The case of Toy Story 4 is an interesting one. When the movie was announced, there was obvious excitement at getting more from a franchise that was so beloved and critically acclaimed. However, there was also trepidation because many believe that the original trilogy is actually perfect. Adding a fourth installment could've damaged the reputation of what came before or given us the first bad entry in the rare franchise to not have experienced one of those.
Toy Story 4 ultimately ended up not being a total misfire and it grossed over $1 billion, showing that audiences were more than willing to give the film the chance to impress them. Still, even the biggest fans of Toy Story 4 tend to admit that it's the weakest installment of the franchise, even if it was still an overall good movie. That has left people to suggest that making a fourth film was something of a mistake, despite the massive worldwide box office intake.
Now that Toy Story 5 has hit theaters and given us yet another entry in the long-running series, there's even more reason to look back and wonder if Toy Story 4 was a mistake. The same people who feel that way are likely going to have the same feelings about Toy Story 5, but those feelings might not be totally warranted.
The main argument against Toy Story 4 is that it simply wasn't needed. Not only do the first three Toy Story movies make up a perfect trilogy, but Toy Story 3 actually had an ideal ending that wrapped up the franchise and its story neatly. With a release over a decade after Toy Story 2, the third entry wisely dealt with Andy going off to college, meaning we had to see what would happen to the toys he loved but had grown out of playing with.
That's a relatable story, as most of the kids who loved the first two Toy Story projects were going off to college and becoming adults when Toy Story 3 arrived. That allowed the film to appeal to the new children who were just finding the franchise and to the people who had grown up watching it. The ending of Toy Story 3 teased all the toys getting incinerated in what would've been a tragic conclusion, only to have them get saved and provide viewers with a perfect capper.
Andy chooses not to put the toys in storage or give them to a daycare, but instead to give them to Bonnie, a young girl who would appreciate the toys. Watching Andy have one final bit of play time with the toys alongside Bonnie was incredibly endearing and heartfelt. Andy's goodbye that the toys reciprocate is legitimately the best way that the series could've ended.
While the loudest voices against Toy Story 4 do bring up the fact that it wasn't needed beyond making money for Pixar, it's hard to deny that the film is actually very good. For starters, the visuals are breathtaking. Nearly another decade had passed since Toy Story 3 and Pixar's technology had only gotten better, resulting in a visual masterpiece. Pixar had clearly come a long way since the days of the original Toy Story in 1995 and it shows.
The movie also received strong critical reviews. It holds a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is somehow actually down from the original trilogy, which sit at 100%, 100%, and 98%, respectively. That shows that this is still a top-tier film. The story was also interesting, with Bonnie bonding over a spork that she turned into a plaything, and seeing how that impacted her mood and that of the actual toys around her.
Still, Toy Story 4 more than holds up as its own strong movie. It even won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, though many believe that Klaus or I Lost My Body should've taken home the award.
The ending of Toy Story 4 included another goodbye sequence, though this time it was between Woody and Buzz. After meeting back up with Bo Peep, who has been a "lost toy" out in the wild, Woody ends up staying with her while his friends went back to be with Bonnie. It was an interesting place to take Woody and while it worked as an emotional conclusion, it couldn't quite live up to the incredible high of the Toy Story 3 ending.
For a lot of people, that finale, or just making a Toy Story 4 in general, took away from the conclusion of Toy Story 3. Many folks are happy to have the perfect ending be just that: an ending. Giving us more stories in this world means that the emotional climax of saying goodbye to these characters in 2010 has its impact lessened. It also felt like, as noted, Toy Story 3 captured the feeling that many of us shared when we outgrew our toys. Toy Story 4 doesn't have that same relatability for older viewers.
Toy Story 4 shouldn't totally ruin Toy Story 3's ending, but it's easy to understand where people who feel that way are coming from.
If making Toy Story 4 was a bridge too far for those who hold the original as a perfect trilogy, then the sheer idea of a Toy Story 5 is a messy one. Many feel that this is just Pixar going for a cash grab since they've had several box office flops during the 2020s. With Toy Story 4 being a strong film, a lackluster fifth entry could actually tarnish the series' legacy. Alas, it looks like people don't need to fret too much, as early reviews for Toy Story 5 are promising.
As of Toy Story 5's release date, the film has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While that's the lowest of the series to date, it's clearly not a bad number. Screen Rant's own review of Toy Story 5 is a sparkling piece that praises it as a funny and emotional adventure. The jury is still out overall since so many folks haven't seen it, but all signs point to Toy Story 5 adding to the franchise's overall legacy, rather than taking away from it.
The trilogy can still stand on its own as perfection, yet five great films in a row is an impressive feat that not many franchises can match. Even the success of Toy Story 4 gives it four hits in a row that could go up against four installments of pretty much another series and topple them. That's quite a legacy to leave behind.
