Movie of the Week: Toy Story 4

What a delight the Toy Story movies are. Something for adults as well as children, and I must admit that Pixar really know how to get you in the feels. Woody and Buzz and the rest of the toys are currently with their kid, Bonny, but she's about to start kindergarten and she's scared. So on her first day she makes a new toy out of a plastic spork and a couple of pipecleaners and a lolly stick, and that toy, Forky, becomes so important to her that the rest of the toys take on the duty of teaching Forky how to be a tou and protecting him (mostly from himself) when they go on a road trip. Buzz Lightyear is is delightfully dense self. Woody is reunited with Bo Peep. They meet some pretty scary ventriloquist's dummies and a ruthless doll determined to get a kid of her own.

H and I saw this on a Wednesday afternoon, and since it isn't school holidays yet, the kids in the audience were mostly pre-school age. The one in front of us was in a cinema for the first time with his granny. It shows how the movie engages youngsters because there was hardly a peep out of any of them, except occasionally an excited comment on what was happening on screen.

I think that speaks for itself.

All that plus a wholly suitable but emotional ending, so even if you can't find a kid to take, go and see it anyway. If you've seen the previous Toy Story movies and enjoyed them, this will certainly not disappoint. (And if you haven't start at the beginning because you don't know what you're missing.)

Movie of the Week: Spider Man: Far From Home

Rather than being the first of a new raft of Marvel movies following Endgame, this felt like the post script to the Marvelverse's movies up to now.

SPOLER FOR ENDGAME

IF YOU HAVENT SEEN IT YET

RUN AWAY NOW.

Okay, don't say I didn't warn you. Remember Peter Parker (Tom Holland) in this iteration is a sixteen year old high school kid with super spidey powers He's been drawn into the Avengers, fought aliens, been snapped out of existence for five years and seen what happens when heroes die - specifically his own persobnal hero and mentor. And it hurts. He'd just like a bit of a break from it all. Specifically he'd like to be a normal kid for a while and enjoy his class tour of Europe. He has plans to tell MJ (Zendaya) his feelings for her in a romantic location on top of the Eiffel Tower.

But Nick Fury has a problem, and that problem is about to become Peter's when a destructive interdimensional alien and a brave superhero (Mysterio) appear from a different version of earth.

After that it gets too complicated to recount without giving away the main plot point, but suffice it to say that sixteen year old Peter makes the kind of mistakes that a sixteen year old might make, which all adds to the interest.

The usual characters are in here, Aunt May and sidekick, Ned, plus Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), who is one of my favourite characters. Jake Gyllenhall is utterly convincing as Mysterio. Recommended.

PS There are two easter eggs, one early in the credits and another right at the end, so don't rush off.