Great add-on, but weighed down by too many new characters

Rating: 8/10 (28 June 2019)

Getting this out of the way first: the first three Toy Stories are 10/10 movies in my opinion. The fourth had the potential to be on the same level, but it (just barely) misses that mark. I say this because it works amazingly as a movie on its own (great balance of breathtaking animation, good humor, interesting characters), but it slightly disappoints in the area where it really matters (giving fans of the first three a chance to see all of their favorite characters again). I get that the movies have always been focused on Woody's story, but his group of friends deserve more than a few lines each. The new characters (especially Key and Peele's stuffed animals) are funny but not interesting enough to justify pushing Buzz Lightyear into a minor role. Sticking with fewer new characters (was the mini cop toy really necessary?) would have made so much more sense and opened up opportunities to fit in the rest of the original Toy Story cast. When they make a fifth Toy Story (which is sure to happen, judging by the box office receipts), I hope to see more of the other toys we have been following since 1995.