海角大神

For many of us, the big question coming into 鈥淭oy Story 4鈥� was, of course, 鈥淲hy?鈥� From every standpoint except commercial expediency, there was scant reason for Pixar to sequelize the glorious 鈥淭oy Story 3,鈥� which nine years ago capped the franchise with a perfect denouement. How many movie trilogies can you name where the third entry was the best? (Except for 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,鈥� I can鈥檛 think of any.) Creating a fourth anywhere as good would appear to be an impossibility.

Unlike 鈥淭oy Story 3,鈥� 鈥淭oy Story 4鈥� is not a masterpiece, but I was almost relieved about that. It doesn鈥檛 put you through the emotional wringer the way its predecessor did, but it鈥檚 consistently inventive, funny, witty, and heartfelt. In other words, it鈥檚 a lot better than it has any right to be. It鈥檚 more than good enough to justify its existence.

The new film picks up with college-bound Andy鈥檚 toys now the playmates of little Bonnie. Woody (voiced, feelingly as always, by Tom Hanks) oversees the assemblage, but he鈥檚 no longer a favorite toy.

He still sees it as his mission to look after Bonnie. So when she fearfully begins her first day in kindergarten, he hides inside her backpack and surreptitiously facilitates a project where she fashions a creature out of a plastic spork, pipe cleaners,聽wooden craft sticks, and googly eyes. Her beloved Forky (Tony Hale) becomes her new favorite toy, even though, cobbled together from trash can odds and ends, Forky has other ideas. The concept of a 鈥渢oy鈥� is alien to him. He keeps hopping back into wastebaskets because that鈥檚 where he thinks he belongs.

Woody proudly announces to his cohorts that Bonnie has literally 鈥渕ade a new friend.鈥� But then Forky goes missing during a family outing in an RV to an outdoor carnival, winding up stowed away in a local antique store. Woody springs to the rescue, aided by, among others, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, respectively), Canadian stunt motorcyclist Duke Caboom (a hilariously amped-up Keanu Reeves), and Bo Peep (Annie Potts), who rejoins the fray after elatedly enjoying her independence. (Her touching separation from Woody comes soon after the film begins.)

Their chief nemeses are Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks), the antique store鈥檚 Ginger doll, and her ventriloquist dummy henchmen. Gabby wants Woody鈥檚 voice box. Her scenes have an eeriness that at times seems more 鈥淭wilight Zone鈥� than Disney, but that鈥檚 appropriate. Whether we are humans or knickknacks, toys are not always our friends.

What gave 鈥淭oy Story 3鈥� its deep poignancy was the crushing realization that even favorite toys are eventually discarded. More so than ever, Woody has to face up to this fact in 鈥淭oy Story 4.鈥� If a toy exists to be loved by a child, what then is its reason for being if it is no longer loved?

Director Josh Cooley and his writers, Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom, don鈥檛 pour on the pathos, which is just as well. I鈥檓 not a big fan of being hit over the head with life lessons when I go to the movies. Instead, the filmmakers have concocted a comic wingding, full of marvelous slapstick and sight gags, into which the more heartfelt moments are subtly woven. All of which makes this film, as was also true of the other 鈥淭oy Story鈥� movies, but especially 鈥淭oy Story 3,鈥� as accessible for adults as for children.

It should be past debate that wonderful children鈥檚 movies, almost by definition, are also wonderful for adults. Who would relegate, say, 鈥淓.T.鈥� or 鈥淭he Black Stallion鈥� or Alfonso Cuar贸n鈥檚 鈥淎 Little Princess鈥� to the realm of kid flicks? The glowing subtext of 鈥淭oy Story 4鈥� has resonance for everybody: What happens to us when we no longer feel useful? If the 鈥淭oy Story鈥� franchise were to end right here I would be more than happy, but then again, I felt this way nine years ago with 鈥淭oy Story 3.鈥� Never say never.聽Grade:聽A- (Rated G.)

Editor鈥檚 note: This review has been updated to correct the name of the young girl who inherited Andy鈥檚 toys. Her name is Bonnie.