Review: Toy Story 4

Synopsis:

Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) 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. So when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (voice of Tony Hale), declares himself as “trash” and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep (voice of Annie Potts). After years of being on her own, Bo’s adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they’re worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that’s the least of their worries.

What We Thought:

Toy Story 4 is pretty delightful. I’m not a diehard Disney/Pixar fan, but the Toy Story franchise is one that hasn’t disappointed me. All your favorite characters are back along with a couple of new friends.

We all know that Pixar films follow a certain formula at this point and this one checkmarks everything on the list. It’s funny. It’s emotional. Characters go through a lot, but nothing gets too crazy and is overall pretty safe. Both adults and children will like it. It’s colorful and musical and like most Pixar films will make bank at the box office.

I will say that this one did get a bit dark at times. Sure the original film showed a human doing some crazy things to toys, but this has some uber creepy mannequin type dolls. Honestly they could rival Annabelle. Plus there’s a side story that is somewhat dark with a doll toy wanting Woody’s voicebox for herself. I don’t know if Key & Peele’s characters are always 100% kid friendly either, but adults will surely enjoy them and it’s good seeing the comedy duo working together again even if it’s just voice work.

But overall the film is very family friendly and fun. Obviously you most likely know whether or not you want to see it. It’s Toy Story 4, if you’ve enjoyed the first 3, you’ll be seeing this. If you haven’t seen them, you won’t be going to this. Disney/Pixar fans will love it and they will be crying by film’s end. There really isn’t much you need to say about Toy Story 4. It has a built in audience that has been eagerly awaiting the film for years and they won’t be disappointed. I wasn’t too disappointed and it’s something I’d definitely watch again which isn’t something I say about every Pixar film. I’m not sure if there will be a fifth movie, but with the billions this one is going to make it will be hard for Disney not to continue the franchise.

U.S. Release Date: June 21, 2019

Voice Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Blake Clark, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris

Director: Josh Cooley

Producers: Jonas Rivera, Mark Nielsen