Review: TOY STORY 4 Is Another Beautiful and Emotional Chapter in Pixar's Beloved Franchise

When it was first announced that Pixar was developing a fourth Toy Story film, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Not another one! Toy Story 3 was the perfect conclusion to the trilogy!” I said. I know a lot of people were thinking the same thing; a lot of fans still are!

What started to change my attitude is when actors like Tom Hanks and Tim Allen started talking about the film and the story and how emotional it is. It’s what they had to say about the movie that started to win me over and then as the trailers were released, my excitement about seeing these characters up on the big screen again started to grow and the excitement within me grew.

I was still a little apprehensive when I attended the press screening of the film with my daughter, but as the film started playing those feelings just melted away, and I found myself once again engulfed in the Toy Story world with my favorite characters, characters that I was first introduced to back in 1995, which I was still in high school!

Toy Story 4 ended up being another incredible and beautiful chapter in Pixar’s beloved and treasured franchise. The story takes these characters and thrusts them into unfamiliar territory. It also address some interesting themes and some bold risks are taken. Some very unexpected things also happen that I didn’t see coming.

I don’t want to get into any spoiler territory, but this movie made me realize that I didn’t know as much as I thought about some of my favorite Toy Story characters. There are certain personality traits that are highlighted in this movie that I didn’t really notice or think about before and it was very interesting, things such as Woody’s selflessness and Buzz Lightyear’s naivety. These are things that are amplified.

It really fun to see Bo Peep and Woody reunite in this story, and it’s under some very interesting circumstances that lead to a surprise outcome. Bo Peep has gone through some changes and she is enjoying her freedom as a lost toy. This is a thought that scares the living crap out of Woody, so there is an interesting relationship dynamic between the two characters when they reconnect.

There are also a lot of new characters introduced in the story! Forky (Tony Hale), whom you’ve already been introduced to in the trailers, is a hilarious addition. I loved Forky and it was fun to see his character grow throughout the movie as he was learning new things about who he is and what his purpose is. There’s also Duke Kaboom (Keanu Reeves) who had a bigger role than I thought he would have in the movie. He’s an extremely fun Canadian stuntman character that fans will love. Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) would be considered the villain of the story along with her creepy Benson thugs, who are voiceless ventriloquist dummies. Gabby Gabby’s story arc ends up having an unexpected outcome, and it was such a smart and different way to play with a character like this. Then there’s Ducky and Bunny (Michael Key and Jordan Peele) who bring some hilarious comic relief to the film. Finally, there’s Giggle McDimples (Ally Maki), who is a miniature plastic police officer from the 1980s, and she is pretty much Bo Peep’s high-energy sidekick.

The movie is filled with characters you will be able to relate to in some way. This is the synopsis that was released for the film:

Woody has always been confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called “Forky” to her room, a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends will show Woody how big the world can be for a toy.

But the movie is so much more than that! That is just one small aspect of a much bigger story, and I’ll let you watch the film for yourself to enjoy all of the surprises.

Toy Story fans are going to love Toy Story 4! The most important aspect of it is the fact that it’s filled with so much heart, emotion, humor, and adventure. Fans will brought to tears... again. That’s just the kind of story it tells.