The perfect goodbye. Again.

There aren’t many stories in Hollywood that end as perfectly as they began but Toy Story was definitely one of them. Or at least that’s what everyone thought.

With Andy grown up and saying a tearful goodbye to the toys he’d been with since childhood, Toy Story 3 left us at a place very few film franchises ever will. We were satisfied. Woody and Buzz were satisfied. Pixar were satisfied. Hell, everyone was satisfied. That was it. It was time for us, the gang, and the studio to move on.

Yet, the film industry is rarely that sentimental, especially when there’s money to be made. So, while the news that Toy Story 4 was on its way caused much confusion and panic across the world/internet, it really wasn’t that surprising.

Everyone feared the worst. Well, everyone except Pixar themselves, clearly. While the studio’s track record with sequels hasn’t been the best at times, Toy Story is a different beast entirely. Of all the titles in their illustrious catalogue, this remains Pixar’s pride and joy; so, while the risk of undermining everything is certainly there, any concerns are calmed when remembering just who we’re dealing with here.

For any other studio, animated or otherwise, the fourth instalment of a franchise would reek of money-grabbing laziness. However, for a studio who’s lower-ranking output beats out almost anything from their rivals, deep down you know everything’s going to be just fine.

Eternally confident of his place in the world, Woody’s (Tom Hanks) sole aim is to take care of Bonnie. So, when her beloved new spork-turned-toy, Forky (Tony Hale), rejects his new purpose and puts her happiness in jeopardy, Woody must teach him the joys of being a toy. When Bonnie takes everyone on a road trip, however, Woody is distracted when he bumps into old friend Bo Peep (Annie Potts). As Woody and Bo reminisce about the old days, they soon realise they have grown apart, but with Forky in danger, they must work together to save the day. 

If you’re looking to pinpoint the precise moment animation changed forever, Toy Story is it. It really can’t be overstated just how much the film altered the trajectory of a medium that was beginning to feel a little stale. It also happened to be the moment Pixar showed the world that colourful animation and quirky characters needn’t come at the expense of good writing and emotional depth.

Since then, Pixar and Toy Story haven’t looked back. Bridging generations, we’ve all grown up with Woody, Buzz and the gang in some way, with their adventures becoming integral parts of many people’s childhoods across the world.

However, for a franchise that’s pushing 25 now, finding a new adventure worthy of the Toy Story name is no easy task; however, Pixar have done it, and the result is every bit as joyous as anything from years gone by.

Both reassuringly familiar and refreshingly different, Toy Story 4’s plot hits that sweet spot between comfort and progression perfectly, offering the usual antics that make the franchise so special while finding new avenues to keep things interesting. Familiar beats like the road trip, the buddy comedy, and the rescue mission are all hit, yet the plot never lingers on familiar ways for too long in an overt desire to stay relevant.

From the second the intro to ‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me’ hits, that familiar warm feeling envelops you, yet it’s not long before it’s made clear that Toy Story 4 will be taking us somewhere unexpected, and deeper, than ever before. Not for the first time in the series, the film asks the question of what it is to be a toy, however, this time we really dig down to the bottom of what it truly means.

Unexpectedly existential at times, Toy Story 4 finds characters old and new at an emotional crossroads as they begin to question their purpose in the world. Of them all, Woody finds himself at the centre of this emotional journey as the plot unfolds almost entirely through his eyes.

From the moment Andy brought Buzz into his life, much of the Toy Story series has centred on Woody, yet, more than ever, this is his movie. For large portions of the story, Buzz and the rest of the original gang take a back seat to the Woody show, but while it’s a disappointing that they don’t see much action, it’s absolutely understandable in the context of the narrative.

Delving into the mind of a confused, fragile, and visibly tired Woody, credit must go to Tom Hanks as he puts his all into a voice role he’s been doing for two and a half decades now. While animated voice work never quite gets the recognition it should, a huge part of Woody’s character and charm comes directly through Hanks, who works his magic once again to breathe life, humour, and pathos into the latest chapter in Woody’s story. 

As he finds himself questioning his place as a toy and a companion to Bonnie, Woody’s story is told with a level of subtlety and sophistication you rarely find in animation, and a huge part of its success comes from a character we haven’t seen since Toy Story 2. While her part in the first two Toy Story entries was slight, Bo Peep comes into her own here, working to inform Woody’s narrative while ensuring that she has an agency all of her own.

Re-emerging after sitting out Toy Story 3, Bo has transformed into a hardened, all-action nomad whose days as a child’s companion are long gone. After years flying solo, Bo has become a character in her own right, with a connection to Woody portrayed as far more than the one-dimensional love interest she was before.

The reunion of Bo and Woody is beautifully handled and helps Toy Story 4 to become the emotional peak of the franchise. There have been many poignant moments throughout the series – and none more so than where things were left at the end of Toy Story 3 – yet there are several points here where things hit just as hard. 

Working in tandem with the film’s emotional depth, Toy Story 4 takes us to one of the darkest places we’ve been to in the series. As something of a call-back to Sid’s Frankenstein toys we saw in back in the first film, Toy Story 4 evokes similar elements that, while rooted firmly in ‘U’ territory, certainly have one foot in the horror genre.

Our introduction to Gabby Gabby and her creepy dummy henchmen in a dusty antique store is stuffed full of classic horror imagery, giving a distinctively darker edge to things. Yet, as ever with Pixar, these elements are never purely aesthetic and, true to form, there’s a satisfying level of reasoning to them that manages to inform both the narrative and Gabby Gabby’s antagonistic motivations.

Now, while this may all sound rather depressing, fear not as these more sombre moments are complemented beautifully by the kind of joyful, care-free antics we’ve come to expect from Toy Story. With wonderfully balanced writing that nimbly switches between poignancy and humour, the script feels incredibly well-rounded, with a rich vein of comedy that’s as strong as ever.

Balancing subtle humour and broad slapstick, Toy Story 4 plays the trick that every good Pixar outing should by keeping both young and old in the audience happy. It’s always a tough balance to pull off but the film’s writing is a masterclass in keeping us both laughing and thinking, allowing for a thoroughly satisfying viewing experience.

From this, a large portion of Toy Story 4’s humour comes via the new faces and, in particular, a certain spork-based creation. While the stuffed Key and Peele, and Keanu Reeves’ Duke Caboom both bring their own comedic stylings to the party, Forky is undoubtedly the film’s MVP and perhaps the single greatest creation the franchise has ever produced.

The entire concept of a sentient, trash-loving spork is ingenious on its own, but it’s in the execution that Forky is elevated to instant icon. It’s such a simple idea, yet the writing, animation, and Tony Hale’s voice work combine to create a toy born with an identity crisis that’s equal parts hilarious and poignant.

In many ways, Forky is the ultimate Toy Story throwback. While very much a modern concept, his simplistic character design could’ve easily come from the first film. It’s another one of those comfort blanket moments as Forky’s childlike nature offers pangs of nostalgia while being complimented by the astonishingly grownup animation around him.

As the writing has remained at the same impossibly high level since the very beginning, the leaps and bounds in the animation over the years is nothing short of breath-taking. The photorealism and detail that go into every frame of Toy Story 4 is truly jaw-dropping, at points forcing you to just kick back, soak it all in, and simply admire the unbelievable level of craft on display.

Whether or not this really is Toy Story’s final chapter is anyone’s guess. Although this feels like just as perfect an ending as it did nine years ago, there’s certainly every chance there’s more to come. Regardless, Toy Story 4 marks the perfect end of another Pixar chapter and with the studio’s recent sequel obsession finally calming, this feels like the perfect point to move on and return to the kind of original storytelling that made the studio what it is. 

To return to the toy box for one more play was a huge risk for Pixar, especially considering how perfectly Toy Story 3 wrapped things up, yet the fourth entry in the long-running series is every bit as perfect as its predecessors. Taking a deep, existential dive into the nature of what it means to be a toy, Toy Story 4’s plot may feel apart from the first three films but it’s no less successful for it. With Woody centre stage more than ever before and with Bo and a sentient spork by his side, the Toy Story franchise continues to break new ground as Pixar’s favourite plaything.