In late 2018, I was quite surprisingly infuriated with the sequel to 2012's Wreck-It-Ralph, I movie I had actually loved, when it became clear that this film (the sequel) was clearly advocating the plan of Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) to abandon her game, "Sugar Rush," so that she could hang out in the hellish wasteland of some Grand Theft Auto knockoff. I thrashed that movie harder than I ever have or probably ever will again for no other reason than that it felt like a complete betrayal of everything the first movie had stood for so eloquently. I moved on, though.
Last April, I was vaguely disturbed when the otherwise sublime Avengers: Endgame ended with one of the original six Avengers, Thor no less, the King of Asgard, deciding to abdicate his throne at the end of the film to go traipsing off to space with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Not to pursue some higher calling, mind you, but simply to "find himself" by hanging out with a gang of adventurers. It bothered me, much in the same way that Captain America's "retirement" to grow old with Peggy bothered many other viewers, but the movie that had come before it was just so thoroughly enjoyable that it was a niggle I was willing to forgive, if only just.
Finally, less than two weeks ago, I found myself genuinely shocked when, at the end of Toy Story 4, Woody the Cowboy played by the incomparable Tom Hanks, who has spent all three movies advocating loyalty to "his kid" and togetherness of his family, decided to abandon his owner Bonnie and his entire gang to hang out with his old flame Bopeep and her new crew of toys. This was how the movie ended, and we the audience are clearly meant to cheer on Woody in his new status quo, just as we're meant to look forward to seeing Thor gallivanting across the galaxy with Peter Quill and company, instead of being the King he was clearly set up to be at the end of his own trilogy of films, and just as we're meant to agree that Ralph is a "toxic friend" for wanting to help Vanellope save her game when she clearly just wants to bail out.
So basically, that's three high-profile movies that Disney has clearly advocated for walking out on one's obligations and responsibilities. It's less egregious in Woody's case because it is strongly suggested at the very beginning of the film that the person he's walking out on, namely Bonnie, doesn't really need him, but it's still a betrayal of everything he's stood for his entire life. It's way, way worse with Thor because he's effectively a head of state abandoning his people, and basically leaving a former soldier who happens to be a recovering alcoholic, in charge of everything. But hey, at least Thor left someone in charge. Vanellope just dismissed the concerns of her game saying "they'll be fine without me" and hightailed it to her new home, making her, hands down, the worst of them all.
What the hell is going on, Disney? After giving Woody and his pals a perfect ending in Toy Story 3, why on earth would you follow it up with an ending that is positively hateful? After taking all the time and effort to develop Thor from a brash, arrogant whelp to a king who has gained both humility and wisdom from his many experiences, why would you want to regress him to a beer-guzzling man-child who doesn't give a shit about anything except his next adventure? And why, oh, why after sweetly telling audiences that it's okay to accept your lot in life even you have a shitty job and will never live in a penthouse, are you now telling them that when some rich asshole wants to abandon their responsibilities and go slumming somewhere else, you should just let them? How is this teaching kids anything positive?
I really want to know, because as someone who has grown up with your product, and as someone who has exposed his children to the same, I honestly want to know if it's just time to take my money and go elsewhere.
I'm really glad Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse kicked your sorry asses at the Oscars, and I'm hoping someone else does it again next year.
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