Joe Roberts

By Joe Roberts JoeRoberts

Marvel’s first iteration since their behemoth Avengers finale confidently quashes any fears of a post-Endgame hangover. It’s hard to imagine anything will compare in terms of scale for quite some time, but this is an assured return to normal service.

Sequels that are set on a trip abroad are rarely successful and second films have proved tricky for various Spider-Man franchises in the past, but there are no such woes for Tom Holland and co. The laughs come thick and fast, and apart from during the obligatory crisis scenes, they continue throughout, occasionally masking or even poking fun at the more absurd elements of the premise.

Now referred to as “The Blip”, Peter and his friends navigate their return following their 5-year Thanos-induced absence to great comedic effect. Meanwhile, new enemies, supposedly disturbed by the repeated use of the Infinity Stones, have emerged from the woodwork. And with them a new hero from a parallel Earth, Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), nicknamed Mysterio due to a mistranslation from Italian news reports after his heroics saving Venice from a water monster. Peter and Quentin join forces after some meddling from Nick Fury, although all is not well and the enemies may actually be closer to home than first thought.

Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders in Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019). Photo: Marvel

In a post-Endgame world coming to terms with the chaos, the re-entry pains for those who disappeared provide plenty of comedy fodder, particularly in the already charged pubescent dynamics of high school. Marvel is at its finest when it retains a knowing hint of self-awareness and here they lean fully into all the absurdities of a world full of superheroes.

The film moves along at a nice pace and for the most part avoids the third act lag that bogs down many superhero movies. It does lose its way a little bit in build-up to the finale, but quickly finds its feet again when they return to the light-hearted humour of the first half.

The shape of the Marvel Universe is in flux with the departure of three of its most bankable stars (Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans & Scarlett Johansson), and there are numerous references throughout the film to the absence of the Avengers. But Tom Holland delivers with great aplomb and seems willing and able to step into some rather large shoes.

Joe is the film and TV critic for The Lincolnite. He is a Master’s student at the University of Lincoln, having abandoned the sunny beaches of the Cayman Islands for the slightly colder climes of Lincolnshire to see whether he could make it as a writer. Joe graduated from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland in 2016, where he studied the Liberal Arts and drank far too much bad American beer.

By Joe Roberts JoeRoberts

After Disney’s recent record of mangling my childhood favourites, let’s just say I approached Toy Story 4 with trepidation, unsure how they could add anything of merit to a near-perfect trilogy. O me, of little faith.

Toy Story 4 delivers in spectacular fashion, a mature film for a matured audience. It may be rated U, but this film is for those who have grown up with Woody, Buzz and co. The films have always explored what it means to be alive, but here that takes centre stage as Woody battles with his own usefulness, or lack thereof, as well as the tragedy of growing up. 

We open in the past, back in Andy’s house, as Woody says goodbye to a dear friend, Bo Peep, who has been outgrown by Molly and is being passed on to another young girl. It is a touching moment that sets the tone for the film, a fine balance of humour and sombre reflection.

Fast forward to where we left off at the end of Toy Story 3, and the gang are Bonnie’s toys now. Feeling a little left out, Woody sneaks his way into Bonnie’s bag for the first day of kindergarten, worried about her feeling lonely at school. Fears confirmed, he secretly aids her as she ‘makes’ a new friend, Forky, from a spork, pipe cleaner and googly eyes. 

Brought into being, confused and terrified, Forky wants nothing more than to jump back into the trash from where he came, but at every turn is met by Woody determined to stop him. On a road trip, Forky finally makes his escape by jumping out a moving RV, but Woody follows in desperate pursuit. On the way back to the RV Park with Forky in tow, Woody comes across a familiar lamp in an antique store and goes on the hunt for a long-lost friend. 

It will, as always, have significant crossover appeal, but so much of this film is demonstrably aimed at the millennial audience that grew up with the Toy Story films. The pseudo-suicidal Forky who is convinced he is trash evokes some of the finer elements of meme culture. So too Key & Peele, who were launched into super stardom by their sketches going viral on YouTube, and their riotous chemistry is employed here with great aplomb. And lest we forget Keanu Reeves, the internet’s darling, making a wonderful cameo as Duke Caboom, a Canadian knock-off Evel Knievel. 

Not to mention the broad exploration of the question of existence, something that seems to haunt millennials more than most, struggling to comprehend a rapidly changing world. Bo Peep becomes the guiding saviour, once part of a young girl’s nightlight set, she has embraced her new life as an ass-kicking, free-wheeling ‘lost’ toy. 

The loss of childhood innocence drives the narrative, tragic and comical in equal measure, with Woody desperate to make sure that Bonnie doesn’t lose hers as Andy once did. Bo Peep helps Woody to process what he has clearly failed to come to terms with – that Andy has grown up and it’s time he did the same. 

The pacing of the film is occasionally a tad slow and the first third a bit self-indulgent, but roars into life after Forky’s introduction and the subsequent road trip. Forky’s repeated attempts to escape make a wonderful montage, accompanied by a lovely new Randy Newman song, and remind the viewer that this is in fact a comedy and not just a sad reminiscence of lost youth. While it returns to more sombre themes repeatedly, it does so with the assistance of some excellent comic performances, the spoonful of sugar needed for this beautiful and heart-breaking dénouement.  

Toy Story 4 (2019) rating: 8/10

Joe is the film and TV critic for The Lincolnite. He is a Master’s student at the University of Lincoln, having abandoned the sunny beaches of the Cayman Islands for the slightly colder climes of Lincolnshire to see whether he could make it as a writer. Joe graduated from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland in 2016, where he studied the Liberal Arts and drank far too much bad American beer.