The world is getting another Toy Story. However, it’s not in an adorable little short film, which has been the standard for catching up with Woody, Buzz, and the gang after they were left with new owner Bonnie four years ago. Nope, a fourth full-length entry into the franchise will be hitting cinemas around 2017.
Long before Pixar started heavily relying on sequels and/or prequels to push forth their company, Toy Story 2 was the only follow-up in the library of the animation studio. Its story felt natural to piece together with the original, much like Toy Story 3 felt with part two. The third film, however, was arguably the very best in the series, with it targeting moments of hilarity, heart, darkness, despair, and ultimately, an ending that left many people in tears. Toy Story 3¸really, is the power of Pixar shown in one movie completely. I find it to be a beautiful film, both to look at and story-wise.
And therein lays the problem. Toy Story 3 is so good at what it sets out to do. Beyond that, it’s a rare three-quel that is astoundingly good, and features many aspects that stand out past fellow predecessors. Really though, what’s wrong with the short films? It is so necessary to give us another in depth look at the lives of these characters that will possibly taint the vision and amazing value of Toy Story 3? I mean, there was no better way to end the saga of those toys then with their owner, Andy, passing them onto a child who will no doubt cherish them.
Then, there’s the upside. Let’s face it, we all love Toy Story. How bad could this movie be? It will surely be given the ample amount of love and quality the other films have. That, and Disney/Pixar Animation Chief Officer John Lasseter (director of the original Toy Story) is helming the movie. So the man who started it all is back for another round. That’s definitely a plus.
Still, it’s a hard pill to swallow. After all, the TS trilogy is wonderful in all three components. Would we really want to mess around with something so brilliant, funny, and heartfelt?
I truly am nervous about this. But ever the lover of Pixar, I know I’ll check it out. I have the ultimate faith in all those behind it. Let’s hope the franchise continues to push greatness to infinity and beyond.
Toy Story 4, directed by John Lasseter and written by Rashida Jones & Will McCormack, will hit theaters on June 16, 2017.
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Logan J. Fowler is a senior writer and video game editor on Po-Break.com. He contributes his thoughts every week for Trailer Tuesday and has his own column called “A Link to the Past.” Logan’s “kid at heart” nature has led to his discussion about pop culture that many geeks love to talk about, including superheroes, Super Mario Bros., Pixar, and Muppets, amongst other things. In addition, one of his first pieces for the site, “Top Ten Comic Book Movies,” was picked as a “Freshly Pressed” piece by WordPress and remains one of the site’s most well-read articles. Currently, Logan works as a Special Education Instructional Assistant at Roosevelt School in Manville NJ. At the present moment, he is enrolled in Rutgers Online courses, pursuing a Teacher of Student with Disabilities certification. He graduated from Wagner College in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and in 2007 with a Master of Science in Education Degree in Birth-6th Grade Literacy. Also many of Logan’s friends have said that he moonlights as Spider-Man but this is so not true. Wait, are those police sirens I’m hearing?! Gotta go! -thwipp-
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