"Like it or not, you are a toy!"

Rating: 7/10 (5 August 2019)

For this older viewer, this entry in the Toy Story series didn't seem to capture the same magic as the first three films. It's not bad as a stand alone film, but when you compare it to what's gone before, there's an element missing that makes it more of an average animated picture. There aren't as many sight gags and it doesn't carry the same sense of nostalgia that "Toy Story 2" had, for example. What it does have going for it is the skillful animation and colorful palette, and the new character 'Forky' added a whimsical vibe to the cast of characters. Most of the other returning toys though are sadly underused; Buzz Lightyear for example only makes a handful of appearances and isn't instrumental to the story line. Duke Caboom was also a new entertaining presence, while the pair of ventriloquist dummies reminded me of a couple 'Twilight Zone' episode characters back in the day which they resembled so much. But even though my review here is kind of lukewarm, I'd still encourage families to view it together as a fun time at the theater. That's the way I did it, and that's what makes it all worthwhile.