The first nagging question I have had for the last few years with Pixar hasn’t been, “Does this really need a sequel?” It’s, “Which Pixar made this movie?” Will it be the one that knows how to tell a story well? Coco, Inside Out and Up. Or it will it be the one doing Disney’s bidding by delivering crap on par with Frozen? Monsters University, Finding Dory and everything starting with the word “cars?” Despite the indirect firing of John Lasseter, the Pixar I love came to make the best sequel to Toy Story ever; just when you didn’t think there was much left in the tank and it avoided the biggest flaw of sequels…piling on more characters on top of the existing ones, resulting in a mess and/or a lazy repeat of what happened in the first movie. The Pixar I prefer makes a movie its staff wants to see, not an 80-minute distraction for divorced dads who need to entertain their kids when its their custody weekend.
As per the trailers, Woody, Buzz and the gang go on an impromptu quest to find out what happened to Bo Peep, the lamp played by Annie Potts in 1 and 2. The other storyline involves a “toy” made by Bonnie, the gang’s new child. Plus Key & Peele doing their valet skit in the form of two stuffed animals from a carnival game.
I’m not going to go into any details about the story, this works best as a surprise since it’s original unlike how 2 was a rehash of 1 and you could say the same about The Incredibles or Finding Nemo just being Toy Story under water. Why I loved 4 as the best sequel was the execution of its physical jokes and this is when Pixar nails it, I teared up a little during a couple of the emotional scenes. I think it’s also the most Easter Egg laden movie Pixar has done to date. The one involving Star Wars hasn’t been spotted by anyone other than me so far. If you know what I’m talking about, spill it.
Just see Toy Story 4 and with Disney+ (aka, Super Evil Netflix), it will be dessert for my next Pixar marathon sans Cars 1-3 while I will grant exceptions for the other mediocre fare to be a partial completist.
Let’s hope Onward which will debut next Spring doesn’t suck because I’m rather tired of Chris Pratt.
Alamo Extras: Cowboy singers from the Thirties or Forties; Asian music video with Eighties toys doing stop motion; Space Patrol (Fifties show) plugging their mystery box; French singer Dalida’s music video Zoom Zoom Zoom,”; tap-dancing kid dressed as a bell hop; Thirties cartoon of toys coming to life after the store closes.
Old Toy Commercials:
- Remco’s toy drive-in theater
- Mego’s Candi for girls to practice hair and makeup on
- Shogun Warriors by Mattel
- Darcy Disco by Kenner
- Baby Alive and Baby Grows Up by Mattel
- Alvin the Aardvark by Kenner
- Action Jackson by Megs (those weren’t well made)
- Sweetie Face by Kenner
- LaPorte Hardware Company’s Toy Department
- Weebles by Romper Room
- Slinky
- Astroblast by Mattel
- Mr. Potato Head by Hasbro when it used an actual potato
- GI Joe’s Moon Rover in the Seventies
Alamo presented “Reasons For Loving Pixar”
- Tearjerker moments
- Lovable supporting characters
- The music
- Life lessons
- Iconic scenes
Our Avatars couldn’t wait to go as favorite characters!