A Worthy Addition to the Franchise

Rating: 10/10 (21 June 2019)

Like many movie lovers who grew up in the 1990s, Toy Story was one of the staples of childhood when it came to watching films. After the release of Toy Story 2 in 1999, many believed the franchise had ended, until a third film came along over ten years later. Really putting a capper on the Toy Story story as fans knew it from the beginning, Toy Story 3 was a definitive conclusion. So why was a third instalment even in the works? Until the release of the movie, that was the question on many viewers' minds. Personally, upon the initial announcement a few years back, I was against this movie, but I've loved these films since the beginning, so of course, I was going to check this one out, and I'm glad that I did. Toy Story 4 has earned a worthy place in the franchise in my eyes.
Picking up pretty soon after the events of the third film, we now see how our favourite, loveable toys have moved on from their previous owner (Andy) and how they've settled in with their new one in Bonnie. Without getting into the specifics of how or why a new toy (Forky) is introduced, I'll just simply state that Bonnie builds him at school and he miraculously comes to life, giving Woody a new job, so to speak. The plot really kicks into gear, However, when Forky is thrust onto the street during a family vacation, and the Woody/Forky excursion begins. Each toy has a moment to shine, but this truly is a film about Woody.
I could immediately dive into negatives and say that Buzz Lightyear doesn't have enough screen time or that reference and lines of dialogue from previous movies are slightly repeated too much throughout the duration of the movie, but that would just be me complaining about an otherwise near-perfect animated film. I had nitpicks here and there while watching the movie, but I just have to be honest and say the overall movie surrounding those inner quarrels were just scratches on a canvas that was painted beautifully as a whole.
As always, the animation is astounding and life-like at times, which feels a little funny when comparing it to how simple the animation was in the original film, so the movie was beautiful to look at. On top of that, this is a film filled with heart, that cares about its characters, and even takes the time to introduce many new, memorable faces along the way. From Ducky and Bunny to Duke Caboom, these new characters will actually remain in my mind as memorable side characters, which is what many sequels fail to do these days.
In the end, fans of the first three movies are more than likely going to love watching this instalment, newcomers will get a fresh story now that a previous chapter has been closed, and fans of comedy will also get many clever laughs here as well. I'm not ready to call Toy Story 4 my favourite film of the franchise by any means, but in terms of character progression, emotion, and an overall extremely enjoyable film, I would be lying if I didn't say that I loved it. Yes, I have minor issues, but they are so small that I just feel like giving this one a perfect grade, which I haven't given to many films in 2019. Toy Story 4 is a wonderful time at the movies and I highly recommend it.