7 Reasons That Toy Story 4 Is A Good Idea

It's been common knowledge for quite some time that Disney and Pixar would be continuing their biggest series with Toy Story 4 in 2017. Speculation began immediately as to just how the story would continue past what most people believed to be a near-perfect trilogy, but at the D23 expo in August of this year, eager audiences were granted their first preview of what to expect. Pixar chief John Lasseter took to the stage to confirm some early story details, and he spoke with enough charm and passion about the new movie to reaffirm that the franchise is in as good hands as ever. Nostalgic pride aside, however, the question still loomed large among some more doubtful commentators as to whether or not this continuation was still a good idea. Everybody's heard of having too much of a good thing, right? Well, given what we know about this future instalment of the Toy Story adventures, we're here to reassure those of you who may just need that little extra help. Prepare to find yourselves as excited as we are for another chance to spend some time with Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang! 7) New Toys! It may go without saying, but a new film obviously means it's time for viewers to be treated to even more new toys. The series has always found itself with a superb cast of characters full of toys that have been capturing the imagination of viewers for years. Whether they're influenced by real-life examples or unique, original designs from the creative teams, there's hardly been a dud among them. In the most recent feature length release, the new toys actually replaced many of the older ones from the first two and did so with aplomb. It's a safe bet that Toy Story 4 will add plenty more such toys to support the series' long-serving stalwarts. 6) The Shorts Have Been Great There's been no shortage of Toy Story action since the end of Andy's trilogy in 2010. Various short films have been released in the following years, giving a glimpse into the lives of everyone's favourite characters in their new home with Bonnie. From a spoof on the classic, suspenseful horror movie to an all out rave, these short features have been full of the action, comedy and even drama that viewers will have come to love from the series at large. The fact that these shorts have been so entertaining gives plenty of reason for optimism for the upcoming progression with Toy Story 4. The series is showing no signs of labouring with age, and it's clear that there is more than enough story material out there to ensure a new full-length addition will be far more than just lip service or, worse still, a cash-in on a classic series. The content should more than justify the continuation... 5) John Lasseter Is Directing As well as his usual supervisory roles with the movie, John Lasseter is also confirmed to be directing Toy Story 4 and thus taking the kind of hands-on role that he had with the first two in the series. Lasseter is the greatest advocate of faithful storytelling and making movies that are "worth it," rather than just continuing a series for the sake of it, so his heavy involvement even at this stage is supremely reassuring in itself. As well as the integrity he brings to his movie-making, John Lasseter is a talented director. We all know what a good job he did with his first two Toy Story movies, but even his more recent directorial efforts have given just as much proof. In 2011 he directed Cars 2 which, while lacking the same relatable emotional punches as many Pixar stories, demonstrated that Lasseter has a real flair when it comes to brining grand adventures to the screen. Toy Story is at its best when the scope is larger than its titular toys, and this latest sequel will be in the perfect hands to see it capture more of this. 4) It's Not A Strict Sequel The chronological continuation will be an obvious one in Toy Story 4, but it's already been said that this next release won't "strictly" be a sequel. Cryptic though this may sound, it does provide a sort of confirmation that we won't necessarily have to see the toys through the same adventures they had with Andy now that they live with the younger Bonnie. It means that there's more of a free reign given to the creative team; the short films we've talked about have already shown that they've settled into life at Bonnie's, so now their next full-length adventure doesn't necessarily have to be based on the progression in her life. The timeline can be influenced by the toys themselves more than ever. 3) Bonnie Can Be Important While Bonnie may not be essential to the proceedings in Toy Story 4, she can still be an important and effective narrative tool. We certainly won't be expecting to see any of Andy in Toy Story 4 - save perhaps for a typically Pixar-esque cameo - but that really won't matter at all. Bonnie's growth can offer up a different angle to what we've previously experienced with Andy, and her story could make for a useful subplot in the new movie. To this point the only girl's story we've experienced has been that of Jessie's previous owner, or other minor characters. The plight of the female human in the series thus far hasn't exactly been a sympathetic one, given what happened to Jessie. Bonnie provides the directors with the chance to rectify this to a degree; she certainly seems to be a far more empathetic toy-owner so far! 2) The Return Of Bo Peep The most newsworthy piece of story information that was revealed at D23 was the fact that Toy Story 4 will see some of its narrative focus built around a reunion for Woody and Bo Peep, who was absent from Toy Story 3, with nothing but an emotional mention from Woody to address the fact that she was no longer with the gang. The suggestion is that Woody and his friends will have to partake in quite the journey for their reunion with Bo Peep, raising numerous questions about how they'll find her, where she'll be and just how they'll all find her. All we really can be sure of is that this new adventure will see Woody and the gang take their journey to places far and wide, with the scope hopefully rivalling that of Toy Story 3's final scenes. The return of Bo Peep should also see Woody's cheerier side return to the fore as he reconnects with his lost love; the occasionally brooding cowboy certainly deserves it! 1) More Old Friends (Or Foes) Could Return The mission to find Bo Peep confirms that at least one of the popular old toys will be returning in Toy Story 4, but perhaps this could also mean that the door is open for a few of the others to make return appearances as well. The adventure is likely to take the toys back out into the wide world, so who knows who they will stumble across out there? Fans of the series can cross their fingers - as I certainly intend to - for characters like Buzz Lightyear's complicated nemesis Zurg to make a return when Toy Story 4 comes around. After all, surely it's a shame to limit such outstanding characters to just one appearance in the series? We live in hope...

7 Reasons That Toy Story 4 Is A Good Idea

5) John Lasseter Is Directing

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