SNAPSHOT
Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (voice of Tony Hale), declares himself as “trash” and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep (voice of Annie Potts). After years of being on her own, Bo’s adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they’re worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that’s the least of their worries. (synopsis via Pixar Post)
Forky the Spork now beloved classroom-made toy of Bonnie doesn’t want to be a toy; instead he wants to be there for the consumption of soup, maybe chili, you know like real cutlery.
But like it or not, he is a toy and he’s Bonnie’s current favourite, and so Woody, ever the nurturing rescuer sets out to convince him, on a wholly unexpected road trip (not the kind you’re thinking), that being a toy is all about joy and memories and being special to someone.
It’s a very Woody message and it forms the heart of the first full Toy Story 4 trailer in which we see the old gang again, reunite with Bo Peep, with whom Woody may have a spark (not the flammable kind, thank goodness), and meet some new friends, some sassy, some downright creepy and some … well, you’ll find out.
As SYFY Wire points out, there’s a lot you will recognise in the fourth instalment of the beloved Pixar franchise:
As you can see, the movie borrows heavily from the last three chapters of the Disney-owned film series: Woody gets lost while trying to convince a naive toy that they are a toy; both characters end up in a creepy location overrun by rogue toys; the other toys set out on a quest to bring them back; Woody gets a lesson in the fact that being separated from his owner isn’t the worst thing in the world; etc.
But that’s OK because who doesn’t want some of the old stuff especially when it’s this damn good and tugs at the strings like an over-eager violin player?
We all want it, and we shall have it, on 20 June in Australia and 21 June in UK and USA.