Toy Story 4 Blu-ray Review - A great wrap up to the popular series

Toy Story 4 starts with a flashback. Cowboy sheriff doll Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), his crush Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and the gang rescue a toy from the gutter only to see Bo Beep and her lamp be given away! Nine years later, Woody is slowly falling out of favor with his kid Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) who plays more with Jessie (Joan Cusack) and other toys. On a summer road trip with Bonnie’s family, Woody reunites with Bo Peep and the sparks are still there. The toy gang protect Bonnie’s new hand-made toy Forky (Tony Hale) and face action-packed adventure in the big, outside world.

Toy Story 4 | "Meet Forky" Clip

Way Back When…

When Woody and his friends lived with first owner Andy, they saved car toy R.C. from drowning in a street drain on a rainy night. Later Bo Peep, her lamp, and her three-headed sheep, Billy, Goat, and Gruff, get donated to a neighbor. Woody is heartbroken but Bo Peep accepts that things change.

Can Bo Peep and Woody be a couple?Courtesy of Disney•Pixar

Losing Favor

Woody feels a bit neglected by Bonnie who plays more with other toys. When she is off to a kindergarten orientation day, he stows away in her backpack and secretly helps her build a new toy out of trash during craft time. He is a plastic spork. Bonnie gives him a face, pipe cleaner arms and popsicle legs and names him Forky. Forky refuses to believe he is a toy, thinks he belongs in the trash and keeps hopping in the refuse can. Woody keeps retrieving him since Bonnie already loves him.

Woody tries to convince Forky he is a toy not trashCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

The Big Road Trip

Bonnie, her parents and the toys go on a road trip in an RV before school starts. Still believing he is trash, Forky jumps out of the window forcing Woody to go out and rescue him while the family stops at an RV park. After finding Forky and convincing him that he’s wanted, Woody walks toward the RV but sees Bo Peep’s lamp in the window of an antique store. He reasons that his long lost love might be inside as well. He and Forky enter via a mail slot to find her.

Buzz and the gang in the RVCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

Weird Toy Guards

The antique shop is guarded by a bunch of weird-looking ventriloquist’s dolls called Vincent and a talking doll named Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) whose pull-toy voice box is broken. She longs to belong to a child and thinks repairing it might do the trick. Hummm, Woody has one and she wants it. He is saved when a little girl takes him to a park leaving Forky behind. Meanwhile, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) has gone to find Woody and been grabbed by a carnival game worker to serve as a prize toy!  In the park playground, Woody discovers Bo Peep, her sheep and a teeny LEGO-like doll named Giggle McDimples (Ally Maki) who have been living in the park as lost toys for seven years!

Buzz meets Ducky and BunnyCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

Save Forky!

Even though Bo Peep hates the antique store, Woody talks her into going back to save Forky while Buzz teams up with two stuffed animal carnival prize toys named Ducky and Bunny (Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key). Jessie and the toys give the RV a flat tire so the family can’t leave before Woody, Buzz and Forky are found. Uniting with Buzz, the stuffed toys and Woody, Bo Peep leads the rescue attempt to save Forky in the store. After facing a feisty cat and other obstacles while trying to get Forky out of a locked glass case, the gang regroups.

Trying to rescue ForkyCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

Enter Duke Caboom

Through Bo Peep, the group meets Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), a motorcycle stuntman toy that she is sure can help although he crashes a lot and has no faith in himself. Everyone gets out of the store safely but Forky is grabbed. Woody wants to go back in and get him but the others are just glad to escape. Even Buzz thinks they should go home. Woody bravely goes back inside because he thinks saving Forky is all he can do now for Bonnie. He trades his voice box to Gabby to get Forky released.

Bo introduces Woody to Duke CaboomCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

Another Chance?

It’s discovered that Bonnie has left her backpack at the antique store so the family heads there once the flat tire is changed. Meanwhile, Bo Peep and friends think they might just travel with the carnival and try to match toys with kids there. In the store, Woody’s voice box is transplanted to Gabby. The owner’s granddaughter notices her, picks her up, pulls the string and Gabby talks but the kid isn’t interested! Gabby didn’t get a kid! Woody convinces her that there are second chances. A child will want her for sure.

Woody is Forky's new friendCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

Final Outcome?

Will Gabby find a child to love her? Will Bo Peep and friends leave with the carnival? Will Woody and Forky be reunited with Bonnie or will Woody’s love for Bo Peep change his life?

Special Extra Features

Extras on this Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set are on two discs. On Disc One along with the feature film are:

• Bo Rebooted – Filmmakers and Bo Peep voice actor Annie Potts tell all about bringing Bo back with new technology for more movement, expression and a bigger part. Cool!

Bo Peep is now a powerful kick-butt womanCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

• Toy Stories – voice actors and filmmakers talk about the favorite toys they had as kids. LEGOs were big, various dolls and action figures (note: mine was a big stuffed giraffe). What is/was yours?
• Audio Commentary with Director Josh Cooley and Producer Mark Nielsen covers the film in detail. They talk promoting Bo to main character status and tons of animation and story details. Interesting!
• On Disc Two (the Bonus Disc):
• Let's Ride with Ally Maki - actress Ally Maki, who voices Giggle McDimples, takes us on a funny, detailed trip around the voice recording process from temp “scratch dialogue” to the finished soundtrack. Again, interesting.

Giggle McDimples is a tiny but powerful friendCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

• Woody & Buzz – focuses on the friendship at the heart of the Toy Story movies and how this grows and changes in Toy Story 4.

Woody explains that Buzz isn't a carnival prizeCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

• Anatomy of a Scene: Playground- from their seats at the Pixar studio theater, filmmakers break down one of the really important scenes in the movie in which Woody reunites with Bo Peep. Nice.
• Toy Views: Carnival Run- A toy level run around the carnival set.. see it the way the toys do.  Also, View From the Roof – looking down from the antique shop roof.
• Toy Box – introduces us to many of the movie’s new characters. Voice actors talk about them and their design is discussed. Included are Gabby Gabby & Her Gang, Forky, Duke Caboom, Ducky & Bunny, and Giggle McDimples. Cute!

Gabby Gabby and her guard are kind of creepyCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

• Deleted Scenes – Director Josh Cooley introduces cut scenes and explains why they had to go. These appear with full dialogue but early, crude animation. They are: Scamming Playtime, Bo Knows Hippos, Desperate Toys, Knock-Offs, Recruit Duke, and She's the One. The last is a touching alternate ending.

Wrapping Up

As we said when reviewing the film in theaters, “Toy Story 4 has it all: heart, great animation, fun action, lots of laughs and great messages about second chances, listening to your conscience, loyalty and more”. New characters are colorful and creative. They are covered nicely in the Blu-ray extras.

Buzz goes searching for WoodyCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

The film looks crisp and lush although my sound wasn’t as sharp as I’ve heard before for some reason. Extras are fun and involve lots from the voice actors. Some extras seem geared to younger kids, others work more for teens and adults.

Bonnie creates ForkyCourtesy of Disney•Pixar

A reminder to keep watching during the first half of the credits at the end to see more of the story involving Woody, Bo Peep and efforts to match kids with toys and how Jessie and the gang help Bonnie at school.

Dig out a beloved toy and hug it while watching. We go four stars.

Toy Story 4 Blu-ray Rating: 

Buy Toy Story 4 Tuesday, October 8^th.

What is Your Fave Toy?

Which Toy Story toy is your favorite? What is your favorite personal toy and what about it makes you love it? Comment below and/or on your Kidzworld profile page!

By: Lynn Barker