Movie Review: Toy Story 4

Movie Review: Toy Story 4                                                                                                               6-22-19

During her first day at Kindergarten, Bonnie makes a new toy out of a spork, Forky. Bonnie loves Forky, but the plastic utensil thinks he's trash. While on a road trip, Forky jumps out the window, and Woody pursues. Now he and Forky have to find a way back to Bonnie while encountering some new faces, including Canadian stunt racer Duke Kaboom, carnival plushes Ducky and Bunny, and a creepy 50s doll named Gabby Gabby, as well as a familiar face from when he was Andy's toy.

When I first heard that there was going to be a Toy Story 4, I was concerned it would be either disappointing like Shrek Forever After or disposable like Ice Age 4: Continental Drift. Then, when the Teaser Trailer was leaked in November 2018, I was afraid of one of the new characters, Forky.

However, after waiting many months, I finally saw Toy Story 4, and I actually think it's on par with 'Dragons 3'! Toy Story 4 concludes the franchise with groundbreaking animation, an emotionally moving story, some really funny jokes from the new characters, and a smartly (but partially) recycled score from Randy Newman.

Ducky and Bunny trying to tease Buzz.

There was one thing that Toy Story fans have been asking since the release of Toy Story 3: Whatever happened to Bo Peep? Well, between the events of Toy Stories 2 and 3, Bo Peep was donated to an antique shop, but after spending a couple years in there, Bo and her sheep Billy, Goat, and Gruff decided to travel the park, where there's an annual carnival each summer, dedicating their lives to saving lost toys and giving them new owners.

Bo Peep with her new partner Giggles McDimples.

If I were to nitpick about one thing, I think that Buzz acted a smidgen out of character: There's a running gag in the movie in which Buzz has to listen to his inner voice, and he decides to get advice from his voice box. This comes as a surprise as Buzz in the past was able to walk more than 20 blocks to Al's Toy Barn, jump on Sid's vicious dog Scud, and escape Poultry Palace  through the air vents, all of which he did with almost no help!

Buzz triumphantly swinging to the window of the Caterpillar Room in Toy Story 3.

Regardless, Toy Story 4 is a surprising sequel that will probably be the best summer movie of the year, since other summer movies this year may not be as good or promising.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

PS. If you're wondering if I liked How To Train Your Dragon 3 or TS4 more, I'll let you know some time in August.

Movie Review: Bridge to Terabithia

Movie Review: Bridge to Terabithia                                                                                                   5-31-19

Warning! This review contains spoilers for Disney's Bridge to Terabithia!

Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) has a tough life: He has four sisters with varying ages, an outdated greenhouse, bullies at school, and a new female student who's better than him at everything. Eventually, Jess makes friends with the new girl Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb) and together, they create an imaginary world in the forest called Terabithia, a magical place filled with fantastic creatures like dragonfly warriors, squirrel/ogre hybrids, ugly bloodthirsty birds, and a female troll. As their imagination soars and their friendship deepens, Jess and Leslie learn how to rule their kingdoms as king and queen, fight the forces of darkness, and change their lives forever.

At first glance, Bridge to Terabithia looks like your typical run-off-the-mill fantasy movie like Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. However, upon further inspection, it's closer to Middle School: Worst Years of My Life than, say, A Wrinkle in Time or Harry Potter. Terabithia is not a real place: It's basically the woods in their own town, but the characters and plots are all made from Jess and Leslie's vivid imagination and personal lives. The troll, for example, is based upon local bully Janice Avery.

Janice ordering Leslie to 'pay to pee'.

Much like The Lion King, Old Yeller, and Big Hero 6, there's an unfortunate character death that breaks the hearts of both the characters and the audience: While Jess and his teacher Ms. Edmunds went to a museum one weekend, Leslie drowned in the creek while trying to swing to Terabithia. It's a heartbreaking moment that makes me cry each time I see it.

A small boat built by Jess in memory of Leslie

In conclusion, Bridge to Terabithia is a perfect underrated family film with life-like cinematography, a story that sticks faithfully to its original source material, relatable characters, and a deep message about friendship. It's a movie that, in my opinion, sits perfectly alongside classic live-action Disney movies from Walt's era like Old Yeller, Mary Poppins, and The Parent Trap (the 1961 film). However, if you do end up watching it, make sure you have a box of tissues or a handkerchief by your side.

Rating: The perfect rating of 5 stars