'Toy Story 4' Review

Apologies for the delay on this review. I was out of town last week and have been preoccupied since returning. However, I've now seen Toy Story 4, Child's Play (2019), and
Yesterday (2019), and anticipate reviewing those films this weekend in addition to Spider-Man: Far From Home and Midsommar early next week.

'Toy Story 4' Review

Nominated For: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" (written by Randy Newman).
Won: Best Animated Feature.

Synopsis: Woody and the rest of the gang embark on a road trip with Bonnie and a new toy named Forky. The adventurous journey turns into an unexpected reunion as Woody's detour leads him to his long lost friend Bo Peep. As Woody and Bo realize they're worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon find that's the least of their worries.

Runtime: 100 minutes

MPAA Rating: G

Who should see it? Fans of Pixar and the Toy Story franchise.

Toy Story 4 exists as the fourth entry in a nearly twenty-five-year-old Pixar franchise and director Josh Cooley's first feature film. Throughout its development, various screenwriters were charged with reviving the series, but the screenplay ultimately was penned by Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom with story credits shared between John Lasseter, Valerie LaPointe, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, and Martin Hynes as well as Cooley, Stanton, and Folsom. It would be an understatement to say I was skeptical about a continuation of Pixar's touchstone franchise. 

Though unwise to underestimate Pixar, Toy Story 4 seemed to be an unnecessary series extension, and the marketing material didn't inspire confidence. Pixar's recent sequel craze has resulted in a series of entertaining, but fairly forgettable franchise additions and I was worried Toy Story 4 may fall victim to that, tarnishing the legacy of what I consider a perfect trilogy. The ending of Toy Story 3 carried a bitter-sweet sense of finality, and I doubted the premiere animation studio could justify another installment. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. Toy Story 4 is an ideal epilogue to one of the greatest cinematic trilogies which maintains the series' sense of hilarity, heart, and adventure. 

Every Toy Story installment grapples with what it means to be a toy, exploring that existential thematic ground through a different perspective, time and time again. Though Toy Story 3 seemingly resolved the toy's connection with Andy, Woody requires further closure. Woody' fulfilled his life purpose, so what now? That's the question at the core of Toy Story 4, which can be interpreted as meta-commentary about the franchise itself. This story ended with the third one, right? Why continue? Are creatives and audiences willing to say goodbye to these iconic animated characters? These are questions many will ask concerning this fourth chapter, and they're deeply embedded in the narrative.

As audiences expect from a Pixar production, Toy Story 4 features phenomenal photo-realistic animation with exquisite attention to detail. The textured porcelain, plastic, vinyl, felt, and fabric toy components are particularly well-rendered while character motion is authentically articulated. Beneath it all, Randy Newman's music is the beating heart and soul behind the toy's latest adventure. "You've Got a Friend in Me" is incorporated in a nostalgic montage while "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" and "The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy" are charming, old-fashioned earworms. Regarding the score, Newman peppers in familiar franchise motifs along with some excellent new arrangements. 

Carrying over from the previous films, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Blake Clark, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, Jeff Pidgeon, Bonnie Hunt, Kristen Schaal, and Jeff Garlin reprise their respective roles of Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep, and the rest of the gang. Meanwhile, Tony Hale, Keanu Reeves, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jordan Peele are charming, scene-stealing additions to the cast as Forky, Duke Kaboom, Ducky, and Bunny while Christina Hendricks' Gabby Gabby turned out to be a more layered antagonist than expected. The entire voice cast offers ideal interpretations of these characters, but Hanks turns in one of his best vocal performances yet as Woody finds closure amidst whacky shenanigans in an RV, carnival, and antique shop.

One quibble I have is that the original grouping of toys were mostly sidelined in favor of the new characters. Toy Story 4 is Woody's story first and foremost, so this is a logical storytelling choice, but I wish Buzz, Jessie, and the gang were more involved. Otherwise, there were a few gags which quickly wore thin and were a little too repetitive for my liking.

Against all the odds, Toy Story 4 managed to be just as charming, hilarious, and heartfelt as its predecessors. Whether Toy Story 4 concludes the Toy Story series or not, I'm willing to follow this franchise to infinity and beyond.

Film Assessment: A

'Us' Review

Apologies for the delay, but I've been busy lately. However, I'll soon make up for it with an early Shazam! review.

'Us' Review

Synopsis: A family's serenity turns to chaos when a group of doppelgängers begins to terrorize them.

Runtime: 116 minutes

MPAA Rating: R (for violence/terror and language)

Who should see it? Adult fans of Jordan Peele and the horror genre. 

Serving as the second feature film written, produced, and directed by Jordan Peele, Us faces audiences two years following the smash success of Peele's directorial debut Get Out. Many will enter the theater with heightened expectations and Get Out at the forefront of their mind. After all, Peele's an Academy Award winner this time around, so it's understandable why one may anticipate greatness once more. Comparisons between Peele's two films are likely, but I assure you they couldn't be more different from one another. Where Get Out's messaging and subject matter was relatively straightforward and easy to digest, Us is incredibly layered with an abundance of subtext beneath the surface.

If you're someone who strives to understand everything that's happening and why, you may consider Us a frustrating experience at the theater. Us is a film that's prime for multiple viewings to unravel the meaning behind much of its symbolic storytelling. You'll get the gist of what's going on, but be curious to uncover even more the next time you watch. Don't worry though, Us requires thought on your part, but there's still plenty of surface level thrills to enjoy.

Peele again demonstrates himself as being quite adept behind the camera, and Us further cements Peele as a filmmaker with a unique voice and propensity for the craft. There's a degree of intricacy and control present throughout the entire film which is scarcely seen in cinemas today. The sound design, editing, and cinematography are all sublime, but it's Michael Abels' exquisitely chaotic score that will be seared into your subconscious for days afterward. It should also be noted that Peele deftly balances humor with suspense once more. There's levity to be found throughout the feature, but it never comes at the expense of undercutting dramatic beats or frightening phenomenon.

However, I'm not ready to call Us a masterpiece just yet. Perhaps I'll change my mind in the coming years as I'm able to revisit Peele's latest, but for now, it's not quite there. The craftsmanship is undeniably impeccable, but the plotting and pacing can feel a little messy at times. There are also some plot reveals which raise many questions I suspect could be solved with additional viewings, and I'm really looking forward to re-evaluating it down the line.

As for the ensemble, each cast member presents dual portrayals of their characters and respective "shadows" to great effect! Lupita Nyong'o commands the screen in particular, depicting a remarkable outward expressiveness and nuanced internal struggle as both Adelaide and Red. I'd daresay it's the best performance I've seen from Lupita Nyong'o, and I sincerely hope she's recognized by the Academy next year. Meanwhile, her Black Panther co-star Winston Duke serves as great comedic relief, and young actors Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex hold their own. 

Tense and thought-provoking, Us is a sensational second feature that left me on the edge of my seat, eager to see what Peele does next! If Us and Get Out are any indication, he's got a very bright future ahead of him.

Film Assessment: A

'Get Out' Review

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director; Jordan Peele, Best Actor; Daniel Kaluuya, and Best Original Screenplay.

Won: Best Original Screenplay.

In Get Out a young African American photographer Chris is invited by his white girlfriend Rose Armitage to visit her family over the weekend. Chris questions the invitation because he's unsure how Rose's parents will react to the revelation their daughter's involved in an interracial romantic relationship. Once the couple arrives, Chris notices plenty of suspicious behavior from Rose's family and while seeking the truth only gets further drawn into the bizarre ongoings.

Get Out is written and directed by Jordan Peele, marking his directorial debut and second feature length screenplay credit following last year's Keanu. Peele is most well-known for being part of the Keye and Peele comedy sketches and up to this point his career really specialized in comedy, but Get Out verges into the horror/thriller genre and stands well apart from Peele's previous work. Peele demonstrates social awareness with his direction and screenplay, not only creating suspenseful surroundings, but also effectively incorporating social commentary on current race relations. He doesn't skew it entirely on one side of the spectrum with racist generalizations or stereotypes and the way Peele is able to amplify the anxiety of real world situations to genuinely thrilling sequences is downright brilliant. 

Peele incorporates nice doses of comedic relief in Get Out you probably won't see coming and does a great job fleshing out his characters with his script. My only nitpicks are that certain twists don't hold up under scrutiny and that on occasion it's slightly predictable when it abides too closely to the formulaic design of most horror films. On the flip side, I need to give props to editor Gregory Plot, cinematographer Toby Oliver, the sound design team, and the score composed by Michael Abels for taking the tension to another level with precise execution in all areas. 

In the casting department, Daniel Kaluuya makes for an exceptional lead as Chris, providing a performance that's both subtle and well-defined. Kaluuya makes the suspense more believable with fantastic facial expressions extenuating his situation and authentically communicating awkward social environments. Elsewhere, Allison Williams puts forth a surprisingly complex characterization as Rose and the facets of Rose's family each get an opportunity to send a chill down your spine as respectively portrayed by Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford, and Caleb Landry Jones. Marcus Henderson, Betty Gabriel, and LaKeith Stanfield are also unnerving in their respective roles and LilRel Howery stands out as Chris' friend Rod Williams with some great comedic delivery. 

Peele really outdid himself with his directorial debut and the talent at his disposal really worked wonders with the meager $5 Million budget. To sum it all up; stop what you're doing, Get Out and go see this!

Film Assessment: A-

'Storks' Review

In Storks, delivering babies is a thing of the past as the storks have moved on to cornerstone.com, an Amazon-esque corporate delivery system that delivers just about every type of package imaginable. One day, things go awry as a baby order arrives and we follow the shenanigans that ensure the child is delivered.

Storks is the second animated feature to come from the Warner Animation Group, the new animated subdivision of Warner Bros. responsible for The LEGO Movie, written and directed by Nicholas Stoller, director of the Neighbors films, and co-directed by Doug Sweetland, an animator on various Pixar films including the first two Toy Story's, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles, so naturally my expectations were high and I must say that Storks delivered.

Stoller's script is remarkably funny and the humor is actually quite intelligent as Stoller never stoops to the lows of blatantly crude adult humor that will fly over children's heads like The Angry Birds Movie or childish fart jokes commonly found in Minions and the other Despicable Me films. Stollar strikes the sweet spot right in the middle excellently satirizing workplace environments, big conglomerates, and new parents while also maintaining some deeper themes involving troubled family dynamics and  whether striving for promotion is what we really desire or not.

The animation in Storks is fairly good, nothing incredible but at the same time it doesn't feel like it was done haphazardly to make a quick buck. The animators took the time to ensure every bouncing baby looks adorable and that the character design of the creatures seems fresh rather than derivative of other animation.

The talented voice cast assembled for the project are no slouch either bringing genuine personality into their respective characters. Andy Samberg's Junior makes for a compelling and relatable protagonist, simultaneously delivering some of the film's funniest moments poking fun at birds, and Katie Crown injects exuberance, determination, and heart into Tulip. Crown and Samberg make for a great pair onscreen bouncing dialogue off one another.

The B-storyline and characters revolve around Nate Gardner, the boy who asks for the younger sibling in his letter to the storks kicking off the entire plot, and his family and I am glad that Stoller felt the need to give them a compelling arc instead of just focusing on the storks. The Gardner family is composed of Ty Burrell's Henry, Jennifer Aniston's Sarah, and their son Nate voiced by Anton Starkman and I can say they were all great in the capacity used serving as the emotional lynch-pin of the piece.

Supporting characters that serve as nice bit parts include Kelsey Grammer's uptight Hunter, Stephen Kramer Glickman's odd Pigeon Toady, and Danny Trejo's Jasper. Keegan Micheal Key and Jordan Peele's Alpha and Beta wolves, along with their wolf pack, have some of the best gags in the film and overtime they were onscreen promised insane hijinks and at least a few laughs.

In conclusion, Storks is highly entertaining animated feature the entire family can enjoy thanks to an original premise, plenty of laughs, and a talented voice ensemble.

Film Assessment: B

'Keanu' Review

I apologize in advance for such a delayed review as I just got around to seeing Keanu a few days ago. Keanu is the combination of the the comedic duo Key and Peele, their creative team, and an adorable kitten. Keanu tells the story of Rell, who has recently gone through a harsh breakup and finds a kitten on his doorstep. Rell decides to keep the kitten and adores it immediately. When Keanu, the kitten, goes missing, Rell must ask his cousin Clarence to help him investigate and find Keanu. Considering that this is the first feature film from Key and Peele, I can say it's quite charming and a serviceable attempt. The film's strengths are it's comedy, the duo Key and Peele, and it's lead kitten, Keanu. Keanu at it's funniest has plenty of jokes and gags that will make you laugh out loud and at it's worst comes across as a bit strange. I'll say I was convinced this would be one of the best comedies of the year upon seeing the first trailer but I was sadly disappointed. The film is fine, but it disappointed in regards to not being quite as funny as I expected. I found that the pacing was off throughout the film, with a efficiently paced first and third act while the second act lost steam and grew a little stale until Keanu was found again. The comedic duo of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have found a great deal of success in the past with their Key and Peele Comedy Central sketch series and honestly that's what this film is, a one hour forty minute Key and Peele sketch with a bigger budget. Everything that happens onscreen is over the top zaniness and that certainly adds to the appeal. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele were by far the funniest actors in the film but I think Key outshone Peele every time they were onscreen together. Keegan-Michael Key has appeared in quite a few films at this point and it shows, as he continually proved to be more adapted to the film format as he seemed to have the more interesting and funnier role of the two, that was written perfectly for him. Not really too much of a surprise though since Key helped pen the script. Peele is fairly serviceable in the capacity used and made me chuckle quite a bit but sadly was outshone by his costar. The supporting cast are all funny as well with hilarious one-liners but there weren't any particular standouts worth mentioning amongst them. On the other hand (or paw), Keanu is the probably the most adorable kitten I've ever seen. And that certainly boosted my opinion of the film as I couldn't help but make an audible "Aw" everytime I saw Keanu. In doing research for this review, I learned that Keanu was played by at least seven different kittens but I honestly couldn't tell the differences between them. In conclusion, there wasn't much else for me to analyze which is usually the case with comedies and the reason I try to avoid reviewing them if possible (i.e. I watched Trainwreck in early January but didn't see enough substance to discuss in a sufficient review). Parents, don't let the kitten fool you, this film has a hard "R" rating so I'd highly advise against brining or showing it to children because there is explicit content galore (lots of drug references and even some "drug use" [probably faked] and some sexual content). I can say that Keanu is an outright enjoyable experience that I'd recommend as maybe a rental or home video purchase but not as a cinematic experience. 

Film Assessment: C