Surprisingly great

Rating: 9/10 (23 July 2019)

When Toy Story 4 was announced, I became quite skeptical. I thought Toy Story 3 had a perfect ending and sendoff to the characters we've grown to love over the years. So initially I was scared. However, I'm happy to say that Pixar have proved once again why they are one of the best animation studios working today.
From beginning to end, this movie was a blast. I had so much fun throughout its entirety. Let's start off with the animation. The animation in this film is downright gorgeous. The colours and textures of everything make the film look very photorealistic. It's safe to say Pixar has excelled in that department. This movie is directed by debutant Josh Cooley. What a debut! His style of direction is impressive especially for a debut. There are so many clever shots utilised especially during scenes that involve a lot of action.
The new characters in the movie are great. Ducky and Bunny, voiced by Key & Peele, are hilarious and a lot of their jokes land. Keanu Reeves voices a character named Duke Caboom who is also entertaining. The main story revolves around the new character Forky who could have been annoying but Pixar made the character more likeable which worked out. It felt so nostalgic seeing Bo Peep once again. I was a bit worried Pixar might change the character to act in a certain way but thankfully that wasn't the case.
The only issue I have with the film is that other supporting characters from the previous films don't have much of a role in this film since the story mainly focuses on Woody, Forky and Bo Peep.
Despite that one negative, this film is awesome. It felt really nice seeing these beloved characters on the big screen once again. The story, animation, screenplay and direction were all superb. There are some great lessons about friendship, change and importance that can be learnt by both children and adults alike. Even though Toy Story 4 is unnecessary, it still is a fantastic installment in the franchise.