---
title: "Toy Story 4"
year: 2019
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/toy-story-4"
fi1m_score: 78
critics_score: 84
critics_reviews: 25
published: "2026-09-17T00:51:12.602189+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-17T00:51:13.044490+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Toy Story 4 (2019)

Directed by Josh Cooley · 1h 40m · MPA G · Family, Comedy, Animation, Adventure

**Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 84 from 25 reviews

*In a sentence:* The spork wants to be rubbish, the cowboy wants to be needed, and the dummies want you to sleep with the light on

> Josh Cooley’s fourth Toy Story is beautifully lit, funny about a spork that would rather be in the bin, and has one properly frightening villain. It is also the second farewell in a row, and this one is asked for rather than earned.

## Synopsis

Nine years after Bo Peep (Annie Potts) was given away, Woody (Tom Hanks) belongs to Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw), who is about to start kindergarten and would rather play with anything than a cowboy. He stows away in her bag on orientation day and watches her make a toy of her own from a plastic spork, a pipe cleaner and a broken lolly stick. Forky (Tony Hale) wakes up convinced he is rubbish and keeps heading for the nearest bin. When the family sets off on a road trip in a motorhome, Forky goes out of the window and Woody goes after him, leaving Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) with the others. The walk back passes a carnival and an antiques shop, where a lamp in the window looks familiar.

## Review

The third film ended with Andy handing his toys to a small girl called Bonnie, and most people, including us, took that as the end. A fourth needs an excuse. Josh Cooley, directing, and Stephany Folsom and Andrew Stanton, writing, find a smaller question than last time: not what a toy does when the child grows up, but what he does when the child is still there and has stopped picking him. Woody spends Bonnie’s playtime in the wardrobe with the dust bunnies. Tom Hanks plays him as a man who keeps volunteering for jobs nobody has offered.

The job he gives himself is Forky. Bonnie makes him at kindergarten from a spork, a pipe cleaner and a broken lolly stick, and Tony Hale voices him as something that has woken into existence and would like to leave immediately. He believes he is rubbish, and every time he is left alone he waddles towards a bin. Woody’s attempts to explain to a spork what a toy is for are the series explaining itself, and they are funnier than that sounds. We laughed harder at Forky’s dive from a moving motorhome than at anything in the earlier films, and then felt slightly guilty, because the film has already made clear he means it.

It is lit like something shot with lamps and glass rather than drawn. Patrick Lin and Jean-Claude Kalache share the cinematography credit, and the prologue, a rescue in a rainstorm at night, gets the orange of a streetlamp on wet tarmac exactly right. The antiques shop that takes up most of the middle is dust in slanted light, cabinets stacked to the ceiling and a pinball machine the toys use as a hideout, and Bob Pauley’s production design fills every shelf with something a child would want to pick up. The carnival across the road is coloured bulbs against a blue dusk. Randy Newman’s score does what it has done for this series for nearly a quarter of a century and adds a song for a spork who wants to be thrown away. Axel Geddes keeps it to 100 minutes, which is right.

The shop belongs to Gabby Gabby, a pull-string doll from the fifties whose voice box has never worked, and she is the best reason to see the film. Christina Hendricks voices her level and sweet, a girl who has waited decades on a shelf and has decided Woody has something she needs. Her staff are ventriloquist dummies, and the animators have understood exactly what is wrong with a dummy: the jaw drops a beat late, the eyes do not follow, the limbs move as if someone else is working them. They come down the aisles without a sound. We were frightened, properly, and this is a U certificate.

Not everything is as well looked after. Buzz Lightyear has been reduced to one joke, in which he mistakes the recorded phrases in his chest for his conscience and presses the button whenever he needs advice. Tim Allen does it well; the script does it more often than it should. The rest of the old gang wait in the motorhome and are cut to for reactions. Once everyone is in the shop the plot is a loop: someone is caught, someone goes back, someone else is caught. Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), a Canadian stunt toy who has never landed a jump, and the carnival prizes Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) are good company, but each is the same joke as Forky, a toy defined by the one thing it cannot do.

Annie Potts’s Bo Peep is the exception. She has been living without a child for years, in a park, with a skunk on wheels for a car and tape round one arm where the porcelain broke, and the film is honest enough to notice that she is having a better time than Woody. Their scenes are the ones where the writing is doing more than moving pieces about.

Then the last movement, which we will not describe, asks for tears. The third film earned its tears partly by timing, arriving as the children who had grown up with Woody were leaving home. This one knows the trick and performs it. We felt the tug, resented it for about a minute, and gave in, which we suspect was the plan. Most critics gave in without the minute, and their scores are higher than ours.

Take a child. They will laugh at the spork and sleep soundly. You will laugh at the spork and then, at some point in the night, think about the dummies.

*Fi1m score 78, published 17 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are unanimous in their approval. Most critics are surprised that a fourth film is this good: the humour lands, the emotion is unforced, and the animation is as detailed as anything Pixar has made. Praise clusters around the new toys, with Forky, Duke Caboom and the doll Gabby Gabby singled out again and again, and around the return of Bo Peep as an independent, capable figure who gives Woody something new to want.

The reservations are mild and consistent. A number of critics question whether the film needed to exist after the third one’s ending, and Little White Lies and Empire call it enjoyable but inessential. Empire and Total Film regret how little Buzz has to do. The Wrap and Screen Daily find it less emotionally overwhelming than its predecessor, which The Ringer counts as a relief for parents. The spread is narrow: even the coolest notices are approving.

### Reviews we read (25)

- **Evening Standard**, Matthew Norman (5/5): The critic praises Pixar for sustaining near-perfection in a fourth film, highlighting the unforced poignancy and existential themes around belonging and purpose, especially in scenes with Forky and Woody. The animation and mix of laughs, action, and emotional depth are singled out as exceptional. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/toy-story-4-review-yet-again-pixar-achieve-something-close-to-perfection-a4170111.html)
- **The Telegraph** (5/5): This outstanding instalment uses the passage of time for a humane exploration of mortality while delivering delightful character animation and frequent laughter. It is a Toy Story film through and through. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/toy-story-4-review-pixar-plays-emotions-one-delightful-blockbusters/)
- **The Times**, Tom Shone (★★★★★): Toy Story 4 is the series' rangiest adventure yet, perhaps its funniest, warmed by old movie memories and exploring the pathos of toys keeping their aliveness secret. It remains pretty cool after the emotional wallop of the third film. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/film-review-toy-story-4-the-captor-v32bn2b8d)
- **The Guardian** (90/100, inferred): The film starts hesitantly but finds its spark on a road trip, showcasing Pixar's visual wizardry and exploring what it means for toys to be alive and take control of their destiny. It delivers laughs, tears, and a sense that a treasured memory has been preserved. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jun/23/toy-story-4-review-franchise-still-very-much-alive)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (Critic's Pick): The review calls it the most cinematic installment yet, offering satisfying emotional closure to the franchise through Buzz and Woody's adjustments after Andy. It singles out the widescreen visuals, lighting and organic storytelling for enriching the characters without feeling like a cash grab. [Read](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/toy-story-4-review-1203241658/)
- **Los Angeles Times** (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film for blowing viewers away with new characters and genuine emotion around themes of love and loyalty. It singles out the inventive additions like Giggle McDimples, Ducky and Bunny, and Duke Caboom for keeping the joy of toys alive while growing up the story. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-toy-story-4-pixar-review-20190610-story.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it an entirely wonderful continuation of the series with wit, imagination, and magic, a fresh yet consistent tale of second chances that remains rambunctious, genial, and old-fashioned in the best way. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/toy-story-4-review-1217034/)
- **Little White Lies**, Hannah Strong (3/4/3): The review calls the film a largely enjoyable but unnecessary sequel that retreads old ground while offering charm through new elements like Forky. It singles out the film's weirdness and visual beauty as highlights amid concerns about franchise extension. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/toy-story-4)
- **Radio Times**, Trevor Johnston (4/5): The review describes it as a brilliantly pacey and visually spectacular entry that adds nuance to the toys' sense of purpose. It singles out the unexpected emotional depth around love and loss as a strength. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-0amhxs/toy-story-4/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Pamela Hutchinson (80/100, inferred): The critic finds this a satisfying and progressive entry that explores themes of independence and life beyond ownership. They single out the detailed animation textures and the new character Gabby Gabby for particular engagement. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/toy-story-4-review-examining-life-outside-toy-box)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (80/100, inferred): The review notes that while not the freshest in the series, the film still puts many grown-up Hollywood movies to shame with its consoling story and strong voice work. It singles out Bo Peep's return as a rogue, independent toy for bringing freshness and action to the tale. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/01/toy-story-4-plays-it-again)
- **Time Out**, Tomris Laffly (4/5): The critic praises the film as a witty and emotional continuation that extends the series' themes of purpose and self-worth with humour and warmth. They single out the kinetic set pieces and production design for standing out. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/toy-story-4)
- **Total Film** (4/5): The review calls the film funny, tender and grown-up in true Toy Story style, centering on the love story between Woody and Bo Peep while noting some elements like Buzz's sidelining do not fully land. It highlights the immaculate animation, resonant themes, and emotional ending. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/toy-story-4-review/)
- **Screen Daily** (75/100, inferred): The critic views it as reaffirming the franchise's emotional resonance and wit, though slightly less buoyant than before. They single out the commitment to the characters' universal quest for love and belonging as worth treasuring. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/toy-story-4-review/5140256.article)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (75/100, inferred): The critic highlights how the film feels different and unsettling yet delightful, with an unnerving quality that breaks from the usual Pixar mold while still delivering layered emotional payoffs in a messy but generous way. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/06/toy-story-4-review.html)
- **Empire**, Dan Jolin (70/100, inferred): Toy Story 4 is seen as a strong but not essential epilogue that feels distinct from the tighter previous entries, with praise for the new characters like Forky and Duke Caboom, the grown-up love story between Woody and Bo Peep, and the laughs and action sequences. It notes Buzz's reduced role and less emotional coherence overall. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/toy-story-4-review/)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (70/100, inferred): The critic finds much of the film great-ish, with striking animation, amusing jokes and a sweet yet melancholic story that feels deeper than it is. She singles out the new doll Gabby Gabby as a scary, volatile standout who brings tension and honesty to the narrative. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/20/movies/toy-story-4-review.html)
- **NME**, Nick Reilly (5/5): Despite no real reason for the film to exist after the perfect ending of Toy Story 3, it is another Pixar masterpiece. The winning combination of humour and heart makes it the most satisfying ending to the greatest franchise of all time. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/toy-story-4-review-a-perfect-ending-to-a-perfect-franchise-2511258)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (A-): The critic calls it an unexpected delight and the best Pixar sequel since Toy Story 2, highlighting its potent themes of finding purpose in a new phase of life and its balance of humor and emotion. [Read](https://collider.com/toy-story-4-review/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it the best one yet and the most romantic movie of 2019. New additions to the cast enhance the old favorites, with a script that is a hoot and also poignant and human. [Read](https://deadline.com/video/toy-story-4-review-tom-hanks-tim-allen-annie-potts-keanu-reeves-christina-hendricks/)
- **Den of Geek**, Rosie Fletcher (4 out of 5): The film lives up to the franchise's high standards with inventive, surprising, hilarious, warm-hearted and extremely emotional storytelling. It excels as a character piece about love, sacrifice, change and the meaning of life, with Forky singled out as a brilliant scene-stealer. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/toy-story-4-review-a-near-perfect-play-date/)
- **Consequence** (B+): The review praises the film's new ideas, humor, and themes around parenting and obsolescence while noting it leaves the viewer smiling and feels like a warm, welcome family film. [Read](https://consequence.net/2019/06/film-review-toy-story-4/)
- **/Film**, Josh Spiegel (8/10): The critic calls it an exceptional capper on a near-perfect series, praising the focus on Woody's journey of self-actualization and acceptance after the events of Toy Story 3. They single out the film's exploration of a toy's purpose and the revitalized Bo Peep as highlights. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/567049/toy-story-4-review/)
- **The Ringer**, Rob Harvilla (80/100, inferred): The critic notes that kids laughed harder than at other recent films while parents faced less intense emotional devastation than typical Pixar fare, appreciating the lighter pathos balanced with fun new characters like Forky. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2019/06/21/movies/toy-story-4-pixar-parents-review-forky-existential-crisis)
- **The Wrap** (70/100, inferred): It may not reach the emotional heights of the third film, but the franchise remains the gold standard in contemporary American animation. The critic praises the adventure, growth, and subtle messaging that disrupts the status quo without returning characters to square one. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/toy-story-4-film-review-2019-pixar-keanu-reeves/)

## Details

- **Director:** Josh Cooley
- **Director:** Josh Cooley
- **Screenplay:** Stephany Folsom, Andrew Stanton
- **Cinematography:** Patrick Lin, Jean-Claude Kalache
- **Editor:** Axel Geddes
- **Music:** Randy Newman
- **Production design:** Bob Pauley
- **Producer:** Jonas Rivera, Mark Nielsen, Galyn Susman
- **Cast:** Tom Hanks as Woody (voice); Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear (voice); Annie Potts as Bo Peep (voice); Tony Hale as Forky (voice); Keegan-Michael Key as Ducky (voice); Madeleine McGraw as Bonnie (voice); Christina Hendricks as Gabby Gabby (voice); Jordan Peele as Bunny (voice)
- **Runtime:** 1h 40m
- **Certificate (MPA):** G
- **Release (the US):** 21 June 2019
- **Genres:** Family, Comedy, Animation, Adventure
- **Budget:** $175 million
- **Box office:** $1.07 billion
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl9JS8-gnWQ

## Where to watch in the US

- Disney+: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Apple TV: rent $4.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, uhd
- Apple TV: buy $19.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-17.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2020: Best Animated Feature (won)
- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie 2020: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie (nominated)
- Annie Award for Best Animated Feature 2019: Annie Award for Best Animated Feature (nominated)
- BAFTA Film Awards 2019: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film (nominated)
- Critics' Choice Awards 2019: Best Animated Feature (won)

## If you liked this

- *Paddington 2* (2017), Fi1m 91: A sequel that improves on the first, with a villain the children will enjoy hating — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/paddington-2.md)
- *My Neighbour Totoro* (1988), Fi1m 89: Two sisters, a new house and a creature nobody explains; calmer than Pixar and just as sure — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/my-neighbor-totoro.md)
- *The Iron Giant* (1999), Fi1m 88: A boy, a robot and a small town; hand-drawn, plain-spoken and quietly devastating — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant.md)
- *Ernest & Celestine* (2012): A bear and a mouse who should not be friends, drawn in watercolour and full of wit
- *The Red Balloon* (1956): Thirty-four minutes of a Paris boy and a balloon that chooses him; the original toy story

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/toy-story-4