I was reading the (very positive) reviews for Toy Story 4 and was struck by a realization:
A big part of what feels so insulting about TSL is the fact that it is based off one of the most consistently excellent, emotionally resonant franchises ever produced in any medium, animated or otherwise. It has become a cliche that Pixar films make audiences cry, and Toy Story excels at this because it effectively, honestly, and non-manipulatively addresses issues of growth, aging, and mortality that Oscar-nominated dramas handle with less grace.
But at WDW, this remarkable franchise is reduced to some carnival rides and a Wii game. This explains why I actually liked Bugs Land, an area based on a much more frivolous film, but loathe TSL. Obviously, theme park rides have to engage audience emotions in a different manner then films, but TSL doesn’t even try. It’s positively dismissive of its wonderful source material. It reinforces popular perceptions of animated films as disposable, childish, and meaningless while supposedly representing a franchise that disproves those perceptions.
It’s like building a Citizen Kane spinner or a Grapes of Wrath wild mouse. Or a Mary Poppins carousel.
