Film: Toy Story 4

GENRE: Animated Adventure

RATING: G for action sequences
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 40 minutes

STARRING: Tom Hanks (Toy Story, Forrest Gump, Big, Cast Away)

Annie Potts (Toy Story, Ghostbusters), Tony Hale (Veep)

DIRECTOR: Josh Cooley (newcomer)

WRITERS: Andrew Stanton (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Wall-E)

Stephany Folsom (TV-Star Wars Resistance)

PLOT: Woody tries to help Bonnie by saving Forky and realizes that there may be a different future for some toys.    

FULL DISCLOSURE: Was a bit skeptical about this fourth one.

STORY STUFF: Not the strongest story of the franchise but definitely had a plenty of awesome moments. There are some laugh-out loud moments, fun action sequences, a couple creepy scenes and a few heart-tugging lines. My major issue with the story was that the toys would go through all this work to, let’s say rescue someone, only to have them not want to be rescued. This happens multiple times. Regardless, the good outweighs the bad though.

ACTING STUFF: Hanks still brings the awesome as Woody. The whole original cast for that matter does a bang up job. Loved Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (Key & Peele) as the plushy Ducky and Bunny with their ‘imaginative’ plans. Also loved Keanu Reeves (John Wick) as Canadian stuntman Duke Caboom. Such fun new characters. Hale’s Forky is too one note at the beginning but once he realizes his purpose grows on you with some very funny lines.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The animation is impeccable. There is this is puddle shot in the opening that was amazing. It’s short but impressed me. I was shocked and saddened that there was no Pixar short before the film. I love those mini films.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You like Toy Story (and if you don’t – what’s wrong with you?)

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Yesterday