Film Name: 玩具总动员4 / Toy Story 4
Recently, I recorded Jay Chou’s “Snail” on Sing! “Should I shed this heavy shell and search for where the blue sky lies?” Doesn’t this perfectly capture my feelings after watching Toy Story 4?
Woody shed his heavy shell, stepping out of his loyalty and dependence on his owner to seek the blue sky of love. Gabby Doll also shed her heavy shell, stepping out of her fantasy of her original owner to seek the blue sky where she was truly needed. Even Bo Peep abandoned her prim and proper demeanor to embrace a new life as a fearless heroine. Life isn’t only glorious and grand when you achieve your first choice; sometimes you need to learn to enjoy the wonderful ease of your second choice.
Woody is a man of profound responsibility. This duty manifests in every rescue during storms, in his sincere kindness toward every toy—especially when he offers timely guidance to Gabby Doll during her darkest moments—and in his deep love for every owner. Do you know where I couldn’t help but shed tears? It was when Woody spoke of his second owner, Bonnie, yet his tongue slipped and he referred to his first owner, Andy. His attachment to his owner runs so profoundly deep. And it is precisely because of this that he could step forward, accompany Bonnie to kindergarten for the first time, assist her in crafting a handmade toy that would make him even more “unloved,” and then time and again retrieve that handmade toy from the trash heap, bringing it back to Bonnie’s side.
I don’t know if such unwavering selflessness truly exists in real life, but in this film, Woody’s sense of responsibility has undeniably evolved from the leadership qualities of previous installments into something tinged with quiet melancholy, gradually becoming a heavy shell. Guiguzi once said it beautifully: one must have responsibility, but also know when to let go. How profoundly dialectical our ancient sages were. Modern society is saturated with an atmosphere of relentless drive, urging everyone to shoulder responsibility. Yet when that burden becomes overwhelming pressure, might we not also choose the second option—release?
Of course, the story doesn’t solely present this second option of shifting from deliberate tension to open release. When Bonnie’s handmade toy Forky relentlessly charges toward the trash heap, we witness the heartbreaking primary choice of a marginalized “trash” figure. Yet the film ultimately allows him to become—and embrace becoming—a toy. Perhaps that, too, is his second choice.
Finally, a few off-topic remarks. Unlike the gut-wrenching emotion of Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4 didn’t stir the same overwhelming passion I anticipated. Perhaps these second choices also offer audiences a sense of catharsis. Yet the ending truly caught me off guard.
The scene where Gabby Doll’s minions chase Woody? It’s practically a toy version of Attack on Titan! a testament to the profound global influence of this Japanese animation. That said, I don’t particularly agree with Gabby Doll’s tactic of threatening Forky to force Woody to hand over the voice box—it lacks any sense of justice. Additionally, I’m quite curious to see how Disney, always adept at monetizing its films, will transform the battered and broken Forky into a best-selling toy.
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