For a movie series, especially one without the backing of the original novel, a trilogy is a logical and natural choice when it comes to building theatrical arcs across multiple films. And the fourth installment after that, often doesn't bode well - it needs to be creative enough to open up new story directions without screwing up the existing brand.
Compared with the few success stories ("Fast and Furious 4", "Mad Max 4: Fury Road"), the fourth installment of the series that was screwed up by ambitious capital abounds. Not to mention standard examples such as "Superman 4", "Batman and Robin" and "The Expendables", the fresh samples just released include "X-Men: Dark Phoenix" and "Men in Black: Global Tracking".
And that's the problem with Pixar. As the most successful animation studio in Hollywood and even in the world, Pixar has been diluted by talent since its acquisition by Disney, and its originality has also declined significantly after the five veterans pursued their respective careers. But despite this, Pixar is still the Pixar willing to challenge itself. 1999's "Toy Story 2" had just suffered the horror moment of "deleting the library and running away", and it was reworked from beginning to end in 9 months, just because it didn't want to be the mediocre look that Disney wanted (ironically. , Disney still did "Planes" in 2013); a decade later, "Toy Story 3" further expanded the basic problem of "toy existentialism", while roundabout finding the best home for the Woody's .
After another decade, how will Pixar get past the milestone "Endgame" and still give fans a reason to embrace it?
The answer is yes. In the case of John Lasseter's departure, Pixar's teamwork of script composition found a more artistic direction in the hands of the new director Josh Cooley, who was trained internally, and continued the discussion and thinking on the fate of toys: when While Woody and Buzz are loyally and dutifully guarding their new owners, the Shepherdess also finds another new possibility for the toys.
In fact, Toy Story 4 doesn't have the same plot and emotional coherence as the first three. Before that, Toy Story 2 & 3 had already completed a fairly large macro story. And the fourth installment didn't become a whole new chapter in the framework, and instead, about Woody's "midlife crisis," became an interesting addition.
Similarly, Toy Story 4 won't deliver the epic climax that its predecessor did. But as far as Disney Pixar is concerned, as the second animated film in history to usher in its fourth spring on the big screen, "Toy Story 4" is much higher than "Shrek 4".
To be fair, the adventures of Toy Story 4 aren't new -- after all, the series itself, like nearly a decade of Pixar animations, has a self-repeating inertia -- but behind every "big rescue" , all describe and show different aspects of the identity of the toy (parent). "Toy Story 2 & 3" reflects not the fear of children leaving their parents, but the opposite. It is how parents should face their children's growth and how to find the direction of life after children leave their own lives.
In Toy Story 4, this heavy implication of parent-child relationship has received more attention. Although the exploration of the toy world is somewhat reduced, and Buzz Lightyear's character is not fully utilized (similar to Toy Story 2), this does not prevent the animation from various body humor and language. The humour combined with the continued appeal.
More importantly, what Toy Story 4 means to Pixar itself. After suffering the cringe of Cars 3, Monsters University, Finding Nemo 2, and the miserable play of Dinosaurs, Toy Story 4 is Pixar's throwback to its earlier spirit: hilarious and friendly, Humble and lively. Andrew Stanton, Peter Docter, the return of Lee Unkrich, Randy Newman's passionate high-level contributions once again, and 15-year Pixar veteran, new director Josh Cooley are all integral components.
This kind of Pixar is what we know, the Pixar who is obsessed with telling his own story, full of humanistic care and childlike innocence, and is not as keen on political/social issues as the Disney family.
Since "Toy Story" 25 years ago, the animation market has changed dramatically: CG replaced hand-painted, child-oriented and adult-oriented, and dazzling art styles. Years later, Pixar is still dedicated to Toy Story 4, once again using the latest visual effects to create new stories and adventures for these greatest toys, giving them a human-like emotion and soul.
Hopefully, Toy Story 4 is not the end of a journey, but a new beginning from the heart, once again for Pixar.
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