Toy Story 4 the art with true heart we’ve come to love from the Pixar franchise

You cannot improve on perfection. So when it was announced there would be a fourth Toy Story, longstanding fans of the family-friendly franchise had every right to question it. But rest easy, the unimpeachable excellence continues.

Spanning 1995 through 2010, the Toy Story trilogy continues to embody a precious and all too rare form of movie alchemy, a magical combination of real art and true heart that connects with viewers of all ages, backgrounds and mindsets.

Just cast your mind back to the dramatic, lump-in-throat apex scaled by Toy Story 3, where the cast of computer-animated figures that had become our firm friends over the years looked certain to be banished to a fiery oblivion.

This was more than mere cartooning. This was something that mattered to us.

Old favourite Sheriff Woody and new character Forky. Picture: Pixar

Therefore you should have every right to ask why, oh why, is there suddenly a fourth Toy Story beeping loudly on the pop-cultural radar? Has Pixar returned to the well once too often?

What you should know right now is that there is no need to worry here.

Toy Story 4 pays its way as a respectful and highly satisfying addition to the canon, without once tainting the unimpeachable excellence of all that has gone before.

Less of a sequel and more of a stand-alone adventure that reflects the high standards of the trilogy, Toy Story 4’s premise integrates Sheriff Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and our old faves with a new collection of characters more than worthy of admission to the Toy Story universe.

Toy Story 4 acts more as a stand-alone adventure.

Chief among them is the wonderful Forky (Tony Hale), a goofy hybrid of plastic cutlery and pipe-cleaners that — even by the loosest definition — is not a toy at all.

Forky actually comes to life as a kindergarten art project completed by Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw), a little girl who inherited Woody, Buzz, Bo-Peep and their entourage from their former owner, the beloved Andy.

Despite his lowly pedigree, the ultra-endearing Forky usurps all the regular toys to become Bonnie’s preferred plaything.

It would be fair to say Forky is more than a bit oblivious to his new exalted status — he’d rather hang out in a rubbish bin than a toy cupboard — so it becomes the job of the always generous and kind Woody to become Forky’s mentor, minder and, against all odds, true friend.

Toy Story 4 maintains the unimpeachable excellence set out in the first three movies. Picture: Pixar

As has been the case in previous Toy Story instalments, Toy Story 4 goes to another level and remains there once a principal setting is established far from the safety of cupboards, shelves and toy boxes.

Many of the best sequences in the movie are staged in a rather creepy antique shop in a small holiday resort town where Bonnie has travelled with her family.

It is here that poor old gullible Forky becomes the unknowing hostage of Gabby-Gabby (Christina Hendricks), a vintage talking doll whose pull-string voice box will soon go silent forever.

Gabby-Gabby knows that Woody talks using the same model of voice box, and also knows that the cowboy in him will do anything to save Forky.

Toy Story 4 will stand up to the test of repeat viewings.

Will Woody hand over his ability to communicate in exchange for a spork that can barely speak?

Both entertaining and emotionally astute, Toy Story 4 is simply wonderful stuff from beginning to end.

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There is plenty happening that has gone unmentioned here, and will be a certain joy for fans to discover upon repeat viewings.

Sure, you cannot improve upon perfection. But Toy Story 4 shows us you can hold a mirror up to it, reflect it, honour it, and leave that perfection intact.

TOY STORY 4 (G)

Director: Josh Cooley (feature debut)

Starring: the voices of Tom Hanks, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Madeleine McGraw, Keanu Reeves.

Rating: ****1/2

Old friends on a new journey, one play at a time