It’s okay to go into TOY STORY 4 with a bit of reluctance after the story of Woody and his friends wrapped up perfectly nearly 10 years ago in TOY STORY 3, bringing their time as Andy’s toys together to a close with a focus on the importance of their relationships with one another. “Where could they possibly go from here?” many of us asked. Pixar’s answer is to explore the idea of replacement further, with even more existential angst, as Woody wrestles with no longer being needed by his kid, and in the process of hanging on to what he knows sets off on a road trip adventure that will open his eyes to a much larger world than he’s ever let himself believe exists. Whether you feel it was necessary or not, there’s no denying the continuation of Woody’s arc is a reasonable progression for his character. This trip is highlighted by Bo Peep’s progressive view on toy freedom, a questionable and creepy villain to contend with, and several new characters that mix well with the ones we know and love and add a considerable amount of silly humor and new (in the case of forky, weirdly thought-provoking) perspective. Seriously, this is one of the funniest entries in the series, and will have you laughing constantly throughout. The animation is also incredibly vivid and crisp - almost to the point of distraction if you ask me, but certainly beautiful. Where this entry may fall flat for some is in its lack of powerful feels throughout and minimal role for Buzz. The ending, though, is as strong as ever and leaves our toys in a place that makes great sense. I was relieved to not feel like TOY STORY 4 sullied what came before, one of the few “perfect” trilogies in my opinion. If this is indeed the new end cap for this franchise, it is created with care and is a fun reunion with some of our favorite animated friends of all-time. That’s good enough.