24 years. 4 movies. It all comes down to this. Is it good? Bad? Both? Do toys drive actual cars in this one? Roy and Cody had all of the same burning questions. This weekend they braved the crowds of tiny children and exhausted parents to find out. In addition we have our 2nd double feature review in as many weeks! Stick around to see what the guys thought of The Dead Don't Die.They knew you weren't going to see it. They did it for you.
Roy: Pixar struck gold way back in 1995 with their first film, Toy Story. I was 15 and I saw it with my family on Thanksgiving. It was the first of its kind. Computer animation for a feature film. My whole world changed. In the interest of full disclosure, I was dragged to that film. I didn't want to go. I was above such ridiculous-baby-type-movies. Of course I left the theater surprised and happy. A week or two later I took my girlfriend to see it. It was Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. It was funny. It had heart... No matter how many films Pixar gave us throughout the years, no matter how nervous we got every time they announced yet another Toy Story sequel, this series has always delivered. It's why I wasn't surprised that Toy Story 4 was excellent. How does this keep working? Simple. Good humor, heartfelt moments, and character development. Every new installment leads our favorite characters through a new lesson of poignant self-discovery. It's why each addition to the series feels fresh.
Cody: Rocky. There. It was hard work, but I did it. I've listed every franchise that's managed to have a fourth installment that rivals what Pixar just did with Toy Story 4. I wouldn't say I walked into this completely nervous, but I was nonetheless surprised by just how excellent it was. First of all, it was hilarious. There are laughs from start to finish in this thing, and the jokes feel fresh! In the fourth movie! Second, it didn't take me longer than three minutes to tear up for the first time, and I say first time because it was not the last time either. You see, I was a wee child when Toy Story got its start, residing in the exact demo for the ridiculous-baby-type-movie. I've grown up with these characters. I don't really know at what point I formed such a deep emotional connection with inanimate objects, but here we are. I cried hard at the end of Toy Story 3 and evidently nine years has done nothing to dampen that connection. These writers have shown that it is possible to not only maintain but evolve characters over a long period of time in a way that serves new narratives while also respecting what has come before. You don't need to just suddenly flip a switch and have a character burn down a city to alter their arc. Not that any self respecting writer would do that.
Roy: Part of what kept this so fresh was the bravery they showed in allowing Buzz Lightyear to be a secondary character and giving us so much time with the new guys. Tony Hale always delivers when he's given an odd character to inhabit. Forky allowed us to experience life as a toy through fresh eyes. Christina Hendricks did not disappoint as Gabby Gabby, Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key stole every scene they were in as Bunny-Ducky, and let us not forgetJohn Wick -er... Keanu Reeves as Canada's greatest stuntman, Duke Caboom. Interacting through this new cast of characters triggered old habits for Woody and gave him and us one final lesson about learning to accept change. While I didn't cry (barely), I had children who did. It was an emotional story... about toys. Go figure. Pixar did it again.
Cody: We know that Key and Peele improvised several minutes of singing for one of their scenes, but their rapport and style made me wonder if they somehow wrote all their characters' lines. It's a testament to the writers that the characters so clearly matched the actors. On that same vein, it's important to give them credit for their handling of strong female characters. The tide of feminism has hit movies in a big way in the last few years. Like all movies, there have been good results (Booksmart) and some bad results (I'm looking at you, The Hustle). In Toy Story 4, male and female toys share the screen and responsibilities. It isn't forced, nor it is unbalanced in either direction. It is just natural. There are characters to relate to and believe in for any type of kid, I guess probably even including Forky, the scared scrawny kid who deep down thinks he's just trash.
Roy: Part of what kept this so fresh was the bravery they showed in allowing Buzz Lightyear to be a secondary character and giving us so much time with the new guys. Tony Hale always delivers when he's given an odd character to inhabit. Forky allowed us to experience life as a toy through fresh eyes. Christina Hendricks did not disappoint as Gabby Gabby, Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key stole every scene they were in as Bunny-Ducky, and let us not forget
Cody: We know that Key and Peele improvised several minutes of singing for one of their scenes, but their rapport and style made me wonder if they somehow wrote all their characters' lines. It's a testament to the writers that the characters so clearly matched the actors. On that same vein, it's important to give them credit for their handling of strong female characters. The tide of feminism has hit movies in a big way in the last few years. Like all movies, there have been good results (Booksmart) and some bad results (I'm looking at you, The Hustle). In Toy Story 4, male and female toys share the screen and responsibilities. It isn't forced, nor it is unbalanced in either direction. It is just natural. There are characters to relate to and believe in for any type of kid, I guess probably even including Forky, the scared scrawny kid who deep down thinks he's just trash.
Below you can find specific details from this movie. If you don't want to see those then you should stop reading now.... but really you should skip down to the next review.
Roy: I spent a good portion of this movie being irritated with Woody, four movies in and he is still dealing with the same issues he had in the first movie. He is willing to risk everyone, everything to do what he thinks is right, regardless of what his friends are trying to tell him. He has remarkable tunnel vision. Then I put some more thought into it all. People rarely change, and especially if it's a core issue they have never let go of. Woody defined himself as a toy that brings joy to a child. That was his entire identity, and if he couldn't do it by playing with the little girl, he was going to safeguard her favorite toy. It was well done, and he eventually realized that he had to move on, stop being a toy that belonged to someone and become a lost toy. It was a tight story. And was pulled off flawlessly.
Cody: The story of learning to let go is nothing new, but making it work so well with animated toys is a highly impressive feat. As Pixar always does, they found a way to marry story for both adults and children. While Woody was being forced to adapt and evolve his view of his role in the world, Forky was learning that he had a place in it at all. I loved the quick mid-credits scene showing that everything has come full circle with Forky having the confidence to educate a new arts and crafts toy on its purpose in Bonnie's room. Forky also consistently provided the best laughs in the movie. The montage of the spork based toy trying to throw itself in the trash over and over again was nonstop gold. Tony Hale, or Buster Bluth as some of us better know him, was brilliant throughout but never better than exclaiming as almost a question, "Trash!?" My girlfriend and I have been regularly yelling, "trash" at random moments since basically minutes after walking out of the theater. Forky wasn't just a trash spork turned toy. He was the best part of the movie.
Roy: Woah. If you are sitting here and telling me that Forky was easily the best thing about Toy Story 4 and not arguably the best thing... I need to remind you about Canada's greatest stuntman/daredevil Duke Caboom. I laughed at everything he did. Keannu Reeves was perfect. Really, the casting director should take a bow. I have to admit I thought maybe the greatest bit of the film was Bunny-Ducky getting lost in their plans that turned into the same murderous one over and over.
Cody: While I stand by my Forky assertion, you're right that it's worth the debate. You left out the running bit about Buzz believing his preset action phrases were in fact his conscience speaking to him. Bo Peep expertly using her three headed sheep for any and all utility needs. They did an excellent job giving each character its own set of moments to shine. Given how much time we've spent on the subject, I feel like I'm obligated to point out here that technically the toys did in fact drive a human car. However, they did so in secret, and the humans thought the car was on the fritz or quite possibly haunted. There were no octopuses in the drivers seat on an interstate, no rabbits on the steering wheel. They did what they had to do, but they also stuck to their code. Official ruling on toys driving in secret: allowed.
Roy: I've been thinking about this a lot. The Dad was in the driver's seat the entire time. Were the toys affecting the outcome of the performance of the vehicle? Yes. Were they in the driver's seat? No. In fact a great joke was Buttercup constantly trying to get Dad thrown in jail as a stall tactic. Then it almost happened because there was no evidence that Dad wasn't driving the car. This is acceptable. This is what Toys have always done in this universe. I accept your official ruling.
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| You are a toy...You are a child's plaything! |
Roy: Woah. If you are sitting here and telling me that Forky was easily the best thing about Toy Story 4 and not arguably the best thing... I need to remind you about Canada's greatest stuntman/daredevil Duke Caboom. I laughed at everything he did. Keannu Reeves was perfect. Really, the casting director should take a bow. I have to admit I thought maybe the greatest bit of the film was Bunny-Ducky getting lost in their plans that turned into the same murderous one over and over.
Cody: While I stand by my Forky assertion, you're right that it's worth the debate. You left out the running bit about Buzz believing his preset action phrases were in fact his conscience speaking to him. Bo Peep expertly using her three headed sheep for any and all utility needs. They did an excellent job giving each character its own set of moments to shine. Given how much time we've spent on the subject, I feel like I'm obligated to point out here that technically the toys did in fact drive a human car. However, they did so in secret, and the humans thought the car was on the fritz or quite possibly haunted. There were no octopuses in the drivers seat on an interstate, no rabbits on the steering wheel. They did what they had to do, but they also stuck to their code. Official ruling on toys driving in secret: allowed.
Roy: I've been thinking about this a lot. The Dad was in the driver's seat the entire time. Were the toys affecting the outcome of the performance of the vehicle? Yes. Were they in the driver's seat? No. In fact a great joke was Buttercup constantly trying to get Dad thrown in jail as a stall tactic. Then it almost happened because there was no evidence that Dad wasn't driving the car. This is acceptable. This is what Toys have always done in this universe. I accept your official ruling.
Bonus Review: The Dead Don't Die
What follows is a spoiler review. This might ybother you. It shouldn't. Mainly because you probably already missed your chance to see it. And admit it, you didn't really want to see it, you actually just wanted to want to see it. Plus it's hard to spoil a movie that is devoid of any kind of plot.
Roy: I liked this movie. I didn't love it. It was funny... well, not ha-ha funny. But amusing funny. Ok. Sometimes it was ha-ha funny, for example finding out that Hermit Bob did indeed steal the chicken produced a laugh from me. This film was made well, but wasn't made for you -or me. It was made for Jim Jarmusch. He wrote and directed this zombie comedy unapologetically. You don't have to like it, because Jarmusch is happy with it, and everyone else can die a horrible zombie death for all he cares. The interesting thing about this fact is, that doesn't reflect negatively on the movie.. He made bold and unique choices, which was fun to watch in its own right.
Cody: I'm never opposed to taking a dip in the independent film pool, but you never really know how smooth those waters will be. Jim Jarmusch is as close to a consistent experience as there is. I'm no Jarmusch acolyte by any stretch, but I've always been a fan of the deadpan comedic delivery that marks his films. One of my favorite moments came when Adam Driver finally admits to Bill Murray that he's been saying things won't end well the whole movie because Jim let him read the script, all delivered with a perfect nonchalance. The Dead Don't Die isn't all meta references and spaceships, though (yes, a presumably purposefully generic spaceship comes to pick up Tilda Swinton, who understandably wants off the planet). Jarmusch incorporates not-so-subtle sociopolitical messaging throughout, but it doesn't come off as pretentious or overly preachy. A lot is left to the interpretation of the individual viewer. For instance, while the zombies certainly exhibit the requisite taste for human flesh, their brains carry just enough juice to draw them toward the material things they sought in life (such as coffee or chardonnnaaayy as one zombie groans before Driver takes several chops with a machete to behead her). One could see this as a direct judgment of American consumerism. The message that will stick with me, however, is the importance of prioritizing balance and meaning during one's limited time. Perhaps a well adjusted person wouldn't be an undead wandering the streets muttering WiFi. I'm with you, Roy, in that I wouldn't say I loved this, but it was a refreshingly unique trip to the theater.
Roy: I once saw the original Night of the Living Dead, I remember being struck at how little plot was involved. People turn into zombies, people hide from zombies, people die. That was basically it. The Dead Don't Die followed the same pattern. Once Murray and Driver realized what was going on, they had no idea what to do, so they decided to patrol the streets, because that was their job. It felt like Jarmusch was trying to grab that same feeling from the old zombie movies. If that was his goal, he was successful. This film is about a zombie outbreak and people failing to survive it, with meta moments plugged in to bring us along with the story. Whether it was the theme song constantly playing throughout the movie and being referenced as the theme song by Driver, or the fact that his character had a Star Destroyer key-chain. A wink to the audience was never too far away. So Cody, quick question. Was Tilda Swinton a human who wanted off planet? Or was she an alien just visiting and needed to leave when things went south?
Cody: I also got serious Night of the Living Dead vibes from this, which was completely welcome. Not every zombie movie needs to be World War Z with it's superhuman zombies. To answer your Tilda Swinton question (worth noting her character name of Zelda Winston, another wink-wink to the audience), I'm going with a visiting alien who gave one big "nope" to the whole zombie situation and decided to head home. I made a whole big point about how this movie left things to interpretation, so I'm picking the more fun version and sticking to it! Speaking of fun, that's clearly what every actor on this project was having while making it. It's no coincidence that Jarmusch enlisted a who's who of stars from his former films. People really like working with the guy, and these actors clearly all liked working together too. Their familiarity and camaraderie are what make this particular brand of deadpan humor work as well as it did. I'd like to be in the next Jarmusch project if that's not too much to ask.
Roy: Do I see myself sitting through this movie again? Most likely not. But I'm glad I saw it. The Dead Don't Die reminded me why I love movies. Sometimes you get something completely unexpected, which turns out to be the majority of why it was fun. Plus, how many more opportunities do we have to see Bill Murray? He is extremely selective in the projects he says yes to and is always a delight. I won't pass up any opportunity to see him in anything. Not everyone will enjoy this film, but if you belong to that particular group of cinephiles who crave something different, gear up with something sharp and keep your head on a swivel. Once the zombies swarm you it's game over.
Cody: I'm never opposed to taking a dip in the independent film pool, but you never really know how smooth those waters will be. Jim Jarmusch is as close to a consistent experience as there is. I'm no Jarmusch acolyte by any stretch, but I've always been a fan of the deadpan comedic delivery that marks his films. One of my favorite moments came when Adam Driver finally admits to Bill Murray that he's been saying things won't end well the whole movie because Jim let him read the script, all delivered with a perfect nonchalance. The Dead Don't Die isn't all meta references and spaceships, though (yes, a presumably purposefully generic spaceship comes to pick up Tilda Swinton, who understandably wants off the planet). Jarmusch incorporates not-so-subtle sociopolitical messaging throughout, but it doesn't come off as pretentious or overly preachy. A lot is left to the interpretation of the individual viewer. For instance, while the zombies certainly exhibit the requisite taste for human flesh, their brains carry just enough juice to draw them toward the material things they sought in life (such as coffee or chardonnnaaayy as one zombie groans before Driver takes several chops with a machete to behead her). One could see this as a direct judgment of American consumerism. The message that will stick with me, however, is the importance of prioritizing balance and meaning during one's limited time. Perhaps a well adjusted person wouldn't be an undead wandering the streets muttering WiFi. I'm with you, Roy, in that I wouldn't say I loved this, but it was a refreshingly unique trip to the theater.
Roy: I once saw the original Night of the Living Dead, I remember being struck at how little plot was involved. People turn into zombies, people hide from zombies, people die. That was basically it. The Dead Don't Die followed the same pattern. Once Murray and Driver realized what was going on, they had no idea what to do, so they decided to patrol the streets, because that was their job. It felt like Jarmusch was trying to grab that same feeling from the old zombie movies. If that was his goal, he was successful. This film is about a zombie outbreak and people failing to survive it, with meta moments plugged in to bring us along with the story. Whether it was the theme song constantly playing throughout the movie and being referenced as the theme song by Driver, or the fact that his character had a Star Destroyer key-chain. A wink to the audience was never too far away. So Cody, quick question. Was Tilda Swinton a human who wanted off planet? Or was she an alien just visiting and needed to leave when things went south?
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| Things got a bit carried away in World War Z |
Cody: I also got serious Night of the Living Dead vibes from this, which was completely welcome. Not every zombie movie needs to be World War Z with it's superhuman zombies. To answer your Tilda Swinton question (worth noting her character name of Zelda Winston, another wink-wink to the audience), I'm going with a visiting alien who gave one big "nope" to the whole zombie situation and decided to head home. I made a whole big point about how this movie left things to interpretation, so I'm picking the more fun version and sticking to it! Speaking of fun, that's clearly what every actor on this project was having while making it. It's no coincidence that Jarmusch enlisted a who's who of stars from his former films. People really like working with the guy, and these actors clearly all liked working together too. Their familiarity and camaraderie are what make this particular brand of deadpan humor work as well as it did. I'd like to be in the next Jarmusch project if that's not too much to ask.
Roy: Do I see myself sitting through this movie again? Most likely not. But I'm glad I saw it. The Dead Don't Die reminded me why I love movies. Sometimes you get something completely unexpected, which turns out to be the majority of why it was fun. Plus, how many more opportunities do we have to see Bill Murray? He is extremely selective in the projects he says yes to and is always a delight. I won't pass up any opportunity to see him in anything. Not everyone will enjoy this film, but if you belong to that particular group of cinephiles who crave something different, gear up with something sharp and keep your head on a swivel. Once the zombies swarm you it's game over.
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