The Toy Story films have always been a part of my life. The first film was released when I was a child, and I eagerly watched the adventures of Sherriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear over the years, seeing them go from one film to another, constantly being captivated by these sentient toys and their charming misadventures through the human world, growing up with their quirky escapades. Much like pretty much everyone, I thought Toy Story 3 was the conclusion for these characters – the children who grew up with these films are now much older (some of them even having children of their own), and the ending, which is often considered one of the most poignant in Pixar’s history, made it quite clear that this was the end, and the story was coming to a close. No one could possibly have been foolish enough to expect more to come after such a faultless ending. Now, because I suppose money talks, these expectations have been proven wrong, and we have received yet another chapter in the lives of these endearing characters. Was Toy Story 4 necessary? Not at all. But was it as a charming, exuberant and funny film that reminds us of the warmth established all those years ago when we watched the trials and tribulations of Woody and his friends as they navigate the challenges of being toys in a human world? Absolutely, and then some. It is a pretty terrific film, and a great reminder of the precise reasons we fell in love with these characters in the first place, and a worthy conclusion to an iconic series.

There are a few reasons why Toy Story 4 flourishes so much. First of all, it isn’t only a great sequel, but a great animated film in its own right. Disney-Pixar has recently gone through a bit of a dark period, where their output was less than ideal, especially on the Pixar side, with their original films (such as Coco and Inside Out) receiving deserved acclaim, but their attempts to revisit iconic films from earlier in their history (Finding Dory, Incredibles 2 and Monsters University) not faring quite as well. Dependent too much on the notion that audiences will naturally flock to see sequels to these successful films (which they did), the studio didn’t seem to put nearly as much heart and effort into these outings as they should’ve, resulting in films built on a weak premise and driven solely by nostalgia. It just doesn’t work that way, and audiences, while not particularly upset by the failed attempts to capitalize on their childhood joy, were rather lukewarm. Toy Story 4 changes this, taking a similar approach to its predecessors, which remain the only sequels that are as good (if not better) than the original. The key to this is quite simple: reinvent rather than revive. Woody and Buzz Lightyear are familiar characters, so there’s no need to revise everything about them, which allows time for more storytelling and more thrilling adventures. By the time Toy Story 4 begins, we are thrown right back into this world and introduced to this new story, which keeps the familiar formula but doesn’t rest on its laurels nearly as much as other sequels normally tend to.

Toy Story 4 doesn’t dare try and tinker with the qualities that have been proven to work, but it also isn’t set on recapturing the same spark that made them successful in the first place, opting for a more original approach. The fact that these are sentient toys are, by this point, besides the point (even if this film explores the concept of inanimate objects having self-awareness a lot more than it did originally – it even feels like Pixar is poking fun at itself in this regard) and is rather concerned with exploring the world from the perspective of these characters in a way that doesn’t abandon the heartful nature of the previous films, but also doesn’t rely too much on the storylines that work. The world-building in these films are second-to-none when it comes to animated films, with the creators working tirelessly to bring to life a version of our world that is both recognizable and highly-original. In Toy Story 4, the characters run further, soar higher and explore the world in a way that is hilarious and unique, which makes watching this film such a delight. The overall concept remains the same, but the fixation on the same storylines are abandoned in favour of riveting, entertaining adventures that are utterly extraordinary to experience, and still so enchanting.

For the fourth film in a series, Toy Story 4 seems remarkably fresh and original and doesn’t bear the traces of sequel fatigue in any way. This is a not necessarily a complete continuation of the sequels (and considering the previous film was nearly a decade ago, it’s implausible that we remember every detail to make this a direct sequel), but rather another adventure that serves to also conclude this saga. On all fronts, this film is a refreshing return to this world, with the animation being even more impressive (despite the slight decline in the quality of their stories in some of their films, Pixar’s animation has always been unprecedented in its innovation and striking beauty), and there is a visual warmth here that is awe-inspiring, even for a studio that specializes in endearingly emotional visual style. The humour is once again pitch-perfect, with some moments in this film being amongst the funniest in the studio’s history, and often very subversive without ever being inappropriate or going too far over the heads of the audience – you can accuse Pixar of several things, but not being entertaining to audiences of all ages is certainly not one of them. Even if we strip Toy Story 4 of its nostalgic undercurrent, this is still a wildly-original film, with a terrific script and gorgeous animation, and it is clear that the people behind this film approached it with this very mindset – they weren’t setting out to make a decent sequel, they were making a great film on its own, and it shows, because we see something here rarely glimpsed so clearly when it comes to this kind of film: earnest effort, in all facets of the filmmaking process.

It goes without saying that I really loved Toy Story 4. On a professional level, it was a delightful, well-written animated film and a welcome return to form for a studio that has been in dire need of some rejuvenation, especially when it comes to sequels to their most popular properties. On a personal level, this film took me right back to my childhood and thrilled me with its blend of gorgeous animation and emotional storytelling that is both entertaining and heartbreaking (this isn’t even mentioning the ending, which saw me holding back tears with great ferocity). This film doesn’t negate the beautiful ending to its predecessor – rather, it ties up all loose ends and brings them together in a truly poignant fashion. Nearly a quarter of a century later, the final chapter of these characters has come to an end, everything coming full-circle, concluding this series of films with astonishing warmth and undeniably heartfelt authenticity. There are not many film series that come to a close quite as beautifully as this – and without any doubt, Toy Story 4 not only has a flawless ending, it also sends these characters off in a way they truly deserve. There were so many directions this film could’ve gone, and I am so thrilled that this series, which stands as Pixar’s very best, has remained practically perfect in every way, from beginning to end.

To infinity…and beyond. I’m still holding back the tears.