Few movie franchises maintain the level of perfection that Toy Story has. The first two installments of Pixar’s flagship film series have perfect scores on the Tomatometer. Toy Story 3, which was nominated for Best Picture, is close with 98%. Now Toy Story 4 is on its way to theaters, and initial reviews are pointing to another very high Tomatometer score (it’s currently at 100%).
Thanks to familiar friends, popular new additions, and another deep story involving the meaning of life, we’ll put to rest any complaints that Pixar is making too many sequels. If it’s the last of them, it ends on a great note, but if not, Toy Story can reach for the sky and go to infinity and beyond, as far as critics are concerned.
Here’s what critics are saying about Toy Story 4:
Part 3 ended so perfectly and succinctly that Part 4 could only disappoint. Except, the film doesn’t. Surprisingly, Toy Story 4 triumphs.
– Robert Daniels, 812filmreviews
Toy Story 4 does an even better job than Toy Story 3 of managing mature themes while remaining kid-friendly.
– Karen Han, Polygon
Toy Story 4 proves to be a much more compelling conclusion, while still leaving the door open for future adventures.
– Molly Freeman, ScreenRant
Where the ending of Toy Story 3 simply deferred to the cycle of life, this finale ties a much stronger bow around the franchise by cutting to its core.
– David Ehrlich, IndieWire
Director Josh Cooley has delivered the movie Toy Story 3 should have been.
– Peter Debruge, Variety
Toy Story 4 is an unnecessary franchise extension savvy enough for self-criticism.
– Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly
(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)
The movie feels like more of an action-adventure tale than the previous movies, but with the same emotional tug that will make you go through a box of tissues while watching it.
–Jason Guerrasio, Business Insider
In my mind, there’s no question Toy Story 4 is the weakest movie in the series. But it’s also the riskiest and the most pleasantly unpredictable.
– Matt Singer, ScreenCrush
Not as good as the first three, but it also has a very different tone.
– Bob Chipman, Escapist Magazine
Toy Story 4 breaks from the franchise’s tradition, focusing more on newer toys.
– Molly Freeman, ScreenRant
Something feels a little different this time…. this movie starts — it starts! — with a suicidal toy and only gets stranger from there.
– Matt Singer, ScreenCrush
Toy Story 4 is the best Pixar sequel since Toy Story 2.
– Matt Goldberg, Collider
This [is] the most fluid and enjoyably kinetic Pixar film since Ratatouille.
– David Ehrlich, IndieWire
It pushes Pixar into some of its most daring territory in years. Which, ironically, makes it feel like something of a throwback to the days when Pixar regularly surprised us with its originality and its sophistication.
– Angie Han, Mashable
Subpar Pixar… Pixar, like its former funder Apple, has conditioned audiences to expect more than a nice little movie. We want to be amazed.
– Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)
Toy Story 4 is easily one of the funniest movies Pixar has ever made.
– Matt Goldberg, Collider
Is it funny? The funniest of the quartet, in fact, thanks to a weird new character.
– Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
Delivers plenty of gonzo-funny moments.
– Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair
Pixar’s sentient toys can still make us cry.
– Tomris Laffly, Time Out
[Bring a] hankie…if you’ve seen just one of these movies, you know it’s basically survival gear.
– Rafer Guzman, Newsday
The final 10 minutes, in particular, devastates tear ducts.
– Robert Daniels, 812filmreviews
Toy Story 4 doesn’t hit the emotional highs of the previous films… the ending is moving, though now you distrust any finality with this saga.
– Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly
[The movie’s theme] offers a good lesson for the kids in the audience, and will no doubt strike a chord with the adults.
– Molly Freeman, ScreenRant
Toy Story 4 feels less like a family film than a film for adults their that children might also like.
– Angie Han, Mashable
(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)
Yes, Bo wears pants now, but… her femininity has nothing to do with how well she holds her own in a fight or survives in the wild and risks breaking along the way.
– Karen Han, Polygon
Her strength is never commented upon — she just is strong, arguably stronger both mentally and physically than her old boy toy.
– Josh Spiegel, Slashfilm
Bo Peep has been fleshed out and made so ingratiating and self-confident that she now emerges as something close to the heart of the film.
– Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter
Forky alone is enough to elevate this potential cash-grab…the hero we need in 2019…He’s everything these films have been working towards.
– David Ehrlich, IndieWire
Everyone’s gonna like Forky.
– Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair
The best voice performance might be Tony Hale as Forky.
– Matt Singer, ScreenCrush
Duke Caboom almost doesn’t merit mentioning. He’s great, but the sequel doesn’t need him to juice up the proceedings.
– Karen Han, Polygon
[Christina] Henricks offers equal parts menace and vulnerability to Gabby Gabby, bringing to life the series’ most compelling ‘villain.’
– Molly Freeman, ScreenRant
(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)
The textures, colors, and control of lighting exhibit an incredible command of composition not seen since the glory days of Disney… Toy Story 4 is a landmark achievement in the pure creation of computer animation.
– Robert Daniels, 812filmreviews
The first of these movies to be composed in widescreen, Cooley’s feature debut is by far the most cinematic of the series, doing incredible things with lighting.
– Peter Debruge, Variety
Locales and toys are rendered in astounding animation that I fear is in danger of being overlooked because most of the characters are 20 years old.
– Matt Singer, ScreenCrush
Makes 1995’s Toy Story look like the brick-maze screensaver from Windows 95.
– Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
Occasionally too busy and loose with its logical rigor, Toy Story 4 doesn’t quite connect all the dots.
– Tomris Laffly, Time Out
If there are slight downsides to Toy Story 4, it’s that the rest of the toys from Bonnie’s room have become so comfortable with their new place that they don’t factor in quite as heavily to the story.
– Josh Spiegel, Slashfilm
Toy Story 4 at times feels more like a high-budget episode of television than a sweeping film.
– Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)
If they can maintain this level of wonderful, keep ’em coming.
– Alonso Duralde, The Wrap
I just do not see how they can outdo themselves should they go forward with another film.
– Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
[Toy Story] comes to a sweet, emotionally apt conclusion now with a fine capper on a generally perfect series.
– Josh Spiegel, Slashfilm
Quite the swan song for the cowboy…If Toy Story 4 is the final film in the series, it would be an otherwise perfect conclusion.
– Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
The Toy Story franchise really should come to a close with Toy Story 4… It’s hard to imagine the series going out on a better note than this.
– Matt Goldberg, Collider
Toy Story 4 opens in theaters June 21, 2019.
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