I liked many things about Toy Story 4, except the fact that it came after Toy Story 3. Toy Story 3 was such a perfect conclusion to the iconic trilogy that this feels like a tacked-on epilogue. I enjoyed the characters, I thought the story had some clever moments, but I just would have preferred it if they would have changed a few minor details and made this movie occur between Toy Story 2 & Toy Story 3.
1,453 Reviews
A sequel that didn't need to be made...but I'm glad it was!
DJKwa16 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
As far as conclusions to beloved franchises go, Toy Story 3 is hard to beat. The film tugs at the heartstrings, as we learn that Andy's toys are no longer his, and cuts deep with the realisation that growing up means letting go.
Naturally, I had a lot of trepidation heading into Toy Story 4. It wasn't so much about whether the film would be good or not, as Pixar have been pretty reliable in that regard. Rather it was about whether, despite the best efforts from everyone involved, Toy Story 4 would be able to shake off feeling unnecessary. Well, I'm happy to report that not only is Toy Story 4 a triumph, but the film's heartfelt finale feels like a proper send-off for Woody and his friends and proves that it was a story that needed to be told.
The best way to summarise is that Toy Story 3 is the end of Andy's story, while Toy Story 4 is (likely) the end of the toys' story.
While essentially a roadtrip film, the story focuses on the toys finding their place in the outside world for the first time and it's hard not to draw the analogy between young adults moving out of home. The film captures the feeling of uncertainty but also the new found possibility that leaving a place of comfort entails and it's a joy to see the series mature along with the kids who first watched Toy Story back in 1995.
It is also, undoubtedly, the funniest Toy Story film, largely due to a bevy of hilarious new supporting characters. Forky is a definite highlight while Keanu Reeves steals his scenes as Duke Caboom and Key and Peele bring their expert comedic timing to a pair of carnival-prize plush toys who are attached together by their hands but bounce off each other like rubber balls.
Thanks to a consistently funny script, the film is a blast to watch when it's not making your eyes well up, but either way the film will likely leave you crying. If you're still skeptical about the film, let me just say that, nine years may have passed between sequels, but the series' heart is beating as strong as ever.
Naturally, I had a lot of trepidation heading into Toy Story 4. It wasn't so much about whether the film would be good or not, as Pixar have been pretty reliable in that regard. Rather it was about whether, despite the best efforts from everyone involved, Toy Story 4 would be able to shake off feeling unnecessary. Well, I'm happy to report that not only is Toy Story 4 a triumph, but the film's heartfelt finale feels like a proper send-off for Woody and his friends and proves that it was a story that needed to be told.
The best way to summarise is that Toy Story 3 is the end of Andy's story, while Toy Story 4 is (likely) the end of the toys' story.
While essentially a roadtrip film, the story focuses on the toys finding their place in the outside world for the first time and it's hard not to draw the analogy between young adults moving out of home. The film captures the feeling of uncertainty but also the new found possibility that leaving a place of comfort entails and it's a joy to see the series mature along with the kids who first watched Toy Story back in 1995.
It is also, undoubtedly, the funniest Toy Story film, largely due to a bevy of hilarious new supporting characters. Forky is a definite highlight while Keanu Reeves steals his scenes as Duke Caboom and Key and Peele bring their expert comedic timing to a pair of carnival-prize plush toys who are attached together by their hands but bounce off each other like rubber balls.
Thanks to a consistently funny script, the film is a blast to watch when it's not making your eyes well up, but either way the film will likely leave you crying. If you're still skeptical about the film, let me just say that, nine years may have passed between sequels, but the series' heart is beating as strong as ever.
Weakest in the series but animation was great
8512229 September 2021
Greetings from Lithuania.
The few things i admired about "Toy Story 4" was amazing animation and some sweet moments and few funny ones here and there. Also there was an incredible chase sequence in the middle. Other then that i think it was the weakest in the series. I loved parts 1-3 and was surprised when they did the 4th one, because third one kinda perfectly ended the series. But money wheel needs to spin i guess, and here we have "Toy Story 4".
Overall, i think "Toy Story 4" was unnecessary and kinda even felt like direct to DVD. Yet as a animated film it does look amazing and it was pretty OK overall, but nothing to write home about.
The few things i admired about "Toy Story 4" was amazing animation and some sweet moments and few funny ones here and there. Also there was an incredible chase sequence in the middle. Other then that i think it was the weakest in the series. I loved parts 1-3 and was surprised when they did the 4th one, because third one kinda perfectly ended the series. But money wheel needs to spin i guess, and here we have "Toy Story 4".
Overall, i think "Toy Story 4" was unnecessary and kinda even felt like direct to DVD. Yet as a animated film it does look amazing and it was pretty OK overall, but nothing to write home about.
A cute sequel, but I still prefer Toy Story 3
Rectangular_businessman29 September 2020
I personally think that Toy Story 3 was the perfect finale for this movie series (With shorts such as Toy Story That Time Forgot as the colophon) but this was an okay follow-up.
I guess all those fans who had Bo Peep as their favorite character would be more than happy to see her again after her notorious abscence in Toy Story 3.
Overall, it was a pretty decent movie, fun to watch but without the same emotional impact of the third part.
7.5/10.
I guess all those fans who had Bo Peep as their favorite character would be more than happy to see her again after her notorious abscence in Toy Story 3.
Overall, it was a pretty decent movie, fun to watch but without the same emotional impact of the third part.
7.5/10.
I haven't cried in a movie theater in such a long time, but boy did I for this one
dussaultjulien21 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I've been watching, and rewatching all of the Toy Story films for years now and have loved them all, and never wanted them to end, because I could never see an end to such a beloved series of films, but everything eventually has to finish out, and Toy Story 4 does it beautifully. I'm a guy who usually doesn't cry in movie theatres, heck it's a rare sight to see me crying, but I was bawling at the end. They did leave it to make other films, which I hope that they do, but if they left it like this I wouldn't be sad, because it closed all the emotional doors that needed to be closed, for me personally, and even opened some I had never knew could open before. Highly recommend 10/10.
This isn't the way to end it.
albertajessie13 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
While children growing up and losing interest in their toys is a natural part of life, I really think that Pixar should consider one last sequel and end this epic franchise on a happier note.
Children who have followed this story from the very beginning were probably devastated about the parting of woody and buzz.
Of course it's just my opinion, but wouldn't it be nice if Andy, years later, all grown up and with a family of his own, decided to seek out and try to find all his childhood friends. Or even just stumbles upon them one by one. Have it end with all the toys reunited in Andy's home with Andy's children. Basically ending with it coming full circle.
Children could then imagine all the toys happy, together, forever. To infinity and beyond.
Children who have followed this story from the very beginning were probably devastated about the parting of woody and buzz.
Of course it's just my opinion, but wouldn't it be nice if Andy, years later, all grown up and with a family of his own, decided to seek out and try to find all his childhood friends. Or even just stumbles upon them one by one. Have it end with all the toys reunited in Andy's home with Andy's children. Basically ending with it coming full circle.
Children could then imagine all the toys happy, together, forever. To infinity and beyond.
A sequel that not only works as an ending, but also as a new beginning.
eelen-seth18 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The announcement of a fourth Toy Story chapter, felt like an easy cash grab for Disney, after the huge success that was the concluding Toy Story 3. After seeing the first trailer and synopsis, I still wasn't sure if this was gonna work. So being a bit cautious of seeing these beloved characters coming back nine years after we said goodbye to Andy, I can say - no need to be afraid. The toys are dusted off and look better than ever!
The film opens with a flashback to a rainy night where our toys are still happily living with Andy. Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and Bo Peep (Annie Potts) are getting ready to rescue RC-racer - a radio-controlled toy car - that's been stuck in a gutter and is about to be dragged into the sewers, if not saved in time. This is an exciting opening to get you right into the story and remind you of the bond these toys have with each other. "No toy gets left behind", like Woody would say multiple times throughout this franchise. This scene also shows how close Woody and Bo's relationship just was, which gets torn apart moments later when the lamp that houses her and her sheep is given away.
Almost a decade later, after Andy has passed his beloved toys to young Bonnie, we see her playing with all of them, although Woody gets pushed aside more often as time passes. He gets left in the closet with some of her baby toys. But when Bonnie has to attend her orientation day for kindergarten, Woody sees an opportunity to sneak into her backpack to look after the nervous girl. In class, a selfish kid grabs Bonnie's art supplies and drops some in a bin, where Woody jumps in to save some of it - along with bits of rubbish - which leads to Bonnie creating Forky (soon discovered to be a toy, voiced by Tony Hale), a spork with popsicle-stick feet, googly eyes and pipe-cleaner arms. The family has a new member.
Bonnie adores Forky, but having an existential crisis, this spork knows it's trash and feels like his only destination is the trash can, his safe haven. Woody, so longing for a purpose, takes it upon himself to keep rescuing and returning Forky, which will only get harder when Bonnie and her parents embark on a road trip in an RV. A journey on which we will meet carnival toys (Ducky and Bunny - voiced by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele), a Canadian stunt-motocross action figure (Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom - the coolest and most breathtaking toy ever created) and a manipulative vintage doll (Christina Hendricks as Gabby Gabby) who's stuck living in an antique store, ready to do whatever's needed to live a blissful life.
The emotions run high, with stunning animation and imagery all around. New characters that will win over your heart and make you laugh out loud with the funniest one liners. Did I really expect anything less, after three exceptionally strong films in this franchise?! Shame on me.
Toy Story 4 is an adventure full of subtle messages and metaphors, that carries on the legacy of its original trilogy. Disney/Pixar has done it again - a sequel that not only works as an ending, but also as a new beginning. When we get to chapter 5 (because let's be real, this is gonna kill it at the worldwide box office), these characters will have seen so much more than just the walls of Andy/Bonnie's room and have experienced what "letting go" really means.
The film opens with a flashback to a rainy night where our toys are still happily living with Andy. Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and Bo Peep (Annie Potts) are getting ready to rescue RC-racer - a radio-controlled toy car - that's been stuck in a gutter and is about to be dragged into the sewers, if not saved in time. This is an exciting opening to get you right into the story and remind you of the bond these toys have with each other. "No toy gets left behind", like Woody would say multiple times throughout this franchise. This scene also shows how close Woody and Bo's relationship just was, which gets torn apart moments later when the lamp that houses her and her sheep is given away.
Almost a decade later, after Andy has passed his beloved toys to young Bonnie, we see her playing with all of them, although Woody gets pushed aside more often as time passes. He gets left in the closet with some of her baby toys. But when Bonnie has to attend her orientation day for kindergarten, Woody sees an opportunity to sneak into her backpack to look after the nervous girl. In class, a selfish kid grabs Bonnie's art supplies and drops some in a bin, where Woody jumps in to save some of it - along with bits of rubbish - which leads to Bonnie creating Forky (soon discovered to be a toy, voiced by Tony Hale), a spork with popsicle-stick feet, googly eyes and pipe-cleaner arms. The family has a new member.
Bonnie adores Forky, but having an existential crisis, this spork knows it's trash and feels like his only destination is the trash can, his safe haven. Woody, so longing for a purpose, takes it upon himself to keep rescuing and returning Forky, which will only get harder when Bonnie and her parents embark on a road trip in an RV. A journey on which we will meet carnival toys (Ducky and Bunny - voiced by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele), a Canadian stunt-motocross action figure (Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom - the coolest and most breathtaking toy ever created) and a manipulative vintage doll (Christina Hendricks as Gabby Gabby) who's stuck living in an antique store, ready to do whatever's needed to live a blissful life.
The emotions run high, with stunning animation and imagery all around. New characters that will win over your heart and make you laugh out loud with the funniest one liners. Did I really expect anything less, after three exceptionally strong films in this franchise?! Shame on me.
Toy Story 4 is an adventure full of subtle messages and metaphors, that carries on the legacy of its original trilogy. Disney/Pixar has done it again - a sequel that not only works as an ending, but also as a new beginning. When we get to chapter 5 (because let's be real, this is gonna kill it at the worldwide box office), these characters will have seen so much more than just the walls of Andy/Bonnie's room and have experienced what "letting go" really means.
I should like it but I simply do not
reinwolfs15 May 2020
Disappointing film, especially for Pixar
benwilson-0027222 June 2019
As with every Pixar film you have your small, genius details and beautiful animation that brings there films to life. But here I found that there was no substance behind the beauty. Lots of our beloved characters were given minimal attention and seemed somewhat useless to the story. The story seemed impulsive with little direction, our characters jumping at anything that moved. The films villain seemed like subplot and didn't seem like a real threat. The first 20 minutes were my highlight. It seemed reminiscent of earlier Toy Story films and explored experiences that we can all relate to. Despite an uninspired villain, chaotic plot and underdeveloped characters I still enjoyed myself. Within the film there was so much creativity, humour and some genuinely moving moments. I just couldn't help but feel disappointed when this film is compared to its predecessors in the franchise.
(Also please stay to the very end of the film, you will not be disappointed)
(Also please stay to the very end of the film, you will not be disappointed)
Fantastic
scamp-4949130 October 2019
Why does this exist!?!?
baileycrawly11 October 2019
I'll never forget seeing Toy Story 3 in the IMAX. Especially the ending.
That heartwrenching moment when our main character has to grow up and put his childhood behind him is burned in my memory and is a surefire way to make me cry during a movie. It wasn't so much what was happening that made it such an impactful scene, it was what it meant for each of us on a personal level that made it just... work so well.
Toy Story 3 was the perfect spot to end the series. The ending of that movie was a perfect bookend to the story.
Toy Story 4, therefore, is the three or four additional chapters tacked onto the end of a long novel that should've been left on the cutting room floor. Take the heart and adventure of the first 3 films and the emotionally wrenching conclusion of the third one, suck all the life out of them and you have Toy Story 4 in a nutshell.
From what I saw, I couldn't pick out any distinct message the film was trying to portray, really. Maybe it's something that requires another viewing or two; I have no idea. But my first impression of this movie is that it's just... pointless. It's fluff. It shows that Disney is fine putting out a story about growing up and leaving your toys in the past only to rush right back to them as soon as its nostalgic enough to turn a decent profit. I guess it worked; it performed well at the box office (and, yes, Disney sold me the BD combo pack) and it apparently got a high rating (likely for the sake that it's a group of animated things that resemble the characters you know and love. They felt like hollow shells of themselves, however; lacking anything of substance.
Ultimately, this movie left me with a sour taste in my mouth. The original trilogy were such perfect pieces of storytelling, each serving its purpose, telling unique stories and developing the characters. This one, if anything, undoes that. It's a presentation of these characters for no other reason than that Disney knows we'll buy it again.
I really hope this is the final instalment in the Toy Story series. Anything beyond this will enter into self-parody. It should've ended on the third one, but it didn't, and now we can only hope that this is the last toy story.
Toy Story 4, therefore, is the three or four additional chapters tacked onto the end of a long novel that should've been left on the cutting room floor. Take the heart and adventure of the first 3 films and the emotionally wrenching conclusion of the third one, suck all the life out of them and you have Toy Story 4 in a nutshell.
From what I saw, I couldn't pick out any distinct message the film was trying to portray, really. Maybe it's something that requires another viewing or two; I have no idea. But my first impression of this movie is that it's just... pointless. It's fluff. It shows that Disney is fine putting out a story about growing up and leaving your toys in the past only to rush right back to them as soon as its nostalgic enough to turn a decent profit. I guess it worked; it performed well at the box office (and, yes, Disney sold me the BD combo pack) and it apparently got a high rating (likely for the sake that it's a group of animated things that resemble the characters you know and love. They felt like hollow shells of themselves, however; lacking anything of substance.
Ultimately, this movie left me with a sour taste in my mouth. The original trilogy were such perfect pieces of storytelling, each serving its purpose, telling unique stories and developing the characters. This one, if anything, undoes that. It's a presentation of these characters for no other reason than that Disney knows we'll buy it again.
I really hope this is the final instalment in the Toy Story series. Anything beyond this will enter into self-parody. It should've ended on the third one, but it didn't, and now we can only hope that this is the last toy story.
Worth the 9-Year Wait!
athaggard16 June 2019
The six rating is generous because deep down I hated this
MissSimonetta15 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Three good things: the animation is drop-dead gorgeous (seeing young Andy in this movie, it's amazing how much CG animation has evolved in the last quarter of a century), Forky is not as annoying as he could have been, and the gags are generally funny. That being said...
What did they do to Buzz? Why is he suddenly dumb? I know he was never the most cerebral space ranger in the ship, but now he's so dumb he uses his randomly generated voice options to make crucial decisions? I'll tell you why: A) his stupidity moves the plot along in ways it would not have if he was still intelligent and B) the writers have no clue to do with the characters that are not Woody and Bo Peep.
Why is Woody going through the same identity crisis about not being needed AGAIN?
Why are the supporting cast-- from Jessie on down to the Potato Heads-- essentially given nothing to do? This hurts the movie more than you might think: the ending has this "Woody saying goodbye to the gang" shot that might have worked in TS3 where all of the characters were integral to the story, but not here, where their presence feels more like an extended cameo.
On a related note, the toys all splitting up is just.... wrong in so many ways. The last three movies, beyond their allegorical treatment of acceptance of mortality and the transience of life, emphasized the importance of community and friendship. Andy might grow up but the toys would stick together and find meaning in their bonds with one another. Not now, I guess.
Also, the script is a mess. While the main plot is "get Forky back to Bonnie because she needs him for comfort," the writers introduce a myriad of subplots and one-note characters for us to keep track of-- this is a messy, messy story, a far cry from the simple, elegant structures of the first three movies.
TS4 might not sink to the lowest levels of your average cash grab, but do not be fooled: this is a cash grab. There is no reason for it to exist. The first three movies were as perfect a movie trilogy as one could have wished for-- like THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, this is better off ignored.
What did they do to Buzz? Why is he suddenly dumb? I know he was never the most cerebral space ranger in the ship, but now he's so dumb he uses his randomly generated voice options to make crucial decisions? I'll tell you why: A) his stupidity moves the plot along in ways it would not have if he was still intelligent and B) the writers have no clue to do with the characters that are not Woody and Bo Peep.
Why is Woody going through the same identity crisis about not being needed AGAIN?
Why are the supporting cast-- from Jessie on down to the Potato Heads-- essentially given nothing to do? This hurts the movie more than you might think: the ending has this "Woody saying goodbye to the gang" shot that might have worked in TS3 where all of the characters were integral to the story, but not here, where their presence feels more like an extended cameo.
On a related note, the toys all splitting up is just.... wrong in so many ways. The last three movies, beyond their allegorical treatment of acceptance of mortality and the transience of life, emphasized the importance of community and friendship. Andy might grow up but the toys would stick together and find meaning in their bonds with one another. Not now, I guess.
Also, the script is a mess. While the main plot is "get Forky back to Bonnie because she needs him for comfort," the writers introduce a myriad of subplots and one-note characters for us to keep track of-- this is a messy, messy story, a far cry from the simple, elegant structures of the first three movies.
TS4 might not sink to the lowest levels of your average cash grab, but do not be fooled: this is a cash grab. There is no reason for it to exist. The first three movies were as perfect a movie trilogy as one could have wished for-- like THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, this is better off ignored.
Betrays the first three
morfunkel7 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The first three are about the toys being a family and working to stay together. This is fought for by the characters for three movies and this fourth movie is good until this underlying theme and drive is turned on.
Just didn't make sense to me
Toy Boring. No. New. Ideas.
bringbackberniew14 October 2019
Same old same old since #2. Woody needs to make a kid happy. Another toy is in trouble. Woody struggles to help that toy & also the kid. Buzz, etc help when Woody needs them.
Well, somewhat different in this one is that Woody always needs to be told what to do & when to do it by Bo Peep. This is not surprising given Hollywood's current need to portray women as strong & noble and men as weak & nasty.
And then there is Gabby, who is alternately sweet(ish) & evil. The only thing more creepy than Gabby are her accomplices. How/why did they decide to make Creepy Story with main themes being emancipation and emasculation?
More Buzz!!!!
kim_ah-3418221 June 2019
A masterpiece of film-making, story-telling and animation. Delightful and devastating in equal measure, it might well be the year's silliest and most soul-stirring film.
shawneofthedead19 June 2019
THE LOW-DOWN: 24 years ago, Pixar's Toy Story quite literally changed the face of animation as we know it. The film presented an entirely new way of telling a story, bringing characters to life via CGI - pixels over pencils, so to speak. At the same time, Toy Story set a new high standard for storytelling in film, proving conclusively that animated movies aren't just for kids. In the intervening decades, the franchise has even made a strong case in favour of sequels - demonstrating that they're not necessarily soulless cash-grabs. Toy Story 4 is very much a part of that grand tradition. This is smart, soulful, sublime film-making: somehow entertaining and profound all at once.
THE STORY: Sheriff Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is trying his best to adjust to life with Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) - the little girl who inherited Andy's beloved childhood toys at the end of Toy Story 3. Even though he's forgotten more often than not, Woody remains intensely focused on Bonnie and her happiness. This means going into full babysitter/bodyguard mode when Bonnie creates Forky (Tony Hale), a spork with twists of wire for hands and clumsy wooden popsicle sticks for feet. As Woody tries to keep the trash-oriented Forky safe, he's swept into an accidental adventure - one in which he meets old friends and learns new truths about who he is and who he has yet to be.
THE GREAT: Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Toy Story 4 is the fact that it feels like the natural, necessary final chapter of a story told in four parts. There's no way that any of this could have been planned when Pixar first introduced us to Woody in 1995, but the progression in both narrative and character development feels utterly organic. Woody has spent the last three films grappling with his existential fear of being lost, forgotten or replaced, from his first meeting with the brash Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) to the day Andy outgrew him and went away to college. This film challenges Woody - and his audiences - to think hard about second chances, about changing how you look at yourself, about finding and embracing a new purpose in life. As such, Toy Story 4 might be the most philosophical movie you'll see this year, in the best possible way.
THE NOT-SO-GREAT: There actually isn't all that much to complain about. The plot machinations can feel a little clunky at times, but Stephany Folsom and Andrew Stanton weave so much joy and humour into their screenplay that the film still zips along. As this is very much Woody's movie, fan-favourite legacy characters like Buzz and Jessie (Joan Cusack) inevitably end up taking a back-seat. Even then, however, they each still get moments to shine. You might find yourself both thoroughly amused and mildly annoyed by the antics of Ducky (Keagan Michael-Key) and Bunny (Jordan Peele), a symbiotic pair of new characters who were clearly inserted into proceedings for comic relief.
FORKING FUNNY: Give it up for Forky, surely the best new animated character of the year. Voiced with a bewildered tenderness by Hale, Forky is a delight - a walking, talking identity crisis created out of one little girl's love and imagination. Even better? With his magnetic attraction to all nearby trash-cans, Forky is a fandom meme just waiting to happen. A close runner-up is daredevil stuntman Duke Caboom, who reportedly owes his ridiculously charming posing and personality to current internet darling Keanu Reeves' commitment to the role. Toy Story 4 even manages to make its main antagonist, Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks), both terrifying and endearing - although there are fewer shades of grey when it comes to her ventriloquist-doll minions, led by the determinedly creepy Benson.
COWBOY BLUES: Ultimately, Toy Story 4 belongs to Woody, and rightfully so. He is this franchise's Captain America, in more ways than one. This film pays loving tribute to Woody's big heart and unwavering, self-effacing loyalty, even as it shakes up his life and world-view when he encounters old friend and possible paramour Bo Peep (Annie Potts) again. (Bo, by the way, is now super-cool and as far away from a fragile damsel-in-distress as anyone can be.) Woody's decisions and revelations about himself will make you weep with the most complex and bittersweet of emotions. There is joy and sorrow here, hope and heartbreak, final farewells and new beginnings, often in the same moment. In other words, it's the stuff of life itself, and it's glorious.
CREDITS WHERE CREDITS ARE DUE: You'll definitely want to stay throughout the credits of the film, which are peppered with closing scenes that are essential to tying up the overarching narrative. At the very end, you'll even be rewarded with a happy ending for one of Toy Story 4's most minor of characters.
RECOMMENDED? In every possible way. Toy Story 4 is a masterpiece of film-making, story-telling and animation. Delightful and devastating in equal measure, it might well be the silliest and most soul-stirring film you'll see this year.
THE STORY: Sheriff Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is trying his best to adjust to life with Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) - the little girl who inherited Andy's beloved childhood toys at the end of Toy Story 3. Even though he's forgotten more often than not, Woody remains intensely focused on Bonnie and her happiness. This means going into full babysitter/bodyguard mode when Bonnie creates Forky (Tony Hale), a spork with twists of wire for hands and clumsy wooden popsicle sticks for feet. As Woody tries to keep the trash-oriented Forky safe, he's swept into an accidental adventure - one in which he meets old friends and learns new truths about who he is and who he has yet to be.
THE GREAT: Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Toy Story 4 is the fact that it feels like the natural, necessary final chapter of a story told in four parts. There's no way that any of this could have been planned when Pixar first introduced us to Woody in 1995, but the progression in both narrative and character development feels utterly organic. Woody has spent the last three films grappling with his existential fear of being lost, forgotten or replaced, from his first meeting with the brash Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) to the day Andy outgrew him and went away to college. This film challenges Woody - and his audiences - to think hard about second chances, about changing how you look at yourself, about finding and embracing a new purpose in life. As such, Toy Story 4 might be the most philosophical movie you'll see this year, in the best possible way.
THE NOT-SO-GREAT: There actually isn't all that much to complain about. The plot machinations can feel a little clunky at times, but Stephany Folsom and Andrew Stanton weave so much joy and humour into their screenplay that the film still zips along. As this is very much Woody's movie, fan-favourite legacy characters like Buzz and Jessie (Joan Cusack) inevitably end up taking a back-seat. Even then, however, they each still get moments to shine. You might find yourself both thoroughly amused and mildly annoyed by the antics of Ducky (Keagan Michael-Key) and Bunny (Jordan Peele), a symbiotic pair of new characters who were clearly inserted into proceedings for comic relief.
FORKING FUNNY: Give it up for Forky, surely the best new animated character of the year. Voiced with a bewildered tenderness by Hale, Forky is a delight - a walking, talking identity crisis created out of one little girl's love and imagination. Even better? With his magnetic attraction to all nearby trash-cans, Forky is a fandom meme just waiting to happen. A close runner-up is daredevil stuntman Duke Caboom, who reportedly owes his ridiculously charming posing and personality to current internet darling Keanu Reeves' commitment to the role. Toy Story 4 even manages to make its main antagonist, Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks), both terrifying and endearing - although there are fewer shades of grey when it comes to her ventriloquist-doll minions, led by the determinedly creepy Benson.
COWBOY BLUES: Ultimately, Toy Story 4 belongs to Woody, and rightfully so. He is this franchise's Captain America, in more ways than one. This film pays loving tribute to Woody's big heart and unwavering, self-effacing loyalty, even as it shakes up his life and world-view when he encounters old friend and possible paramour Bo Peep (Annie Potts) again. (Bo, by the way, is now super-cool and as far away from a fragile damsel-in-distress as anyone can be.) Woody's decisions and revelations about himself will make you weep with the most complex and bittersweet of emotions. There is joy and sorrow here, hope and heartbreak, final farewells and new beginnings, often in the same moment. In other words, it's the stuff of life itself, and it's glorious.
CREDITS WHERE CREDITS ARE DUE: You'll definitely want to stay throughout the credits of the film, which are peppered with closing scenes that are essential to tying up the overarching narrative. At the very end, you'll even be rewarded with a happy ending for one of Toy Story 4's most minor of characters.
RECOMMENDED? In every possible way. Toy Story 4 is a masterpiece of film-making, story-telling and animation. Delightful and devastating in equal measure, it might well be the silliest and most soul-stirring film you'll see this year.
Maybe should has stopped after third
aggelosg-8993429 January 2020
This movie is not just the other three. The plot is ok but it can't reach the level of that we we expected to see. It is quite usual and i had see that coming. It is ok to see for kids but i should not recommend parents watching this while caring of their child.
Plus, all the toys behavior's just don't keep up with all we knew. Their moves, their language are not in same path as we got used. An unexpected and sad end comes through the end.
But, directors, whatever you plan just stop it here!
There's going to be haters, for no good reason.
laperlealex21 June 2019
There's going to be people who are going to hate Toy Story 4. It's pathetic that people go to the movies wanting to hate this movie and that every time they see a flaw, they're going to talk about it too much, and bring out the film as if it would be bad. We're here. It's definitely not a perfect movie. When was the last time we saw a flawless animated film. For my part, it never happened. In the first few weeks, people will love the film but the more the weeks go on, the more bad reviews will come out. That's what happened with Incredibles 2. For those who will pay to go trash against the movie, try to enjoy all the excellent moments that Toy Story 4 offers us. I've always been a fan of the trilogy and when I knew they were going to make a fourth film, I was a bit worried but I didn't think it was going to be terrible and when I went to the movies I wanted to love the film. In the end, I adored it. Josh Cooley has demonstrated that he loves the trilogy and the characters. A few people will say that they were missing minutes on screen for several characters but we had a lot in the last film. Directing, cinematography and animation for this movie was arguably the best of the Toy Story films. The pacing wasn't quite perfect and at one point it looked episodic but it was a film with beautiful morals and very touching moments. The first 40 minutes or so were more than excellent. The ending (without spoilers) was sad but not as much as Toy Story 3. Yet it was heartbreaking. It's the funniest Toy Story movie from my point of view. The villain was very well written and her acolytes were scary. Forky was hilarious. Tom Hanks vocal performance was his best. All in all, the movie is really great and it is my favorite movie of the year so far. For haters, enjoy the film and do not try to put everything on small details.
There was a time where Disney movies were telling stories, now it's all about sending messages...
ElMaruecan8227 June 2019
I know time is up to dust off a few gender-driven stereotypes. For that, "Frozen" was a landmark. But there's a fine line between creating new characters and promoting their differences and deconstructing old characters that belong to a whole other storyline in order to promote a difference, that's when I get the feeling that Disney is dangerously toying with its own legacy.
To make myself more specific, I would have no problem with a film centering on a gender exclusive romance and maybe that will be "Frozen II" novelty, but I would have a problem if they made a sequel to "The Fox and the Hound" in order to suggest that there was more than a friendship between Todd and Copper. Watching "Toy Story 4", I felt betrayed by the way the whole relationship between toys and owners, that took a trilogy to be built, was demystified in one single film to shine a light on Disney's 'new order'.
All the previous "Toy Story" movies had a specific story. The first was exploring the psychology of toys within their relationships with their owners. Anyone could relate to that, kids who own toys and adults who used to. It also sealed the friendship between Woody and Buzz, as two of Andy's favorites, not rivals. The second film established the issue of growing up through the Jessie situation and the impeding doom of hormone-driven rejection. Still, Andy and Woody realized that they were not articles among others or valuable items to be worshiped, having ANDY written on their feet was their value and it was perfect while it lasted.
The trilogy ended with the perfect tone (and note), Andy, now grown-up, realizes that the sentimental value of his toys depend on their current utilization as much as their past, so he gives all the toys, including Woody, to Bonnie. For the first time, there's a voluntary separation between the partners, it's an end of era but also a new start. And the toys' "circle of life" has always been about children having toys not toys having children, the song wasn't "I've got a friend in you" after all. In that fourth opus, there's such an obsession with that notion of "having children" that it felt like they were procreating them. I'm not exaggerating, it's used so many times it became a whole overarching theme.
But I didn't have a problem with that because the film started with a rather touching scene. Feeling rejected by Bonnie, Woody follows her in her first day at school and helps her create a new toy, "Forky", I just loved the way the "Spork" came alive on the sole basis that he was considered a toy, and the way Woody felt responsible in a fatherly that wasn't totally out of place in the film's context. Because the motive was still Bonnie: he didn't want her to lose her new toy, Woody was still thinking of his owner, and that's the way all toys behaved, not because that's the way it should be, but because that's the way it was established as soon as the series began.
This is why I just hated the way Woody admitted at the end that he did that because he had nothing else to do, as if toys were supposed to have an existence of their own, and being a lost toy was an option. Woody cared for Bonnie and Forky and it was out of character to describe this as a weakness. But the film constantly shows Woody as a weak character, both morally and physically, and for that, the studios came up with the right contrast: Bo Peep who is of course the incarnation of the Disney heroine, she's brave, bad-ass, perfect, not one ounce of vulnerability and nothing is impossible to her. Meanwhile, Jessie was relegated to a tertiary character while she could have been the female lead after all.
The character of Gabby Gabby was a great addition though, acting like a Disney villain (especially with her scary minions-automatons) but displaying a hidden depth that broke my heart. That Gabby had the potential, but Bo was such a caricature that I could hear the marketing strategy behind her creation "let her awesomeness put Woody to shame" and she did a great job at that. Naturally, she's proud of not "having children" which seems to associate parenting with a form of commitment a girl should be proud to reject. Quite hypocritical from a studio whose main audiences aren't seniors.
Now, maybe I'm overanalyzing, but when you also have two toys who insist on "having children" since they've been "waiting for three years" and they're males, it's of course a nod to the right for adoption, which draws the obvious parallel between belonging to children and having children. Which says in subtext, women shouldn't make raising families a priority but it's clearly one for those who've been denied this right. The message isn't wrong but just off-topic in the context of a series where a/ toys have always been the possessed ones not the possessors, b/ when the possession was a mark of friendship and nothing else and c/ when viewers could relate to owners, even from the toys' perspective. By over-humanizing them to make them timely relevant, something of the series' charm was lost.
My view is rather conservative but only in the sense that I wished the spirit of "Toy Story" to be conserved the way it was in the first three films, I enjoy a progressive film like anyone, but I wish Disney could do that with new characters, not with series whose arcs were perfectly closed. But I think I see where they're coming from, they're probably preparing a spin-off prequel that will center on Bo Peep, so maybe "Toy Story 4" is only a vehicle for her. Ironic that in the film, it's a skunk.
To make myself more specific, I would have no problem with a film centering on a gender exclusive romance and maybe that will be "Frozen II" novelty, but I would have a problem if they made a sequel to "The Fox and the Hound" in order to suggest that there was more than a friendship between Todd and Copper. Watching "Toy Story 4", I felt betrayed by the way the whole relationship between toys and owners, that took a trilogy to be built, was demystified in one single film to shine a light on Disney's 'new order'.
All the previous "Toy Story" movies had a specific story. The first was exploring the psychology of toys within their relationships with their owners. Anyone could relate to that, kids who own toys and adults who used to. It also sealed the friendship between Woody and Buzz, as two of Andy's favorites, not rivals. The second film established the issue of growing up through the Jessie situation and the impeding doom of hormone-driven rejection. Still, Andy and Woody realized that they were not articles among others or valuable items to be worshiped, having ANDY written on their feet was their value and it was perfect while it lasted.
The trilogy ended with the perfect tone (and note), Andy, now grown-up, realizes that the sentimental value of his toys depend on their current utilization as much as their past, so he gives all the toys, including Woody, to Bonnie. For the first time, there's a voluntary separation between the partners, it's an end of era but also a new start. And the toys' "circle of life" has always been about children having toys not toys having children, the song wasn't "I've got a friend in you" after all. In that fourth opus, there's such an obsession with that notion of "having children" that it felt like they were procreating them. I'm not exaggerating, it's used so many times it became a whole overarching theme.
But I didn't have a problem with that because the film started with a rather touching scene. Feeling rejected by Bonnie, Woody follows her in her first day at school and helps her create a new toy, "Forky", I just loved the way the "Spork" came alive on the sole basis that he was considered a toy, and the way Woody felt responsible in a fatherly that wasn't totally out of place in the film's context. Because the motive was still Bonnie: he didn't want her to lose her new toy, Woody was still thinking of his owner, and that's the way all toys behaved, not because that's the way it should be, but because that's the way it was established as soon as the series began.
This is why I just hated the way Woody admitted at the end that he did that because he had nothing else to do, as if toys were supposed to have an existence of their own, and being a lost toy was an option. Woody cared for Bonnie and Forky and it was out of character to describe this as a weakness. But the film constantly shows Woody as a weak character, both morally and physically, and for that, the studios came up with the right contrast: Bo Peep who is of course the incarnation of the Disney heroine, she's brave, bad-ass, perfect, not one ounce of vulnerability and nothing is impossible to her. Meanwhile, Jessie was relegated to a tertiary character while she could have been the female lead after all.
The character of Gabby Gabby was a great addition though, acting like a Disney villain (especially with her scary minions-automatons) but displaying a hidden depth that broke my heart. That Gabby had the potential, but Bo was such a caricature that I could hear the marketing strategy behind her creation "let her awesomeness put Woody to shame" and she did a great job at that. Naturally, she's proud of not "having children" which seems to associate parenting with a form of commitment a girl should be proud to reject. Quite hypocritical from a studio whose main audiences aren't seniors.
Now, maybe I'm overanalyzing, but when you also have two toys who insist on "having children" since they've been "waiting for three years" and they're males, it's of course a nod to the right for adoption, which draws the obvious parallel between belonging to children and having children. Which says in subtext, women shouldn't make raising families a priority but it's clearly one for those who've been denied this right. The message isn't wrong but just off-topic in the context of a series where a/ toys have always been the possessed ones not the possessors, b/ when the possession was a mark of friendship and nothing else and c/ when viewers could relate to owners, even from the toys' perspective. By over-humanizing them to make them timely relevant, something of the series' charm was lost.
My view is rather conservative but only in the sense that I wished the spirit of "Toy Story" to be conserved the way it was in the first three films, I enjoy a progressive film like anyone, but I wish Disney could do that with new characters, not with series whose arcs were perfectly closed. But I think I see where they're coming from, they're probably preparing a spin-off prequel that will center on Bo Peep, so maybe "Toy Story 4" is only a vehicle for her. Ironic that in the film, it's a skunk.
Best Unexpected Sequel ever!
daltonjmanes13 July 2019
It was beautiful...
apolsexybootie18 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Need i say more???
It has a different turn out not like the other villain in the first 3 installments.
And it was more heartbreaking than the 3rd...
But anyway, i like it that woody finally got to choose himself first..❤
Bad Ending
Redbird3826 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Yeah...that entire movie isn't as bad as the ending, but the ending almost ruins all four films. It really just seems forced because they didn't want to leave open the possibility of Toy Story 5. They should have just had Bo Peep go with them. They spent 3 2/3 movies building Woody into one thing and then destroyed him in under a minute.
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