Everyone’s favorite toys return for a brand new adventure, along with some new friends. When we last saw Woody, Buzz and the gang, their owner Andy had grown up and passed his toys along to 5-year-old Bonnie. The gang has gotten used to their new routine, but lately Woody often finds himself left behind at playtime, and is seeking a purpose in life. So when he sees that Bonnie is nervous to go to her Kindergarten orientation, Woody stows away in her backpack, and helps her with her art project, tossing some Popsicle sticks, a spork, and a pipe cleaner from the trash onto her desk, which Bonnie uses to make a new friend she names Forky.
Forky is like a newborn and doesn’t understand the concepts of owners and toys—he just sees himself as trash, and keeps trying to return to the bin. However, Woody can see that Forky has quickly become the most important thing in Bonnie’s life. So when Forky makes his escape while the family is on an RV trip, Woody chases after him, making it his mission to return him to Bonnie. However, Woody runs into trouble along the way. Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) is a seemingly-sweet 1950’s doll, but due to her broken voice box, she’s been lonely and stuck in an antiques shop for decades, never having felt the love of a child. When she hears the catchphrases coming from Woody’s pull string, she sees her chance at new life, and uses Forky as bait to lure Woody to her. Now Woody must rescue Forky from Gabby and her gang of creepy ventriloquist dummy goons. But Woody isn’t alone in his mission. He has recently reunited with his old flame Bo Peep. Bo is no longer the dainty woman she once was—she has become a tough, resourceful gal with some mad ninja-like skills! She has spent the last seven years living free and on her own, along with her sheep and micro cop friend Giggle McDimples (Ally Maki). Meanwhile, Buzz and the other toys are on their own mission to either find Woody and bring him back, or at least delay the RV trip long enough to give Woody time to return.
After seeing the third Toy Story film, I never thought a fourth was necessary. However, now I can’t imagine the Toy Story franchise without it—Toy Story 4 may just be my favorite—and not just because there are so many fun new characters, like the delightfully awkward and naive Forky (Tony Hale), Canada’s greatest stunt man, the brave motorcycle-riding Duke Kaboom (Keanue Reeves) with a dark past, the comical conjoined carnival prizes Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key) & Bunny (Jordan Peele), and the flea-like Giggles McDimples. The film contains that same great mix of action, adventure, humor, heart and wonder that have made this franchise endure over the years. This fourth installment primarily focuses on Woody, who grows while going through an emotional journey over the course of the film. He starts off as more of the neglected toy searching for a purpose, still stuck on his past with Andy. However, though becoming like a father to Forky and finding love again with Bo, he learns how to move on to the next phase of his life. Meanwhile, Buzz also goes on his own journey, exploring the idea of listening to his inner voice, and letting that guide his actions—even if that inner voice is just the pre-recorded phrases that play when he presses a button on his arm. Plus, the rest of our favorite toys from the past decade are also along for the ride! (That must be one big RV!)
Disney’s 4K UHD presentation looks amazing, with an incredible sense of detail, from every scratch and scuff on the toys and surfaces, to the deluxe textures in clothing and fur, and reflections in Bo’s shiny porcelain skin. Every scene is bursting with a delightful color palette, which is further enhanced by the 4K release’s HDR. One disappointment is that Disney has only included the HDR-10 version of the film on the disc, reserving the Dolby Vision version for the digital copy. They have have been doing this for several releases now, and while the HDR-10 still looks quite stunning, it would be nice to have the option of Dolby Vision on the disc as well, especially since it is already available on the digital copy.
The audio presentation is equally as impressive. The Atmos soundtrack provides a fully-immersive viewing experience, right from the film’s opening sequence as pouring rain can be heard overhead. Throughout the film, the stereo and surround speakers are well utilized to add dimension and direction to the on-screen action. The dialogue also remains clear, and the film’s delightful score and occasional musical selections also sound excellent.
The 4K release comes packed in a standard UHD keepcase along with a rounded-corner cardboard slipcover. Inside is the digital copy redemption instructions (the digital copy redeems in UHD format), along with the Blu-ray film disc on one side, and the Blu-ray bonus disc and UHD film disc stacked on the other. The extensive selection of bonus material, which can only be found on the Blu-ray discs, includes an audio commentary, 45 minutes of featurettes, 28 minutes of deleted scenes, and some trailers/promos. The digital copy also includes an additional 25 minutes of material—featurettes, a deleted scene, a short, and more. The content varies depending on the retailer being used for playback. While the 4K release is phenomenal, it is still disappointing to see that Disney continues to not offer the 3D Blu-ray version in the U.S. (it will be available in other countries). I miss the days of the 4K/3D combo backs—these animated films always look fantastic in 3D, and it would have been great to have that viewing option as well for those who still have the ability to watch 3D at home.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:40:03)
4K Ultra HD:
- 2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- HDR-10
- Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio, French 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD MA, English 5.1 DTS-HD HR, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Subtitles: English SDH, English, French, Spanish
Digital:
- 4K Digital Copy redeemable via Movies Anywhere
Extras:
Bonus material is only available on the Blu-ray discs and the digital copy.
- Bo Rebooted (6:21)
Many of the female artists who worked on the film talk about the challenges of reimagining Bo Peep, turning her into a main character and an action hero. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, animatics and sketches, and interviews with story supervisor Valerie LaPointe, character modeling & articulation artists Mara MacMahon & Tanja Krampfert, directing animators Becki Rocha Tower & Patty Kihm, producer Galyn Susman, story artist Carrie Hobson, shading art director Laura Phillips, and the voice of Bo Peep Annie Potts. - Toy Stories (5:38)
The cast and filmmakers share stories about their favorite toys when they were kids, and showcase their office toy collections. Includes interviews with director Josh Cooley, story artist Jeff Pidgeon, producer Mark Nielsen, production designer Bob Pauley, animator Andrew Atteberry, character developer & animator Priscila de Borthole Vertamatti, director of layout photography Patrick Lin, directing animator Becki Rocha Tower, and stars Tom Hanks (“Woody”), Ally Maki (“Giggle McDimples”), Christina Hendricks (“Gabby Gabby”), Keanu Reeves (“Duke Caboom”) & Tony Hale (“Forky”). - Audio Commentary (1:40:03)
Director Josh Cooley and Producer Mark Nielsen provide a fun, interesting and informative commentary throughout the film. They open the discussion by answering the question of “Why Toy Story 4?”, and then go on to discuss technical challenges and decisions, where ideas for elements of the story came from, how the story evolved over time, and point out lots of Easter eggs. - Sneak Peeks (3:08)
Trailers for Onward (1:47) and Frozen II (1:21) - Bonus Features
- Let’s Ride With Ally Maki (5:41)
Head into the recording studio to see the process Pixar uses to record the dialogue for its films. Participants include star Ally Maki (“Giggle McDimples”), director Josh Cooley, recording engineer Vince Caro, head of story Valerie LaPointe, script supervisor Rachael Slansky, assistant editor Jeff Stone, production assistant Vincent Salvano, and film editor Axel Geddes. - Woody & Buzz (3:35)
The cast and filmmakers talk about the relationship between Woody & Buzz and how it changes in this fourth film. Includes interviews with supervising animator Robert H. Russ, producer Jonas Rivera, film editor Axel Geddes, director Josh Cooley, producer Mark Nielsen, and stars Tom Hanks & Tim Allen (“Buzz Lightyear”). - Anatomy of a Scene: Playground (9:31)
The filmmakers watch the pivotal scene where Bo and Woody are reunited for the first time, and discuss the efforts involved in bringing the scene to life. They also point out some of the Pixar Easter eggs in the scene. Includes animatics, production photos/sketches, early animation tests, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with sets supervisors Thomas Jordan & Steve Karski, character tailoring lead Mariana Galindo, and story artist Carrie Hobson. - Toy Views
- Carnival Run (1:00)
Raw footage from the POV of the toys as they quickly make their way through the carnival. - View From the Roof (:29)
Raw footage from the POV of the toys as they make their way through the roof of the antique shop.
- Carnival Run (1:00)
- Let’s Ride With Ally Maki (5:41)
- Toy Box (13:00)
The cast and filmmakers take a look at some of the film’s new characters. Includes animatics, animation tests, sketches, production photos, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producer Jonas Rivera, story supervisor Valerie LaPointe, production designer Bob Pauley, supervising animator Scott Clark, film editor Axel Geddes, director Josh Cooley, and stars Christina Hendricks, Tony Hale, Keanu Reeves, Keegan-Michael Key (“Ducky”), Jordan Peele (“Bunny”) & Ally Maki. Play All, or select from:- Gabby Gabby & Her Gang (4:03)
- Forky (2:43)
- Duke Caboom (2:25)
- Ducky & Bunny (2:37)
- Giggle McDimples (1:11)
- Deleted Scenes (28:00)
Collection of 6 deleted scenes, each with a brief intro from director Josh Cooley. Play All, or select from:- Introduction (:48)
Director Josh Cooley provides an introduction to the deleted scenes. - Scamming Playtime (3:57)
A different version of Bo and Woody’s reunion—Ducky and Bunny show up in a slightly different form, as Buster and Bill. - Bo Knows Hippos (3:42)
Woody meets Bo in an underground toy city where toys are gambling on Hungry, Hungry Hippos. - Desperate Toys (3:21)
Woody and Bo run into #1 Grandson and his gang of figurines and a dancing Santa Claus while sneaking through the antique store. - Knock-Offs (4:18)
Buzz meets his own knock-off toys in the carnival booth. - Recruit Duke (7:20)
In this slightly different version of the scene where Bo and Woody meet Duke for the first time, the pair must deal with some uncooperative Pop-Up Pals. - She’s The One (4:31)
One of the original endings for the film, where Woody says goodbye to Bo.
- Introduction (:48)
- Trailers & Promo
Collection of the film’s various teasers and trailers, presented in different languages.- Carnival Prizes (3:25)
The various toys ham it up for the camera in front of a blue screen. Doesn’t really include any dialogue, just lots of grunts and reactions. - Trailers
- Booth – Global Teaser in Spanish (1:39)
- Playtime – Global Trailer in English (2:20)
- Freedom – Global Trailer in Russian (1:46)
- Pixar Pedigree – Exclusive for China (1:35)
- Carnival Prizes (3:25)
- Anatomy of a Scene: Prologue (5:13) (edited down on some streaming services)
The filmmakers discuss some of the alternate openings they considered, and the trickiness of creating the rain in the opening that they ultimately used. Includes animatics and production photos/sketches of some of these, and interviews with story supervisor Valerie LaPointe, directing animator Becki Rocha Tower, effects supervisor Gary Bruins, and sequence lead Holly Lloyd. - Additional Deleted Scene – Bonnie’s Playtime (7:38)
Original cold open for the film that finds Bonnie and the toys under attack by evil flying bookbirds that are trying to turn them into bookworms. - Partysaurus Rex (6:33) (Vudu)
In this short, after being called a party-pooper by the other toys, Bonnie selects Rex for bath time, where he decides to change his image and have a fun time. - Toy Story Rewind (2:39) (Vudu)
The cast and filmmakers talk about their favorite Toy Story moments. Participants include director Josh Cooley, producer Mark Nielsen & Jonas Rivera, production designer Bob Pauley, story supervisor Valerie LaPointe and stars Christina Hendricks, Ally Maki & Tom Hanks. - Second Chance Antiques (1:31) (iTunes)
Search for more than 30 hidden Pixar treasures in this footage of the Second Chance Antiques set. - Second Chance Antiques: Hidden Treasures (2:51) (iTunes)
Same footage as above, but this time with the Pixar treasures revealed.
Blu-ray Film Disc/Digital Copy:
Blu-ray Bonus Disc/Digital Copy:
Subtitles offered in English SDH, Portuguese, Castilian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French (Quebec), French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish, Norwegian, Russian, Swedish, and Chinese.
Digital Copy Exclusives:
Available only via the digital copy. The selection and run length differs depending on which service is being used for playback.
Final Thoughts:
Toy Story 4 is a wonderful addition to the franchise. Recapturing the same fun and adventure of the original, plus introducing some delightful new characters, it may just be my favorite of the toys’ adventures yet. Disney’s 4K release features a stellar video and audio presentation, along with a huge assortment of bonus material. This is a must own for fans of the franchise, or folks looking for fun animated adventure that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
