I Will Love Toy Story 4 For Infinity and Beyond

Rating: 9/10 (22 June 2019)

When I first walked out of Toy Story 4, I wasn't a huge fan. The second time I saw it, I loved it. This movie didn't have to exist, as Toy Story 3 was the perfect ending, but I'm happy it does. Tom Hanks returns as Woody and delivers one of, if not his best performance in the role. The way Woody's character is handled is beautiful and in many ways tragic. Without spoiling the ending, it's a very conclusive and beautiful end to Woody's character arc. Tim Allen returns as Buzz Lightyear and, while I think the character was at his best in Toy Story 2, this movie portrays his friendship with Woody the best, especially at the end. Annie Potts as Bo Peep gets a lot more screen time in this movie, than in the first two combined. While I honestly didn't care for her that much as a character in the first two, here it's a completely different story. She's a genuinely interesting character and introduces a new piece of the Toy Story universe we've never really seen before; toys without kids, that run around living their own lives. The new characters are all pretty good. Tony Hale is both hilarious and interesting as Forky. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peel as Duckie and Bunny, I didn't care for. They were decent characters and gave some good laughs, but they could get annoying at some points in the movie. Christina Hendricks made a fantastic antagonist, the best one in the series. Her motivations are so relatable that I can barely call her a villain and she's probably the best new character in the movie. Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom was the comedic highlight of the movie and every scene with him was gold.
If I had one problem with the movie, it's that several of our favourite characters from the first three movies are barely in the movie. Jessie, Slinky, Mr and Mrs. Potato Head, Hamm, Rex, The Alliens and Bullseye all have very limited screen time, but I understand as this movie focuses primarily on Woody and the new characters.
In summary, Toy Story 4 is a fantastic return to the franchise, a beautiful ending to Woody's story, introduces several new, memorable characters and has massively improved animation when compared to the other films. Is it the best Toy Story film? No. Is it a great one? Yes. I'd wholeheartedly recommend it.