Toy Story 4 brings us back to the secret life of toys for the last time. Woody, Buzz, and the gang are the latest in a long line of friends that we are forced to say goodbye to in 2019.  We have already lost certain Avengers, Westeros’ finest, Singer’s X-Men (thankfully), and later this year the Skywalker Saga will be concluded.  Spin-off and reboot talk has already begun on all the other properties (and perhaps eventually Toy Story will be no different), but this seems like a fitting end for Andy’s Room Toys.

Toy Story 4 did not “wow” me with the trailers. There was nothing in particular I was looking forward to.  In actuality, there were parts that I was dreading and hoped wouldn’t make it into the movie.  But as a big fan of the series along with my self-diagnosed condition of being a completionist, they had my ticket money from minute they announced production.  However, unlike Dark Phoenix, Toy Story 4 did not take advantage of the brand and put together a unique, fun, and heartfelt conclusion that any fan of the series will enjoy.  Even the scenes I was previously concerned with were entertaining in their entirety.

The crew we have grown to love over the past 25 years are a now part of Bonnie’s toy collection.  Breaking in a new kid certainly has it’s challenges, but our heroes handle it like champs!  The new adventure bounces from lighthearted and amusing to touching and inspiring, and back again. I am repeatedly amazed how these digitally created characters can trigger so many different emotions, while most human actors cannot.  You feel for these characters.  You feel with these characters. It is sad to see them go, but I thank them for their story.