Toy Story 4 Movie Review
Toy Story 4 is hilarious and emotional, creating an incredible journey.
Thank you to Walt Disney Studios for the invitation to the advanced media screening to facilitate our Toy Story 4 movie review.
The toys are back in town with Toy Story 4 and the gang is all there with Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and Bullseye but a new character named Forky changes everything and we mean everything.
The film opens with a look back at the storyline from nine years ago in a young Andy’s room. Toy Story 3 came out nine years ago but this is not our timeline, it is the movie timeline. We see Andy as a young child and we learn what happens to RC and Bo Peep, who was not seen in the third movie. This finally answers all those questions about her absence.
You do not have to see any of the previous three films in order to understand and enjoy this movie. You do however go down memory lane and see glimpses of the previous three to seamlessly make the fourth a remarkable story beautifully told in just a few seconds. It is artistry at its finest.
Fast forward nine years and we end up in Bonnie’s room where Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, is still the sheriff and always looking after his kid but Bonnie has new plans and that leaves Woody in the closet while Bonnie takes Woody’s sheriff’s badge and puts it on Jessie. There is a new sheriff in town. Woody is heartbroken but when he sees Bonnie upset and nervous about going to her first day in Kindergarten he stows away in her backpack to keep an eye on her. It is ultimately Woody who brings comfort to Bonnie, unbeknownst to her. He watches Bonnie make her new creation and she promptly names him Forky.
Forky, voiced by Tony Hale, is definitely not entirely what you see in the preview and is hilarious. He does not see himself as something special but purely trash. He spends quite a bit of time proving to Woody he is simply trash while Woody is focused on changing his mind. When Bonnie and her family go on a road trip in an RV, Forky’s choices end up causing havoc as he is lost and it is Woody who goes after him.
Watching Woody and Forky hilariously walk down a dark road hand in hand turns into a sweet moment. There are moments like that in the film where you go from laughing out loud to that awe moment in seconds. It truly is what Pixar does best with the art of the story.
The adventure of a lifetime that everyone goes on ultimately changes them all in one way or another. An RV park, a traveling carnival, and an antique store is where the majority of the film is focused but hopefully your RV trip does not end up like the one Bonnie’s family goes through.
There are fun little things to notice in the movie like the antique store, named Second Chance Antiques. In the middle of the words it says “Est. 1986” which is a fun nod back to the creation of Pixar Animation Studios.
The antique store is where most of the adventure goes wrong for everyone when creepy ventriloquist dummies seem to multiply faster than a calculator. They are definitely the scariest part of the entire movie, which of course has to have a villain in the story.
Woody ultimately ends up finding Bo Peep, voiced by Annie Potts, and discover what happened in the nine years they have been apart. Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Tim Allen, and Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusak, go off to help Woody and Bo Peep on a quest.
Newcomers to the gang are Duke Caboom, Ducky, and Bunny. These three are hilarious but Ducky, voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, and Bunny, voiced by Jordan Peele, deliver some awfully funny lines that made the entire audience roar with laughter. There was so much laughter we could not hear all of their lines. Be prepared to laugh and laugh. These two should have their own movie.
Duke Caboom, voiced by Keanu Reeves, is a Canadian motorcyclist stunt devil turned action figure who loves to do trick jumps and strike poses for the camera. Reeves is receiving quite a bit of social media attention right now and his part was fun to watch and listen to as we enjoyed some Canadian jokes.
The animation feels identical to the previous three movies. Although they have improved on the characters it still feels just like the first movie with the same mannerisms and voice actors. Sadly Don Rickles passed away since the last movie when he reprised his voice for Mr. Potato Head but through archival footage Disney was able to bring his voice back one more time.
RELATED: How to Make Forky from Toy Story 4
The story weaved among the adventure and action is beautiful.
You will laugh. You will cry. You will laugh some more. And you will cry some more. It is the ingredients in every Toy Story movie that somehow manages to make you an emotional mess and leave you smiling as you exit the theatre. Toy Story 4 is animation at its finest with an incredible ride. That is truly Hollywood magic.
While this could be the end, we hope it is not. If it is then it was a sweet series to enjoy but honestly we are hoping Disney will make more Toy Story movies.
Toy Story 4 is a movie your entire family will enjoy and may even encourage you to take your first road trip in an RV. We look forward to adding this one to our movie collection when it comes out on Blu-ray.
Parental Advisory (SPOILER ALERT)
This is a family friendly movie that is remarkably funny, providing an adventure, and is a great film that everyone will enjoy.
The creepy ventriloquist dummies and Gabby Gabby are scary, even for adults. There was one scene that caused me to physically jump, much to the delight of my boys.
There are four bonus scenes after the movie, shown through the beginning part of the credits. You must stay for these.
If you can, stay all the way through the credits to the very end to see a funny moment with the internet’s boyfriend because we all cannot quite get enough of him.
Toy Story 4 is rated G for all audiences.
Dumbo Movie Review by Kids
Be sure to watch the movie review by our Plugged In Kids below.
[quote]Woody has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky declares himself as “trash” and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep. After years of being on her own, Bo’s adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they’re worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that’s the least of their worries.[/quote]
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- Release Date: June 21, 2019
- Format: IMAX, 3D, and 2D
- Rating: G
- Run Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Voice Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Jordan Peele, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki, Jay Hernandez, Lori Alan, Joan Cusack, Bonnie Hunt, Kristen Schaal, Emily Davis, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Blake Clark, June Squibb, Carl Weathers, Lila Sage, Don Rickles, Jeff Garlin, Maliah Bargas-Good, Jack McGraw, Juliana Hansen, Estelle Harris
- Director: Josh Cooley
- Producers: Mark Nielsen, Jonas Rivera
- Studio: Walt Disney Studios
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Photos provided by Walt Disney Studios. Used with permission.
