Why Toy Story 4 Is The Film We Didn't Know We Needed

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To Infinity…and your Mom!

I’m going to put my hands up and admit that for a long time, I was on the side of “We don’t need another Toy Story film – TS3 wrapped it up perfectly”. However, as the months went on, more and more promotional photos and trailers were released and I slowly started to warm to the idea of it. I wasn’t completely convinced that it was needed but I was definitely excited. This being said, as soon as the film was released, I made sure I got to the cinema to see it on opening weekend so I could travel back to feeling like a kid.

So, what was my verdict? Was Toy Story 4 needed? To put it simply: YES! TS4 is definitely the film you didn’t know you needed, and I’m going to talk a little bit about why…

A Film For All
I will always say this about any Disney/Pixar film. That, ultimately, they aren’t just “kids films” but films for everyone to enjoy, and Toy Story 4 was no exception to this. If you watched Toy Story 3 back in 2010 and through your tears, thought that this was the perfect way to end the franchise and then nearly ten years later you’re presented with a fourth instalment – you’re naturally going to be sceptical. Why is this film even necessary? You may ask yourself. Well, after watching the film for myself, I can assure you that even though TS3 did wrap up the movies as we knew them – TS4 was definitely still needed. As well as giving you that sense of nostalgia, the film is also deep rooted with topics that a lot of us struggle with – a sense of belonging, of knowing one’s purpose and that feeling of being “lost”. As well as being a relatable and nostalgic film for older fans – it’s also got plenty of fun, emotions and adventures for the younger fans.

New Characters
Obviously with the introduction into Bonnie’s room in Toy Story 3, it would be no surprise that Toy Story 4 would bring some new toys onto the scene as well as the familiar faces. The exclusive clips and photos that emerged in the lead up to the film’s release promised lots of new toys, including, Forky (handmade by Bonnie), Ducky and Bunny, Gabby Gabby, Duke Kaboom and many more. For me, the new toys were there for both those who grew up with the Toy Story films to fall in love with and also giving the younger generation toys that they could grow up playing with and building relationships with.

Bo Peep
Toy Story 4 promised the return of Bo Peep and much to my excitement, they did not disappoint. Bo Peep returned along with a new outfit and she was there to lend a helping hand to Woody and the gang when they needed her the most. I loved having Bo Peep back and I loved seeing her having such a pivotal role in this film. I definitely think that a lot more of the younger audience will look up to her, and even a lot of the older audiences will find themselves relating to her in some way.

Toy Story 3 Wrapped The Franchise Up – TS4 Just Gave Us Closure
We all remember how Toy Story 3 ended – the emotional rollercoaster of Andy going to college and passing his toys onto Bonnie and whilst this ended the films in the best possible way, I feel like Toy Story 4 was presented to us to give us that bit of closure that we may not have felt we fully received after Toy Story 3. In 2010, we were still left with a lot of unanswered questions like “What’s become of Bo Peep?” and “What does the end of Andy’s journey with the toys mean for Woody and the gang?” These are two key questions that didn’t necessarily need answering – Pixar could have left audiences wondering and left them to come up with their own answers to these questions. However, they gave us one last gift and presented us with Toy Story 4 which ultimately answered these questions. For me, Toy Story 4 really focused on Woody’s character development and his journey. So, whilst Toy Story 3 closed the chapter on Andy’s journey – Toy Story 4 closed the chapter on Woody’s journey. It was the epilogue of the Toy Story franchise that we didn’t know we needed.


Have you seen Toy Story 4 yet? If so, what are your thoughts? Remember that this is a spoiler free zone!


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