When in the course of human events, we have so much negative in the world... so much bad energy bombarding us from all directions, you, me, we.... we need something which can take us away from that place of crazy... to a place that feels familiar, with friendly faces we know, new friends who feel like we've known them forever with stories which remind us of just how great... things can be.
That's Toy Story 4. You already know the cast. You already know the history. But what you won't know unless you go see this movie is just how great the story is. The dreamers at Pixar Animation Studios managed to do - again - what others just don't do... and that's to tell a story which doesn't seem like a sequel. A tale which doesn't feel dated or old. In Toy Story 4, they bring amazing characters to life in a breathtakingly beautiful way and they weave a tapestry which makes you laugh... cry... feel pain... find joy... and find redemption... all at once.
It really is that good. It really is.
I have a "thing" about not telling the synopsis of a film. You've got a billion websites and reviewers who can get to the nuts and bolts of all of that and you know where to find them. To me, what matters most is how something makes you feel... and if you go see this movie, I promise, you will have, as these children would say, "all the feels... all of them."
Why?
Because there's a little something of everyone in Woody. Buzz. Peep. Forky. Jessie. Even new friends like Keanu Reeve's new epic character, Duke Caboom and Gabby Gabby all have something we each can relate too going on. Their story is our story. The human story. And because Pixar managed to once again tell a very human story in such an impactful way... to bring these characters off the screen and into our hearts... this movie is an instant classic.
Yes. Instant classic. It's that good. It really is.
Go see it. Let it speak to your soul. Let it remind you that not all who are missing... are lost. And that you don't have to be lost... to be found. Sometimes, that's how you find yourself.
Toy Story 4. In theaters tonight. Go see it this weekend.
Disclosure - I was a guest of Disney/Pixar at an advanced screening. This review was not compensated nor is it sponsored content and I wasn't flown on some movie junket at the expense of Mickey Mouse and Pixar to write a review.