With Toy Story 4, I (like most people) did not see the point in this film being made at all. Pixar had already done the impossible by making a practically perfect trilogy. To make a fourth one seemed to be a risky prospect. Lets start with the bad news first, Toy Story 4 is not as good as the first three. On the other hand however, it is still very, very good. The fact that Pixar can make a fourth movie that people have not asked for and still create a hit with audiences and critics alike is no mean feat.

The story follows the same basic road movie format as the other films. Something happens to a major character which causes the others to go on a mission. In this case, said character is newcomer Forky (voiced by Tony Hale). Forky is a new toy created by Bonnie on her first day at pre-school. Woody, who is struggling to find his place in the world post-Andy, immediately sees it as his job to teach Forky about what it means to be a toy. As a result, it is this relationship that drives the film which means that any character apart from Woody and Forky is left with very little to do.

That is perhaps my biggest gripe with Toy Story 4. While all the original cast members return (Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack etc.), this is really only Woody’s story. Buzz Lightyear does get a bit to do but not as much as in previous films. As for Jessie, I was disappointed that she was barely in it. Most of the attention is given to Bo Peep (absent from the third film) and newcomers such as Ducky and Bunny (Key and Peele) who are admittedly hilarious. The film shines in its use of comedy as there are moments that had me bowled over with laughter.

This leads me to the other part where Toy Story 4 succeeds which is in its ending. It is here that the reason for this fourth instalment becomes apparent. I found the ending of Toy Story 3 to be upsetting, but even as a twenty-something grown man, I found this to be worse. Toy Story 4 is a worthy end to the saga but you will need tissues. Let’s just hope that this is the end. While it is not quite as good as the originals, fantastic animation and hilarious characters make this a very, very good fourth instalment.

Disclaimer Notice: Any thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely my own. Any images (copyrighted or otherwise) have been used according to Creative Commons and if needed, have been referenced to the best of my knowledge.

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