Popcorn Empire - Toy Story 4 Review

Rating: 9/10 (6 July 2019)

"... Toy Story 4 is a near perfect entry in one of the strongest animated franchises of all time" 9/10
Toy Story is a series of Pixar animated films that have been entertaining audiences of all ages for over 20 years. These films have consistently been on the cutting edge of animation, full of charming characters and fun stories. With each film, the stories have become more and more emotional, dealing with the existential crisis of toys and their purpose. Pushing these themes further than ever, Toy Story 4 is a near perfect entry in one of the strongest animated franchises of all time.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
In this film, the story more heavily revolves around Woody than in previous entries. He still struggles to move on from Andy, and because of this he projects his loyalty onto Bonnie.
When Bonnie makes Forky during her preschool orientation, Woody immediately notices how much Forky means to her. He becomes determined to a fault to keep Bonnie and Forky together. Things become complicated when Forky tries to run away during a family road trip, and Woody chases after him. When Woody gets sidetracked looking for Bo Peep, who was separated from the group years before, the rest of the gang begin to look for him and Forky. What follows is zippy adventure with fun action sequences, lots of laughs, and most importantly, a lot of heart.
Many new toy characters are introduced, all of which are funny and entertaining. It's very hard not to smile just from the sheer amount of charm in the entire cast of characters, both old and new. The humor is as goofy and hilarious as ever, especially with the new character Forky, voiced by Tony Hale. His existential nightmare causes all sorts of antics, and his childlike worldview is endearing and unique.
One minor drawback is that we don't get a lot of screen time with some classic characters such as Rex, Slinky, and Jessie. A large number of toys are left to sit in an RV for most of the movie, while Buzz and Woody run around with new characters. But this is a minor complaint when what we do get is so much fun.
While the plot does rehash some ideas from previous films, what makes this story work so well is its strong emotional core. Woody learns to let go of the past, accept that his life as a child's toy is over, and begin to pursue the life he really wants.
The voice performances are top notch all around, giving this movie a lot of personality and charm. The animation is vibrant, detailed, and beautifully rendered. Overall, this is a top-of-the-line animated film, and it delivers just about everything you could want from a Toy Story sequel.
9/10