The Serious Life of Playthings

I'm going to see Toy Story 5 to-day with my family so last night I finally watched 2019's Toy Story 4. This was the last Toy Story to have John Lasseter on its crew--he was removed during production and the sense of altered creative direction is certainly apparent in the final film which begins strongly but ends on an oddly weak note.

Now living with their new kid, Bonnie, the familiar gang of toys must provide emotional support for her as she begins kindergarten. One of my favourite moments in the movie is when Woody (Tom Hanks), having hidden in Bonnie's knapsack, puts a bunch of raw materials on a table at school, prompting Bonnie to make a toy out of a spork and pipe cleaners. Woody may be a good toy but he'd have been a great dad. I wonder if he can procreate with Bo Peep (Annie Potts).

The plot mostly revolves around a love story between Woody and Bo Peep who, having separated from the other toys years before, now leads an independent life as a "lost toy". She doesn't like wearing her skirt anymore and gets around in a big mechanical skunk. Somehow she and Woody never manage to have any chemistry and I wasn't much invested in the two getting together, which is unfortunate since that's the subject matter of the film's climax. It pales in comparison to the early scenes of Bonnie at kindergarten.

Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) has a surprisingly small role in the movie, almost an afterthought. I wonder if folks were conspiring to phase out Tim Allen already. I guess they never found anything they could hang on him. Meanwhile, the supposed controversy around John Lasseter has melted away though his career has never recovered.

Toy Story 4 is available on Disney+.

Sonnet 1997

Forgotten yolk was left beside the pond.
The infant frogs would dream of webby feet.
The coffee slush would fade from black to blonde.
Surprising rain degrades the hanging meat.
With neon eyes, the brothel monster watched.
A silver blanket warmed the witness up.
A group of ducks would sleep upon her crotch.
The athlete john advised she wear a cup.
A cigarette replaced the censer smoke.
A leather jacket gleams beneath the glass.
Her mother's cherished necklace fine'ly broke.
Some voyeurs liked to listen for her gas.
Degrading wants will wither watchers too.
The morons tried to fix it all with glue.