‘Toy Story 4’ somehow manages to give the franchise its second perfect ending

Posted on June 28, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise is easily a Top 5 film trilogy in my opinion. The first film, which hit theaters in 1995, revolutionized the animation industry and sent Pixar on its way to becoming one of the dominant creative forces in Hollywood. “Toy Story 2,” which amazingly was originally envisioned as a direct-to-video release, arrived in 1999 and upped the emotional factor, becoming the first of many Pixar films to leave its audience in tears. Then came “Toy Story 3,” my No. 1 movie of 2010 and one of the best films Pixar has ever produced.

Where do you go from there, when “Toy Story 3” was the perfect conclusion to a story 15 years in the making? If you’re smart, you stop there and rest on your laurels. If you’re pretty much anybody other than Pixar, you toss together another installment and disappoint your entire fanbase. If you’re Pixar, you manage to deliver another wonderful installment that somehow does its predecessors justice.

And, that’s exactly what Pixar did with “Toy Story 4,” a film that had me utterly terrified it would not live up to the standard set by the original trilogy and therefore lessen them by association. Fortunately, those worries were totally unfounded.

Subscribe to our e-Edition and read the rest of the story. Already a subscriber? Click here to sign in.