TOY STORY 4

Review: A new toy named Forky joins Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang. They all go on a road trip together alongside old and new friends.
Director: Josh Cooley
Actors: 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 and Kristen Schaal
Year: 2019
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family and Fantasy
Conclusion: 4/5
Believe it or not this film was released 24 years after the first Toy Story (1995), 20 years after Toy Story 2 (1999), and 9 years after Toy Story 3 (2010). Who would have thought that there would be a fourth Toy Story film? I was so worried at the beginning when the announcement came for a fourth film. I ended up thoroughly enjoying this much more than I thought I would which really surprised me. Interestingly this film takes place only two years after “Toy Story 3” (2010). It is an animation film that appeals to all ages which not many films of this type can do. When designing the new character Forky there were around 100 different versions that were made when Pixar was choosing the character’s design. In the end they decided on a relatively simple look. All of the four films have had their music composed by Randy Newman. Watching this I found myself laughing and crying all at the same time. There is a reference to a famous line from Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and the line is when Buzz Lightyear is heard saying “Open the pod bay doors!”. Some of the themes that occur in this film are about loss, change and also about having to move on. I would say a very well thought out conclusion. So sorry to see these friends go but I guess it is time to now move on. At the Academy Awards in 2020 this won for Best Animated Feature Film.