Toy Story 4

This review may contain spoilers!

I thought Toy Story 3 was the perfect conclusion but boy am I glad to be proven wrong. I would give Toy Story 4 a 9/10.

Toy Story 4 follows Woody and the rest of the toy gang as they adjust to life with their 'new kid', Bonnie and the newly brought to life spork, Forky, who has become her favourite toy. Over the course of the film Woody reunites with Bo Peep and learns that just because a toy doesn't have a home doesn't mean that it's lost. This story is an exploration in character that few live-action films are capable of achieving or living up to. Over the course of the story Woody finds himself a toy who is no longer loved as much as he used to by Andy, yet he feels a responsibility to Bonnie and wants to make her happy. By becoming Forky's caretaker and guide he thinks he is starting to find his place and it's clear Woody is driven by a newfound calling. Yet upon spotting Bo Peep's lamp he finds himself torn between his newfound purpose and his lost connection with an old friend. This results in Woody losing Forky to Gabby Gabby, a doll who is desperate to unite with a child of her own. Barely escaping this new antagonist Woody and Bo finally get their chance to reunite; Woody is surprised to discover that Bo Peep has become a lost toy, which means she roams from place to place and only occasionally becomes the centre of a child's entertainment. The rest of the film pushes Woody to decide if he wants to continue staying with one kid or if he wants to experience the life Bo has been leading. It's a really emotional journey and the scene in which Woody has to say farewell at the end marks the perfect conclusion to the third act. The animation shows just how far these films have come, with the level of detail to the toys and the range of toys that can be involved now quite surprising to see. The score for the film just feeds the tone and really helps draw out the emotional response from the audience; the soundtrack is more placed for generating a fun degree of humour that lands well.

Tom Hanks, who voiced Woody, is the charismatic heart of these films who has always been so driven by being a 'good toy' to Andy and Bonnie; Hanks does a really great job of showing the conflict Woody faces between staying with his friends or with Bo throughout the feature. Tony Hale, who voiced Forky, is a very frenzied character who is strange and random when he is first introduced; Hale's bizarre role is full of humour and a great new addition to the cast. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who voiced Ducky and Bunny respectively, are some of the most inspired and practiced figures of comedy in this film; the scenes in which these toys come up with grand plans are absolutely side-splitting. Madeleine McGraw, who voiced Bonnie, is a loveable kid in many of the same ways Andy was; McGraw just fits the wonder and awe that a child has with her toys. Christina Hendricks, who voiced Gabby Gabby, is a role who seems fairly sweet but she is so desperate for her goal that she turns swiftly sinister; Hendricks has a brilliant redemption arc for her role that really had me hooked.Keanu Reeves, who voiced Duke Caboom, clearly got to play with a role he really enjoyed here; Reeves' overemotional Canadian stuntman is another stand out new entry to the series. Ally Maki, who voiced Giggle McDimples, is a real point of energy; Maki has a fast-paced comedic delivery and a strong chemistry with Potts' Bo Peep. Maliah Bargas-Good, who voiced Lost Girl, is a character who only really holds one scene but it is one of the most emotional moments in the film; the way Bargas-Good has to conduct the conclusion to Gabby Gabby's redemption arc is masterfully handled.

However, the best performance came from Annie Potts, who voiced Bo Peep. In a Toy Story film you tend to expect the show to be stolen from either Woody or Buzz but this film makes a real point of showcasing Bo Peep's journey as a character since last we saw her. The whole film begins by reminding you of the chemistry shared between Bo and Woody and you realise how dynamic and synergetic this pair is. What the film does so well is separate these two and show the pain that brings and the divide that was created. Potts then moulds Bo into a fierce survivor, a toy who is comfortable without having her own kid, even if that did pain her for a time. Bo Peep is this incredible resourceful character who leaps into danger and can repair any damage doen to herself and others. Annie Potts takes this role and makes her one of the most memorable female leads Disney/Pixar has done of late.

The film does suffer a bit in the late first act and early second due to how it treats Buzz and some of the supporting characters. Buzz Lightyear has always been a series staple when it comes to the Toy Story films and it is just so abundantly clear that the writers had no idea what to do with him this time around. His story isn't interesting and he just gets tacked on to the main plot when it works; often the supporting cast and Buzz are treated as disposable ensemble roles that can be brought in and out when convenient.

Tim Allen, who voiced Buzz Lightyear, seems bored voicing a character who has so little purpose; you can tell that Allen doesn't really seem to have much sense of what to do with Buzz this time around. Jay Hernandez and Lori Alan, who voiced Bonnie's Dad and Bonnie's Mum respectively, are quite comfortable with giving generic performances to these characters; the parent roles tend to fall into the background in Toy Story and the fourth time seems to keep that on track. Joan Cusack, Bonnie Hunt, Kristen Schaal, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Blake Clark, Don Rickles, Jeff Garlin and Estelle Harris, who played Jessie, Dolly, Trixie, Rex, Hamm, Slinky Dog, Mr Potato Head, Buttercup and Mrs Potato Head respectively, all at some point really felt like roles within this story but some shoved out of the spotlight into a featureless background ensemble; the addition of new cast members to this group only makes the mass of voices here harder to distinguish from the bunch.