Toy Story 4

Though it ultimately reveals itself as the weakest entry in the series, Toy Story 4 nevertheless comes off as an enjoyable and periodically spellbinding endeavor that benefits substantially from its predictably eye-popping animation and raft of overtly entertaining vocal performances – although it does remain clear that this isn’t exactly a story that was begging to be told. The movie, which follows Woody (Tom Hanks) and the rest of the gang as they go on an adventure, fares best in its compelling first and third acts, as the midsection suffers from a somewhat hit-and-miss feel that’s compounded by an overlong running time – with filmmaker Josh Cooley, working from Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom’s screenplay, delivering an erratic narrative that seems to spend just a little too much time within an antiques shop. There’s nevertheless little doubt that Toy Story 4, even though its less-than-effective stretches, is rife with minor (and major) pleasures, with, for example, the picture’s various new characters making a consistently-engaging impact on the sometimes meandering storyline. (Keanu Reeves’ often hilarious turn as daredevil toy Duke Kaboom remains an obvious highlight.) By the time the emotional, wrenching finale rolls around, Toy Story 4 has confirmed its place as a better-than-average animated feature that pales only in comparison to the letter-perfect original trilogy.

**** out of ****