Toy Story is a film franchise dear to my heart, and I think resonates with a tonne of young adults out there, as a symbol of childhood and innocence. Having grown up with Toy Story my whole life – and still owing an authentic Woody figure – I was basically an eight year old again, going to watch Toy Story 4.

The Disney animation started playing, along with the Toy Story theme used across the film series, and my emotions were already spinning. The film started off with a flashback to a younger Andy, and the movie already hits the feels pretty hard within the first 15 minutes. Afterwards, sunny days shine again as the films intro credits plays, with that all-too-familiar sound of "You’ve Got A Friend In Me".



We see Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jesse (Joan Cusack), and the rest of the gang, all voiced by the original actors throughout the film’s franchise, together with Bonnie (Emily Hahn). The themes Toy Story 4 touches on are reminiscent of the first film, especially with regards to Woody dealing with personal issues of neglect. However, rather than be petulant as he was on our first journey with the beloved cowboy, he is wiser now, and much more in tune with his emotional well-being.

We then meet Forky; Bonnie’s newest toy and her own personal creation using a spork, pipe cleaner, and glue. In typical Toy Story fashion, this is generally where the humour is injected in like jam inside a doughnut; sweet and beautiful. An abundance of laughs sees Woody bond with Forky, and thankfully, Disney had the good sense to know when to cut Forky’s “irritating” traits, and transition the newest toy to an actual character that we would come to enjoy, while ensuring that you feel the frustration that Woody feels. Forky is also tragic, though, as his neuroses have him believe he is worthless, despite a dedicated friends group that welcomed him, and watching him change perspectives was beautiful.

Toy Story 4... focuses much more on Woody as the lead character, much more than the previous two films in the franchise.

Toy Story 4, as much as we see the rest of the gang – Rex, Mr and Mrs. Potato Head, and, of course, Hamm - focuses much more on Woody as the lead character, much more than the previous two films in the franchise. Again, this is a link back to the first film, where we were solely focused on Woody and his struggle to come to grips with Buzz Lightyear’s addition to Andy’s toys. While it has always been great to see more of Buzz and Jesse, the return to Woody as the focus was a welcomed one.



Not only do we see Woody’s character development with Forky, but we also see a different side to him and his relationship with Bo Peep – voiced by Annie Potts – which delves much further than we have see before. Bo Peep also gets a fair amount of character refreshment, and we see more of her on screen, which was really great, as she offers a much more significant role this time around. They ignite their lost-love, and we see just what happened to Bo during the events of Toy Story 2 and 3, but watching the lost-lovers rekindle their spark was both beautiful and pure.

Keanu Reeves' Duke Caboom was just incredible. Nuff said.

The comedic duo of Key and Peele (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) was fantastic, mostly because they were not forcibly injecting humour into the title. Their performances were natural for the characters they were portraying, and the physical representation of the comedic duo in the film was a sneaky Easter egg that fans of both Disney and Key & Peele will enjoy. The side sketches that the pair are known for are also introduced in a brilliantly creative way, that makes the film feel dynamic in its storytelling, while preventing it from becoming a running joke. Also, Keanu Reeves' Duke Caboom was just incredible. Nuff said.

The greatest part of Toy Story 4 is through all the various methods of filming – cinematography, direction, symbolism, etc. – it's reminiscent of the first film, and constantly leaves you feeling like you are watching that first movie again, as a kid, rooting for Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang. Somehow, Disney managed to present nostalgia in such a way that it didn’t feel tired or a re-tread, but fresh and new. This was achieved by forgoing physical throwbacks to the first film – except one scene – but by filming it the way the first was filmed. It also manages to bring that same whimsy, charm, and miraculous old-school Pixar-animation feeling to it.



Toy Story 4 was also not trying to copy what Toy Story 3 had done. Many may say that Toy Story 3 was a good ending to the franchise, and while it might have been before, Toy Story 4 shows you why it’s not. Toy Story 4 is not some forced new adventure that fans must undertake, but because of the development we see from Bonnie, Forky, Woody and Bo Peep, it gives far more context and appreciation for the world of Toy Story. Just as we identified with Andy and realised how relatable Toy Story 3 was, we see a similar thing with Bonnie in Toy Story 4 – this is where you will need tissues, guaranteed – and it was great to see this new aspect to Bonnie, especially since we were loyal to Andy. Furthermore, Toy Story 3 looked at the toys as they were coming to terms with mortality, but Toy Story 4 deals with an issue far greater; self-awareness.

The only issue with Toy Story 4 was Buzz’s slight regression in terms of his character, as we seem him doubt his leadership skills after Woody disappears. In Toy Story 2, we see him leap into action to save Woody, and we see him do the same (somewhat) in Toy Story 3, but in 4, it felt like he had forgotten something. Sure, this was to bring new dimension to the character, which it did and it was great, but the way that they did made him feel more like the “simple” Buzz from the first movie, rather than the staple Lightyear we have seen over the past 20+ years. However, Buzz and Woody’s relationship was tested yet again, but did so in a way that felt new and organic.



Overall, Toy Story 4 touches on issues that most adults would feel when losing touch with loved ones, friends, or even just struggling with the idea of moving on. Self-awareness hits harder than the idea of mortality, and it's reflected impeccably within the film. Of course, this is a movie good for kids but those who have grown up with Toy Story for 25 years will feel the impact the hardest. The film offers that similar charm of whimsy and emotion that we have come to expect from Toy Story, and makes it more reminiscent of the very first film, and personally, is a truer ending to the franchise than Toy Story 3.