In the picture: The Lion King and Point Blank

movie reviews

The Lion King remake feels hollow; Point Blank is brought down by a predictable storyline

The Lion King

Starring (voices): Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy Eichner, John Kani, John Oliver, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and James Earl Jones

Directed by: Jon Favreau

Tagline: The king has returned.

Disney continues to underwhelm with yet another uninspired remake of an animated classic, this time revisiting the celebrated 1994 gem The Lion King in a photorealistic adaptation so single-mindedly focused on creating life-like CGI animals that it forgets to do anything else of merit along the way.

The new film faithfully retells the tale of Simba, a young lion (voiced by JD McCrary) who is the son of Mufasa (James Earl Jones), the King of the Pride Lands. In a bid to usurp power, Simba’s uncle Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) kills Mufasa, and makes the cub believe that his father’s death was his own fault. Simba flees the kingdom, surviving an attack by Scar’s hyena minions before collapsing. He is rescued by meerkat Timon (Billy Eichner) and warthog Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) whom he befriends.

But his past comes calling again a while later when he is a young adult (Donald Glover), forcing him to remember who he really is and embrace his role as the rightful king of his native land.

The story remains the same, as do many of the familiar scenes and the songs (although some of the iconic moments are curiously missing here), but the new film fails to recapture the original’s timeless charm.

The animals, though incredibly realistic, lack the expressiveness and emotiveness of their traditionally animated counterparts. The storytelling no longer holds the same impact it did the first time around. The vibrancy and liveliness is gone, replaced by hollow retreading that leaves you yearning for original content instead of this endless string of remakes. 

The vocal performances are mostly unmemorable. Glover and Beyonce Knowles-Carter (who is the grown-up voice of Simba’s love interest Nala) – both talented artists – are out of place here. John Oliver (who voices bird Zazu) sounds distractingly like John Oliver. The only real exception is (surprisingly) the joyous duo of Eichner and Rogen who effortlessly steal the show, with their characters breathing life into an otherwise dull movie. Also, Jones is (unsurprisingly) impressive as he reprises his part and voices Mufasa majestically.

Ultimately, the new Lion King is very likely to make you wish you were watching the original instead. The film just feels like a soulless rehash of its predecessor and proves that no amount of technical wizardry can trump solid, affecting storytelling. 

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

*****

Point Blank

Starring: Frank Grillo, Anthony Mackie, Marcia Gay Harden, Teyonah Parris, Boris McGiver, Christian Cooke, and Markice Moore

Directed by: Joe Lynch

Tagline: A hell of a day. A hell of a pair.

The American remake of the 2010 French film Point Blank struggles to deliver on the potential of its premise, sending its likable stars on a journey vacant of any suspense.

Frank Grillo portrays Abe, a criminal who flees a shootout and gets hit by a vehicle before he can reach the getaway car in which his youth brother, Mateo (Christian Cooke), awaits him. He is sent to the hospital under police surveillance where an ER nurse, Paul (Anthony Mackie) – who is expecting a child with his wife Taryn (Teyonah Parris) – is assigned to oversee his care.

Hoping to break Abe out of the hospital so that he can pay off the debt he owes to gangster Big D (Markice Moore), Mateo kidnaps Taryn and forces Paul to help his brother escape. With detectives Regina (Marcia Gay Harden) and Masterson (Boris McGiver) hot on their trail, Paul must figure out how to do what’s right while saving his wife.

What could have been an interesting chase gets mired in clichés. It’s plain to see where the filmmakers want our sympathies to lie, which is why you can see each supposed twist coming from a mile.

There isn’t much the cast can do when they are stuck with material this unexceptional. The proceedings disappoint; the soundtrack jars. The action may be serviceable but director Joe Lynch doesn’t create the thrill that could have made the film exciting or the connection that would have made viewers care for the characters. 

Point Blank could have potentially gone in a different, bolder, more exciting direction, but instead the film chooses predictable paths and flatlines in the process.

Rating: 2 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 28th July, 2019 *

In the picture: Stranger Things and Designated Survivor

series reviews

Stranger Things returns with another entertaining season; Designated Survivor adopts a more coarse tone as it moves to Netflix

Stranger Things

Season 3

Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, and Maya Hawke

Created by: The Duffer Brothers

Netflix delivers more sci-fi horror along with a barrage of ‘80s references in the third season of its megahit series Stranger Things, continuing the story of the psychokinetic Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and her friends battling monsters from the Upside Down.

As the season commences, much of the love-struck cast is busy pairing up. El is perpetually making out with boyfriend Mike (Finn Wolfhard), angering her adoptive father, police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour), who himself has feelings for Joyce (Winona Ryder). Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Max (Sadie Sink) are an item, at least when they aren’t broken up. Even Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) has a girlfriend, although no one around him is certain whether she’s real or imaginary. Will (Noah Schnapp), on the other hand, just wants to play Dungeons & Dragons, but his friends are clearly busy elsewhere.

Danger soon starts to emerge. It turns out that someone is trying to open the portal that El previously closed, and a monster known as the Mind Flayer is on the loose and busy gobbling up the residents of Hawkins.

The proceedings are pretty exciting, often amusing, and always interesting, but they are also quite absurd. The kids are unbelievably resourceful; the baddies are ridiculously inept. The developments constantly test your suspension of disbelief skills, and there gets a point when you can’t just overlook the preposterousness of the situation.

The ‘80s references also misfire a couple of times. From a makeover montage set to ‘Material Girl’ to a discussion about New Coke and even a duet of The NeverEnding Story theme song, some of the throwbacks are more groan-inducing than nostalgically pleasing.

Despite all that, the drama is still very riveting. The cast delivers good performances; El is still a fascinating character; and some of the groupings – like Dustin’s friendship with Steve (Joe Keery) who is now slinging ice-cream at the Starcourt Mall (which is the primary setting of much of the action) with the charming Robin (Maya Hawke) – are particularly fun. 

These 8 episodes ensure that the show remains compelling, not only because it’s visually well-made but also because it doesn’t fail to deliver an emotional impact. It might not do anything particularly fresh for the series, but the third season of Stranger Things will entertains you, make you smile, break your heart, and leave you looking forward to the next instalment (especially since a post-credit scene at the end of the last episode raises a very significant question).

Rating: 3 out of 5

*****

Designated Survivor

Season 3

Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, Adan Canto, Italia Ricci, Kal Penn, and Maggie Q

Created by: David Guggenheim

After being axed by ABC at the end of its second season, political thriller Designated Survivor has found a new home on Netflix where it now continues its journey with a third round of intrigue and drama, only this time it comes with an unexpected onslaught of swearing.

The series – which tells the story of Thomas Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland), an idealist politician who suddenly became the head of the state when an explosion killed everyone ahead of him in the presidential line of succession – has revamped its style for its streaming debut, adopting a more mature, explicit tone and espousing an agenda that seems reactionary to the current political climate.

The new 10-episode season finds Kirkman running for president and campaigning to be elected for the post that he had initially ascended, dealing with rival candidates and their underhanded tactics while struggling to stay true to what he believes in. Emily Rhodes (Italia Ricci) is still working for the president while coping with her mother’s terminal illness. Seth Wright (Kal Penn) is serving as the administration’s Communications Director and getting acquainted with a daughter he didn’t know he had until now. National Security Adviser Aaron Shore (Adan Canto) is Kirkman’s running mate, and Lorraine Zimmer (Julie White) has been brought on board to serve as the campaign manager.

Meanwhile, FBI Agent turned CIA Case Officer Hannah Wells (Maggie Q) is investigating a possible threat of bioterrorism and trying to thwart a potential attack with the help of biohacker Eli Mays (Chukwudi Iwuji).

The series still feels like two show smushed into one – a drama about a well-meaning but inexperienced president, and a thriller about an agent trying to uncover threats – like it always has, but the language and style is more coarse this time around. The tonal shift is jarring initially, and much of the cursing seems unnecessary, although the strong language does make the characters seem more real. The conflicted Kirkman, too, seems slightly less bland now than he was before. The political stances and diatribes, however, feel like the writers are pushing an agenda, a tactic that doesn't exactly make for compelling drama, irrespective of which side of the political spectrum you support. Showing real segments of Americans airing their concerns, though an intriguing idea, doesn’t quite pay off either.

The Hannah Wells arc, on the other hand, feels like it would have made a more entertaining series on its own, but her promising (albeit often ludicrous) storyline isn’t handled well here; a moment that is meant to elicit shock is delivered so poorly that it simply underwhelms.

On the whole, season three leaves you with the sense that the Netflix revival of Designated Survivor knows that it wants to be sharper but doesn’t really know how to get there, and this set of episodes is ultimately so inessential that it doesn’t explain why the series was revived anyway.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News International - 21st July, 2019 *

In the picture: Spider-Man: Far From Home and Annabelle Comes Home

movie reviews

The latest MCU instalment, Spider-Man: Far From Home, takes viewers on a fun, if a tad unexceptional, ride; horror flick Annabelle Comes Home is enjoyable but inessential

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Starring: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J. B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, Marisa Tomei, and Jake Gyllenhaal

Directed by: Jon Watts

The Marvel Cinematic Universe moves on sans its biggest superheroes as the events of Endgame continue to cast a shadow on the franchise. Picking up the pieces is Spider-Man who returns for his second solo outing in Far From Home, a movie that sends the web-swinger on another adventure while trying to make sense of a post-Blip world without Iron Man and the Avengers.

The film finds the unsnapped Peter Parker (Tom Holland) going through his hormonal teenager phase and pining over his crush MJ (Zendaya). Exhausted from his superhero duties and looking forward to a school trip, Peter hopes to confess his feelings to MJ during their visit to Europe. But his plans are interrupted when danger arrives in the form of the Elementals, monstrous forces hell-bent on destroying the world.

A caped new hero, who is given the name Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), also emerges and starts working with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and his associates – including Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders; criminally underutilized, as always) – to defeat these massive threats. Fury wants the reluctant Peter to step up and fill the void left by the demise of his mentor Tony Stark, and gives him the glasses that Stark left for his successor which are equipped with artificial intelligence and have access to Stark’s technology and weaponry.

Torn between living the life of a teenager and shouldering the responsibilities of saving the world, Peter – with a little help from Happy (Jon Favreau) who is interested in Peter’s aunt May (Marisa Tomei, clearly aging in reverse) – must figure out what he wants as he battles his latest adversaries.

Stark’s legacy looms large over Far From Home, and Spider-Man isn’t really given a chance to step out of Iron Man’s shadow. Despite some amazing visual sequences, the action aspects feel rote and don’t deliver much in terms of excitement since you’re never in any doubt about how things will eventually unfold. A twist in the middle particularly lacks the element of surprise because of the reputation of the character who provides it. 

But while this sequel may pale in comparison to Sony’s recent Spider-Man outing Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Far From Home is still a fun, energetic episode that manages to keep you entertained from start to finish. Holland is, once again, terrific in the lead role and carries the film charmingly, while Gyllenhaal makes a great Mysterio. 

Spider-Man: Far From Home may not do anything exceptional, but it does help the MCU carry on post-Endgame. Fans of the franchise will not be disappointed.

Rating: 3 out of 5

*****

Annabelle Comes Home

Starring: Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, Vera Farmiga, and Patrick Wilson

Directed by: Gary Dauberman

The Conjuring Universe has spawned its seventh instalment, continuing the tale of the possessed Annabelle doll in supernatural horror thriller Annabelle Comes Home. 

Paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) bring home the malevolent doll that is a beacon for spirits and lock her in a sacred glass case in their artefacts room. A while later, they go off on an overnight investigation and leave babysitter Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman) to care for their daughter, Judy (the always wonderful Mckenna Grace), who is lonely and being bullied at school because of scepticism about her supposed demonologist parents. While Mary Ellen is babysitting Judy, the former’s friend Daniela (Katie Sarife), who is dealing with a loss, arrives uninvited at the Warrens’ home, curious about the rumours she has heard about the family, and ends up freeing Anabelle from her glass prison.

A host of evil spirits are then unleashed and start haunting the three young girls as well as Mary Ellen’s love interest Bob (Michael Cimino) who shows up at the house hoping to woo her.

The film takes its small core cast, each member with their own inner conflicts, and then puts them in a claustrophobic setting swarming with supernatural entities. Beyond that it doesn’t do much else. Its simplicity works in its favour by making the environment intense and sharp, but also makes the proceedings a bit slow and repetitive. At points, the movie feels like it’s just plodding along and struggling to turn the spooks into scares.

Still, the third Annabelle movie manages to keep viewers engaged, thanks in no small part to the competence of its young actresses. And even though he doesn’t try anything particularly inventive here, first time director Gary Dauberman does manage to build tension and effectively makes the proceedings suspenseful.

Ultimately, it may not be essential viewing, but Annabelle Comes Home is still watchable. If you decide to skip it though, you won’t be missing much.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 14th July, 2019 *

Live-action Mulan - more serious, less playful than the animated original

trailer review

Most of Disney’s live-action adaptations have been fairly loyal to their animated counterparts, but it looks like the studio might be going in a dramatically different direction with its upcoming revisit to Mulan.

Directed by New Zealand filmmaker Niki Caro and starring Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei in the titular role, the remake appears to have a more serious, less playful tone than its predecessor. 

The story is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, the daughter of an ailing warrior who disguises herself as a man and takes her father’s place in the army. The teaser trailer suggests that this could be Disney’s grittiest live-action adaptation thus far, more realistic and less inclined towards fantasy than its animated version.

The protagonist’s companion, the quirky talking dragon Mushu, is conspicuously absent here, and it is certainly hard for those of us who grew up watching the 1998 movie to imagine Mulan without Mushu. Plus General Shang – the leader of the Chinese Army and Mulan’s love interest in the original – is nowhere to be found, and appears to have been replaced by the character of Chen Honghui (Yoson An), an army recruit who becomes Mulan’s new flame; we’ll just have to wait and see why this change was made.

Also, it seems highly unlikely that this set of soldiers will break into a song about a girl worth fighting for as the musical parts appear to have been done away with here. The film is, however, expected to feature instrumental versions of the animated movie’s classic soundtrack which should at least invoke some nostalgia.

Ultimately, while the overall tonal shift may be jarring for fans of the original, the more dramatic approach could still suit the tale of a fierce warrior breaking barriers and defining herself on her own terms. The action elements seem strong, and the cinematography looks impressive in this brief clip. The diverse international cast – that includes the likes of Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Gong Li, and Jet Li, along with the aforementioned Yifei and An – is likely to deliver interesting interpretations of their characters. And it is also great to see a project that not only features a strong female character commanding the storyline but also finds a female director behind the camera.

Disney’s live-action adaptations have been raking in big bucks at the box office but haven’t always satisfied critics. It looks like Mulan could be a financial as well as a critical success, based simply on the talent involved and the strength of the story. Additionally, many have long been saying that Hollywood now needs to champion films which boast a diverse cast and tell stories which represent varied protagonists. By the looks of it, Mulan is a step in that direction.

Mulan is set to bring honour to us all when the film hits cinemas on March 27, 2020.

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blog - 21st July, 2019 *

In the picture: The Hustle and Rocketman

movie reviews

The Hustle proves to be an unnecessary remake; Taron Egerton impresses in The Rocketman

The Hustle

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Rebel Wilson, Alex Sharp, and Ingrid Oliver

Directed by: Chris Addison

Tagline: They’re giving Dirty Rotten Men a run for their money.

Not content with just making remakes, Hollywood likes to mix things up by also making remakes of remakes. Because why not. Their latest feat of re-recycling arrives in the form of the supposed comedy The Hustle, a gender swapped remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) which was itself a remake of Bedtime Story (1964). It’s all exactly as unnecessary as it sounds.

Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson portray two con artists, donning the roles that were played so amusingly in the ‘80s classic by Michael Caine and Steve Martin.

Sophisticated Josephine (Hathaway) and unrefined Penny (Wilson) are both swindlers who target rich men, although the former is far more successful than the latter. When the two cross paths, Penny asks the more experienced Josephine to teach her the art of conning. Josephine reluctantly takes Penny under her wing, but ultimately wants to get rid of the intruding trickster, unwilling to share her territory. The two eventually make a bet – the first to con a young tech millionaire (Alex Sharp) will win while the other will have to leave town.

Beyond the gender swap, The Hustle doesn’t make any significant changes to Dirty Rotten Scoundrel’s basic plot points, and therein lies one of its most glaring problems. Knowing how things will end not only drains the movie of any potential excitement, but the gender flip also robs the story of the sly feminist twist that the 1988 film delivered so cleverly.

Its other main problem, of course, is that it just isn’t very good. The script the ladies are working with is too weak to generate any laughs. And as charming as Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson can be in the right roles, you can’t really expect them to top Caine and Martin. Both seem miscast here; Wilson just sticks to her shtick yet again, while Hathaway deserves to be in a better project more suitable to her comedic skills. 

All in all, The Hustle is an unfunny misfire that can neither match the wit and smarts of its predecessor, nor bring anything new to the storyline or make the most of its female spin. 

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

*****

Rocketman

Starring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard

Directed by: Dexter Fletcher

Tagline: Based on a true fantasy.

The life and music of singer Elton John have inspired Rocketman, a musical fantasy that charts the rise of the English icon and the issues he had to deal with along the way.

The biopic takes the shape of an extended addiction rehabilitation session, as a flamboyantly dressed Elton John (played by a fantastic Taron Egerton) enters group counselling and starts recounting his life in flashbacks.

The movie takes a look at the musician’s childhood and his strained relationship with his parents, ultimately focusing on how his prodigal musical talents led to an astoundingly successful career as a performing artist and how he then ended up struggling with drug addiction and depression. At the heart of the film is the singer’s musical partnership and enduring friendship with lyricist Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). His sexuality is also explored in the movie, including his relationship with manager John Reid (Richard Madden) and a short-lived marriage to German recording engineer Renate Blauel (Celinde Schoenmaker).

Rocketman offers insight into how someone can be so successful, yet so troubled at the same time. Elton is depicted here as a gifted musician but flawed human, and brought to life magnificently by Taron Egerton who simply nails the part. The actor is perfectly cast in the lead role, and both his singing and acting elevate the proceedings and wonderfully mirrors his real life counterpart.

The big, bright, bold musical intertwines Elton John’s songs with the narrative and captures the zest of his larger than life persona. The film is visually impressive; the costumes are beautiful. Dexter Fletcher’s unorthodox surrealistic fantasy approach is in keeping with the subject’s spirit and style, but it also detracts a bit from the biographical core. Also, the songs sometimes impact the pacing and get in the way of the narrative flow. And Rocketman’s depiction of fame and its comeback story elements prove to be a bit standard.

Ultimately though, this look back at how Reginald Dwight became Elton John is one of the better rock star biopics of recent years, and easily surpasses movies like last year’s subpar Bohemian Rhapsody. Plus the project serves as a terrific showcase for Egerton’s clearly immense talent. The film is likely to please the musician’s fans as well as introduce him to a new audience and leave viewers with an appreciation for his work and journey.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 7th July, 2019 *

Will Charlie’s Angels 2.0 fall before they even fly?

trailer review

Hollywood really seems to have taken the 3R’s of conservation – reduce, reuse, recycle – to heart and has been busy reducing creativity, reusing plots, and recycling projects through its plethora of remakes, reboots, and revisits.

Clearly everything must return to the screen in one form or another, which must be why we are now getting another Charlie’s Angels film.

The standalone sequel sees a new cast pick up the crime-fighting baton as the newest recruits of the crime fighting agency headed by the unseen Charlie Townsend.

The current set of Angels includes fierce spy Sabina (Kristen Stewart), brainy former MI6 agent Jane (Ella Balinska), and Elena (Naomi Scott), a programmer who has helped develop a product that could revolutionize the power industry but that could also be weaponized.

Bosley has now been turned into a rank, and the film’s director Elizabeth Banks as well as actors Patrick Stewart and Djimon Hounsou all appear under this moniker.

The trailer doesn’t go into precise detail about the film’s exact plot, but does promise a fair amount of action, mostly while the ladies don different disguises.

It is, however, a little hard to muster enthusiasm for yet another revisit to a familiar franchise. Charlie’s Angels started with a successful television series in the 1970s before heading to the big screen in the early 2000s for two feature films. An attempt to reboot the television show in 2011 (starring Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, and Rachael Taylor) pretty much crashed and burned. So will this movie revisit fare any better?

The cast that originated the Angels – Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith – are iconic, while the leading ladies in the previous films – Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu – had bundles of comedic talent and oodles of charm. It remains to be seen how well the new cast does, but based on the trailer, it doesn’t look like they have the same level of star power or charisma as their predecessors.

Possibly to generate some more excitement for this reboot, pop stars Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey have been enlisted to perform a track for the film, which will presumably be the equivalent of Destiny’s Child’s hit ‘Independent Women’ that led the soundtrack of the 2000 film.

Ultimately, it’s pretty unlikely that yet another version of Charlie’s Angels will bring anything ground-breaking to cinema. But then again, the previous instalments, though enjoyable, weren’t exactly high art either, and we can hope that this reinvigoration of the franchise will at least deliver some entertainment value. 

Charlie’s Angels is slated to be released on November 15, 2019.

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blog - 4th July, 2019 *

Toy Story 4 surprises us with the franchise’s continued excellence

movie review

Toy Story 4

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki, Jay Hernandez, Lori Alan, and Joan Cusack

Directed by: Josh Cooley

Pixar continues its tradition of making grownups tear up at children’s movies with Toy Story 4, a touching adventure so earnestly sweet that it’s futile to resist its charms.

The studio, once again, makes good use of its abilities to entertain audiences of all ages with this animated adventure, and even though this instalment may not have been strictly necessary, it is still a delightful revisit to the acclaimed franchise.

Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks, of course!), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the rest of the toy gang are now in the possession of little Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw), given to her at the end of the previous movie by college-bound Andy (John Morris). But while the rest of the group are enjoying their new life, Woody is feeling left out since he is no longer a favourite toy and is often ignored by his new owner.

He is still dedicated to looking after Bonnie though, and when she goes to kindergarten orientation, he sneaks along, hoping to help her, and then inadvertently inspires the young girl to fashion a new toy, Forky (Tony Hale), out of items from a trash can. Bonnie immediately becomes attached to her handmade spork companion. But Forky, on the other hand, ends up experiencing an identity crisis, convinced that he is trash and not a toy.

Realizing how important Forky is to Bonnie, Woody makes it his mission to guide the toy and retrieve him when he goes missing. Their adventure – running parallel to Bonnie’s family’s road trip – takes them to an antique store where things take a dark turn when defective doll Gabby Gabby (voiced with precise eeriness by Christina Hendricks), tries to steal Woody’s voice box, and also leads to a reunion with Bo Peep (Annie Potts) whose separation from Woody marks the start of the movie.

The toys grapple with obstacles and learn life lessons along the way in this heart-warming new chapter in a series that keeps surprising us with its continued excellence. Thematically smart and visually beautiful, Toy Story 4 retains the heart and soul of the franchise, and even if it may not be as emotionally intense as its predecessor, it still proves to be emotionally resonant.

There is plenty of humour amidst the toys’ zany antics, guaranteed to put a smile on your face, while the bittersweet ending is certain to leave you in tears.

The voice cast, as always, is terrific. It’s such a joy to hear Hanks and Allen’s voices again while being reunited with Woody and Buzz (even though the film puts the latter in a more secondary role than one would have ideally hoped). You might wish at some points that the focus had remained on the original toy group instead of Woody being send off on his own mission for the film’s primary arc, but the newcomers who assist him here – including plush toys Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) and motorcycle daredevil Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves) – are fun new additions to the series.

In a summer of disappointing follow-ups, Pixar has shown us, yet again, how to do a sequel right. This may not be the best episode in the series but it’s a testament to this franchise’s strength that even its weakest instalment is this good. With its wit, warmth, and wonder, Toy Story 4 easily makes you forget that it’s not a terribly essential instalment, although the film can’t quite make you forget that its previous counterpart, Toy Story 3, left us with a better conclusion. It may not be a sequel we needed, but it’s so downright charming you’ll be glad we were blessed with this chapter anyway.

Rating: 4 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blog - 1st July, 2019 *