What's this all about?

I'm a guy with way too many interests and way too much time on my hands. A while back I realized that I spend a lot of my time just telling people I know about the various media I consume, so I just figured what the hell, let's just lay it all out. On here, you'll see my reviews of video games, films, books, tv shows, and more, but I've also decided to upload my hobbies here as well because why not?

Toy Story 4: A Mature Story for All Audiences

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To wrap up the films I missed while I was abroad I watched Toy Story 4, which when I first heard that it was in the works I was not excited in the least for it. However, to my surprise it was actually a really fun and heartfelt film, showing not only a more mature and empathetic story, but also new heights of achievement in animation.

Woody and Buzz's friendship is mostly in the background of this film. It's still present and shown, but it's not the focus.

Not going to lie, I think the story is a fantastic step in the right direction for more mature and true to life stories to tell to people of all ages (especially children). There are several themes throughout this film, like obsession and dependency, but there's also themes of selflessness, altruism, and identity. In a large nutshell there isn't a villain, not even a twist double agent or whatnot. The closest we come to an antagonist is only so because their goals demand that Woody gives up something of sentimental value (and in the situation he has the only way of meeting this need). There's no climactic struggle, and in the end understanding and positive growth is experienced by all. Really I found this film story wise to be a breath of fresh air, a fantastic change from an us vs. them story which (with some differences) seems to be essentially one of the few stories that are told in children's movies.

Unlike 3 which added a whole new cast of characters, 4 by comparison is much less ambitious, utilizing the cast from 2 and Bonnie's toys with a greater focus on Woody's journey.

Technically this film is a truly gorgeous sight to behold, even from the get-go, and marks another further height of achievement for Disney Pixar. Apart fro the usual increase in quality across the board, I noticed that the various particles have significantly improved since the last film. Dust and rain are my shoutouts in this regard, as they managed to achieve something almost entirely real-looking, which I have to applaud. Besides that though, nothing in particular stood out for good or bad, it was just a joy to watch, listen, and experience.

For much of the film Gabby acts as the antagonist, and offers a nice lesson on empathy in the process.

So there you have it, my (essentially) spoiler-free review of Toy Story 4, and I'd feel comfortable in calling it a masterpiece, it's that good. It's a wholly engrossing experience with all corners coming together to make something great. I was surprised that I didn't have more to say about this one to be honest but oh well. In the growing trend of simpler and less meaningful kids movies, it's great to see a movie that I could watch with anyone without wanting to commit Google+.

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