swimming after the boat, Marlin runs into a blue fish by the name of Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), who suffers from short term memory loss (at least, she thinks she does). The two of them head off on an adventure across the ocean to find Nemo and bring him home again.

Meanwhile, Nemo finds himself in a fish tank in a dentist’s surgery in Sydney. The other occupants of the tank have been trying to escape for some time, and Nemo’s arrival – and desire to be back in the ocean where he belongs – merely adds fuel to their fire.

Under the direction of Gill (Willem Dafoe), a fish who has injured himself on one of his many attempts at escape, the rest of the fish try one scheme after another to try and get out of their ‘prison’.

I think that’s enough plot description for now. Let’s get straight into the review itself.

The first thing I have to say is that computer animation capabilities have come a long way from Pixar’s first film, Toy Story, only 8 years before Finding Nemo was released. The oceanscape in the film is absolutely spectacular, full of colour and full of life. Also, the nuances that can be displayed with computer animation have vastly improved (look into Dory’s eyes when she says the line ‘I’m home’ towards the end of the film and you will see what I mean).

The casting of this film – as with many other Pixar films – is truly inspired. In particular, Ellen DeGeneres as Dory is fabulous. She brings so much to the character, and her performance is fantastic. (It was only going to be a matter of time before Dory became the star of her own film; stay tuned for a review of Finding Dory later this year).

Other notable cast members include Brad Garrett as a puffer fish (in the dentist’s aquarium) and Barry Humphries as a shark who has sworn off eating fish (remember, fish are friends, not food!).

Director Andrew Stanton (who co-wrote the screenplay with Bob Peterson & David Reynolds) and co-director Lee Unkrich have created – in my mind – a true masterpiece of cinema, a film that stands up on its own against the best live-action comedy or drama film.

For the longest time after seeing this film (initially in the cinema, later on DVD repeatedly) I would call it Pixar’s best film. In fact, every Pixar film I have seen since I have compared back to this ie. ‘the best Pixar film since Finding Nemo’. I think that’s just about the best recommendation I can make for this film.

Seriously, if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to do so immediately. You will thank me for it. And if you have seen it, check it out again; no harm can come from watching a film over again, especially one as brilliantly executed as this.

9 1/2 out of 10.