Posted this in a related thread:
Before anyone assumes I thought the movie was garbage I wanted to say I still thought it was an 8.5/10.
Having said that, I was incredibly disappointed by the lack of heart and emotion in Toy Story 4.
The Toy Story series is one of my all time favorites and something that is very special to me. I'm of a similar age to Andy and therefore have experienced the same overarching moments in life at the same time.
As soon as I heard that Toy Story 4 wasn't going to be on a real timeline anymore I definitely had my doubts. The heart of these films are the characters and their evolving relationship with Andy as he gets older.
Toy Story 1 - Andy is a kid that loves toys.
Toy Story 2 - Andy still loves toys, but it's not going to last forever.
Toy Story 3 - Andy has a fondness/appreciation/nostalgia for his old toys, but he doesn't play with them anymore.
Andy being replaced by Bonnie is a genuine problem here. The relationship we've built with the characters is inherently connected to their relationship with Andy. The gut wrenching moment in 3 is when Andy decides to give away his toys. It's sad and heartfelt because Andy is saying goodbye and moving on, and we have to process a 15 year relationship (on and off screen) coming to an end. And because the time frame for Toy Story 4 is shortly after the conclusion of Toy Story 3 (as opposed to the actual 9 years) there isn't enough time that has passed to suggest a relationship has developed between Bonnie and her new toys off screen.
The movie largely uses Bonnie as a means to push the plot forward and basically has nothing new to say in terms of a persons relationship with their toys. This is in part due to the fact that Bonnie is around the same age Andy was in Toy Story 1.
The other big issue is Woody. In Toy Story 2, he is given a dilemma where he has to choose between staying with Andy who is getting older and may not want to play with him for much longer (which is exactly what happens in Toy Story 3), or being a part of a museum and being appreciated forever. It's a genuinely difficult decision that would impact not only Woody, but Andy as well. They're always interlinked.
Woody's decision in Toy Story 3 to stay with the other toys and not go to college with Andy is also tied to their relationship. Woody realizes Andy doesn't need him anymore, and Andy comes to that realization as well.
In Toy Story 4, Woody's decision has nothing to do with Bonnie. Bonnie doesn't seem to have much of a fondness or a history with Woody, so him choosing to stay with Bo and leave Bonnie doesn't have the same emotional heft.
The movie also does a poor job of showing the audience why Woody has a change of heart. The first half of the movie Woody goes above and beyond to make sure Forky is there for Bonnie. He seems to be the same loyal toy that he's always been to his owner. He's always talked about how the toys staying together is what matters, and even in the event Andy and/or Bonnie get older and don't need them anymore, they'll still have each other, and they'll still be there if they're needed.
That all goes down the tube though when Bo is back in the picture. And despite them having a close relationship in Toy Story 1 and 2, her being absent in 3 makes it that much harder to believe Woody would throw away everything for her. There's also no reason presented as to why Bo couldn't just rejoin the gang, which would make it so Woody doesn't even have to make a decision.
My final issue with 4 is the fact that a lot of central characters in this universe were relegated to "extras" status. Jessie, Bullseye, Slinky, Hamm, Rex, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head all had nothing to do. I get that they want to add new characters, and Forky was excellent, but it shouldn't be at the expense of the others.
All in all, I thought the movie was really funny, beautifully animated, and a lot of fun. But what made the first three installments perfect in my mind was that they had everything I just listed, plus a ton of heart. I was disappointed when they panned across all the characters faces at the end and I felt absolutely nothing.
