The fourth and final (supposedly, but who really knows?) instalment in the Toy Story series is now out in UK cinemas, meaning the critics have had their say.
At the time of writing, the film already has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning critics have been unanimously positive towards it, even if one or two of them have questioned whether a fourth film in the series was wholly necessary.
If you were among those who found themselves hysterically crying into your popcorn during Toy Story 3, the reviews suggest you might want to double-check you have tissues to hand fourth time around.
Here’s just a snippet of the Toy Story 4 reviews…
The Times (5/5)
Sweet Lord, this is good. You know that you’re in the presence of genius when the first five minutes of what is ostensibly the third sequel to a 24-year-old children’s cartoon about talking toys is revealed to contain more depth, more thought-provoking content and more soulful passion than any Hollywood movie released this year so far.
“The brilliance of the new film lies in the surefooted way it caters both for children too young to have seen its predecessors and for adults who’ve grown up (or grown older) watching the previous instalments. It takes some kind of genius for the Pixar animators to give such a searing emotional charge to a story in which one of the main characters is a single use plastic spork retrieved from the trash.”
“I won’t give away the film’s climax, but I will say that the inevitable tears are jerked in layers: There’s one emotional climax for those viewers who are new to the series, another for those who have only vague memories of the previous films, and yet another for those who’ve totally grown up on these pictures.”
The Mirror (5/5)
“With cinema dominated by universe-smashing superheroes, Toy Story’s sweet brand of wholesome and slightly scary fun seems almost quaint, but as a parent it’s great to have a film which offers more gentle and almost innocent pleasures.”
Digital Spy (5/5)
“We would have been content if Toy Story 3 was the end of their cinematic adventures. If it had been, though, we’d have missed out on the magnificent Toy Story 4, which manages to wash away any doubts you had before the opening credits roll.”
“That prospect [of a fourth film] didn’t sit all that well with me when it was announced—not after the third film had arrived at such a teary place of completion. It’s a relief, then, that Toy Story 4 not only delivers plenty of gonzo-funny moments and genuine thrills, but also interrogates and complicates the series’s core themes.”
“Toy Story 4 feels less like a family film than a film for adults that their children might also like. The colorful cartoon characters and their wacky hijinks will surely go appreciated by the younger set — but the messaging is aimed squarely at those who were old enough to watch the first or second Toy Story in theaters, and it hits that mark with grace and confidence.”
The Sun (5/5)
“There’s little point in talking too much about the storyline because it’s largely more of the same... I don’t mind though, because I don’t think that is the films’ strength. Its strength lies in simply being able to create some of the best characters ever seen on screen - and boy do we get a load of new favourites.”
BBC (4/5)
“It’s clear within minutes that the new cartoon… will be as gorgeously animated and as generously sprinkled with jokes as Pixar’s best work, and any lingering misgivings melt away in the warm glow of seeing Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the loveable, misfit gang back together.”
Empire (4/5)
“This fourth Toy Story isn’t as essential as the previous films in the series, but there’s no denying the joy of seeing Woody and friends back in action, while once again it’ll likely leave you with a tear in your eye.”
The Guardian (3/5)
“It is sprightly, sweet-natured and gorgeous to look at (and how blasé we’ve all become about animation standards that 10 years ago had us hyperventilating with astonishment).... But this movie is fundamentally repeating itself: repeating characters, ideas and plotlines – even if it does it with buoyancy and charm.”
New York Post (2.5/5)
“Toy Story 4 ends on a respectable, bittersweet note that would make the perfect bookend to this likable franchise. But so did the last movie. Throughout 4, Buzz Lightyear, who’s underused, tries to ‘listen to my inner voice’ to make sounder decisions. I suggest Pixar do the same: To infinity and beyond!”
Toy Story 4 hits UK cinemas on June 21. Watch the trailer below: