What Are Critics Saying About ‘Toy Story 4'?

Prepare yourselves for another round of laughs and brace for tears, as reviews have begun to drop for Disney and Pixar’s latest sequel, “Toy Story 4.” While many balked at the idea of the fourth adventure with Woody, Buzz, and the gang following the seemingly perfect conclusion in 2010’s “Toy Story 3,” early reviews indicate that Pixar has bucked the skepticism, delivering a heartwarming and fitting ending to the venerated animated series.

Here are some samples of what critics are saying:

Collider – Matt Goldberg:

“... 'Toy Story 4' is an unexpected delight... the best Pixar sequel since 'Toy Story 2.' Although it still uses the same rescue plot as the other movies, the themes of 'Toy Story 4,' which revolve around finding your purpose in a new phase of life, are incredibly potent and profound.”

Variety – Peter Debruge:

“... 'Toy Story 4' takes astonishing advantage of the studio’s rendering capabilities. The first of these movies to be composed in widescreen, [director Josh] Cooley’s feature debut is by far the most cinematic of the series, doing incredible things with lighting, from the sparkling, rain-drenched driveway of the opening scene to the film’s breathtaking carnival-roof finale. Though practically photoreal in so many details, this latest installment couldn’t quite pass for live-action — but then, why would it want to?”

Io9 – Germain Lussier:

“Above all else, the one thing 'Toy Story 4' needed to do was make itself worthy of the title 'Toy Story'... while it’s certain to grab a lot of cash, the movie somehow lives up to that high standard. It’s an exciting, surprising, incredibly funny film that’s just as poignant and heartfelt as you’d expect from this franchise.”

IndieWire – David Ehrlich:

“...Forky alone is enough to elevate this potential cash-grab into the beautiful and hilarious coda that its long-running series needed to be truly complete. Forky is the hero we need in 2019.”

While most everyone is singing the praises of Pixar’s latest, some takes were noticeably more mixed.

Entertainment Weekly – Darren Franich:

“There’s a pile-up problem, too, so many new characters alongside all the old ones. The original crew gets short shrift: You want to see more of them, and what you do see winds up feeling like a distraction.”

Disney will release Pixar's "Toy Story 4" on June 21.