Toy Story 4

Tonight I saw Toy Story 4, starring the voices of Tom Hanks and Annie Potts.

Woody (Hanks) and the gang of toys who used to belong to Andy (John Morris) have settled in nicely with young Bonnie (Madeline McGraw) and her family. Bonnie is hesitant about starting Kindergarten, so Woody tags along for her orientation. That's where she creates a new toy, Forky, (Tony Hale) from a utensil that was thrown into the trash.

Forky helps Bonnie adjust to her new school and becomes immediately beloved, but Forky doesn't really want to be a toy and attempts to return to the trash every chance he gets. This keeps Woody on his toes, chasing after him at every turn to ensure he stays put. But Woody isn't always successful and Forky successfully escapes during a road trip. Woody goes after him and they both end up at an antique store where they encounter a doll named Gabby (Christina Hendricks) who has a broken voice box and is desperate to replace it with Woody's.

Meanwhile, Bonnie is devastated that Forky is missing and that sends the family road trip into chaos, with all of the remaining toys in the vehicle worried for Woody and Forky.

All of the usual wit and clever blink-or-you'll-miss-them funnies are as present here as they were in the first three films, as is the charm and heart. It's lovely spending time with characters like Woody and Little Bo Peep (Potts) who we've seen before and the addition of several supporting characters only add delight—Keanu Reeves is a standout as the always-posing stuntman, Duke.

Of course there's a huge action sequence at the climax of the plot, a little creepiness, some genuine sadness and even a budding romance. Really, for a film that's fourth in a franchise, it's incredibly satisfying.

Go see it. You'll still be smiling when you get home.

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