My very first thought when this was announced was, do we need a 4th instalment? I’ve expressed in the past my distaste of sequels and decent trilogies are almost unheard of. Were Pixar willing to risk that for what is surely just a cash in? No probably not, but Disney are! Thankfully though, this is wonderful! Cartoons don’t age, but the passing of time is the point here and it’s treated deftly. Great characters, great voices, great stories, it’s truly magical to escape with Woody & Co. once more on a tense, funny and heartwarming journey, that see’s them tackling much deeper subjects than before and themselves becoming much more than mere toys. When the first Toy Story was released it was all about the CGI, as an audience we’ve moved on so far in the intervening years. Now the mechanics are inconsequential, I completely forgot I was watching an animation. The witty script and rollercoaster plot deliver a 2 hour thrill ride as toys jump out of windows into the unknown, tackle freaky antique dolls and make new fairground friends. Everything is dialled up, carefully orchestrated to make you smile, laugh, shed a tear and white knuckle the remote control. Did we need a 4th instalment? No, we didn’t, but I’m sure glad we got one.
8/10
