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Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Toy Story 4 (Blu-ray) (2019)

Toy Story 4 (Blu-ray) (2019)

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Released 9-Oct-2019
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Details At A Glance

General		Extras
Category	Animation	Audio Commentary Featurette-Bo Rebooted Featurette-Toy Stories Featurette-Let's Ride with Ally Maki Featurette-Woody & Buzz Featurette-Behind The Scenes-Anatomy of a Scene: Playground Featurette-Behind The Scenes-Carnival Run Featurette-View from the Roof Featurette-Toy Box Deleted Scenes Trailer
Rating
Year Of Production	2019
Running Time	100:03
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Dual Disc Set	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Language Select Then Menu	Cast & Crew
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Josh Cooley
Studio Distributor	Pixar Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.	Starring	Tom Hanks Tim Allen Annie Potts Tony Hale Keegan-Michael Key Jordan Peele Madeleine McGraw Christina Hendricks Keanu Reeves Joan Cusack Ally Maki Bonnie Hunt Kristen Schaal
Case	Standard Blu-ray	Starring
RPI	$19.95	Music	Randy Newman

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 English Alternate Audio DTS HD High Resolution Audio 5.1 English Alternate Audio Dolby Digital 2.0 (320Kb/s) English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0 (320Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (320Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.40:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	2.40:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No	Miscellaneous
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired English Audio Commentary	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	Yes

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Plot Synopsis

    Back in 2010, Pixar Studios defied the odds to deliver the excellent Toy Story 3, a long-delayed sequel which closed the Toy Story series on a fitting, cathartic, pitch-perfect note. Arriving nine years later, 2019's Toy Story 4 sees Pixar defying the odds once again, producing a third sequel that confidently avoids tarnishing Toy Story's esteemed legacy. With newcomer Josh Cooley at the helm, this fourth Toy Story feature does not attempt to retcon the earlier films, or extend the brand awkwardly or unnaturally - instead, it assuredly justifies its existence by exploring fertile narrative and thematic ground. Recapturing the spirit of its predecessors, Toy Story 4 is immense fun, delivering all the requisite comedy, adventure, joy, and whimsy that has characterised this franchise since the beginning.

    This sequel picks up two years after Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of Andy's toys were donated to young Bonnie (Madeline McGraw). However, Bonnie has started neglecting Woody; she ignores him during playtime, and puts his sheriff badge on Jessie (Joan Cusack) instead. Still determined to protect Bonnie, Woody sneaks along for her kindergarten orientation where she creates a new plaything out of a spork: the neurotic, googly-eyed Forky (Tony Hale). Bonnie loves Forky, but he instantly experiences an existential crisis, believing that he is garbage as opposed to an actual toy. Woody serves as Forky's around-the-clock guardian, an undertaking that gets more complicated when Bonnie's family goes on a road trip. Getting lost after Forky dives out of the RV, Woody and his new pal find themselves at an antique store where they encounter a talking doll, Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks). As Buzz and the other toys search for their friends, Woody is held captive by Gabby Gabby, who intends to rejuvenate herself by stealing his voice box. The adventure reunites Woody with Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and her sheep, who now live as nomad adventurers without a child owner.

    Perhaps inevitably, Toy Story 4 plays out with a different tone to the preceding films. It's still Toy Story with the same brand of scenarios, but it deals with fresh themes and ideas, and subsequently feels like somewhat of a standalone movie even though it does tie off a loose plot thread from Toy Story 3. Indeed, an opening prologue details Bo Peep's initial departure from the group, with Woody forced to choose between the woman he loves and Andy's bedroom, which sets up the main thrust of this story. (The intervening years with Bo are briskly covered in the Disney+ exclusive short movie, Lamp Life.) Once the story hits the road with Bonnie's family, Toy Story 4 splits up the principal toys, with screenwriters Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom labouring to include everybody in some capacity. Woody's story is easily the meatiest while Buzz's subplot is less involving, as he searches for his "inner voice" in the form of his pre-recorded Space Ranger voice messages. Buzz has less to do here compared to the previous movies, while the script also sidelines the rest of the returning characters, which is a bit disappointing.

    Toy Story 4 is not an all-out sobfest like Toy Story 3, but the finale does tug on the heartstrings, and those who grew up with these flicks will find the ending indescribably affecting. Toy Story 3 saw the toys coming to terms with mortality and time, but this fourth movie involves the main characters dealing with self-actualisation. This theme is primarily explored in Woody's arc, as he ponders his true purpose and struggles to remain a leader/guardian. Unwanted by Bonnie, the cowboy desperately clings to his longstanding role in the group, with his increasingly meaningless existence now solely consumed with safeguarding Bonnie's happiness. Woody takes the initiative with the arrival of Forky, frantically trying to maintain order and prevent the spork from committing suicide. Furthermore, Gabby Gabby is a more layered villain than expected; instead of an outright sinister antagonist, Gabby Gabby adds welcome poignancy to the story and contributes to Woody's character growth. However, as ever, even though there are deeper themes at play, Toy Story 4 does not skimp on the laughs - the writing is witty and razor-sharp, making this one of 2019's most effective comedies. Indeed, like many of Pixar's movies, Toy Story 4 is hugely entertaining, but there is also more to the feature than just humour and adventure. Likewise, the narrative does incorporate familiar story beats, but the sophisticated and confident execution prevents the movie from feeling perfunctory or formulaic.

    The improvements in Pixar's animation techniques since 1995 are all over the screen, but Toy Story 4 also takes things a step further. In addition to the animation looking more detailed than ever, the cinematography and lighting are particularly exceptional, as the animators deliberately simulate the look of specific camera lenses from shot to shot, down to anamorphic/spherical distortion, careful focus, and even grain/noise. Furthermore, as usual, Pixar gets ample mileage from creating perilous set-pieces in everyday locations with banal things - the antique store, for instance, is the stage for a rescue mission, and the toys face great risk in the form of a cat. The franchise's long-time composer, Randy Newman, also returns for this instalment, cooking up a flavoursome soundtrack that's wholly in keeping with his melodic contributions to the original trilogy. Newman even contributes a new original song, "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away," which received an Oscar nomination.

    Without a doubt, it's the supporting cast who steal the show in Toy Story 4. Sure, the returning cast is magnificent from top to bottom, as the performers immaculately slip back into their respective roles, but the new characters deliver the lion's share of the laughs. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele are roll-on-the-ground hilarious as a snarky pair of stuffed carnival animals, while the always-reliable Keanu Reeves brings terrific oomph and enthusiasm as overeager Canadian daredevil Duke Caboom. Tony Hale is another comedic standout as Forky, giving the timid utensil a legitimate personality and easily earning big laughs. Out of the main cast, Hanks does most of the heavy lifting in terms of drama, and his effortless gravitas elevates the material. Plus, Toy Story 4 sees the return of Annie Potts as Bo, who ably handles a more prominent role in this story. Moreover, Bo's character evolution is intriguing, with the formally soft-spoken love interest becoming a self-assured, self-sufficient action heroine, and Potts convincingly sells the characterisation. Hanks and Potts' interplay is a constant joy, as well, infusing the picture with genuine heart. Admittedly, the movie does miss hitting darker notes in the Woody/Bo relationship, particularly in regards to their philosophical differences, but this is a negligible misstep.

    At first glance, this basic plot could have been turned into another Toy Story television special or Disney+ original. However, there is weight and significance to Toy Story 4's narrative, which sparkles with the same adventurous spirit as its predecessors while finding interesting new places for the characters to go. Even though this is more or less a victory lap sequel, it's miraculous how fresh the film feels, and it does not carry the commercial/cash-in vibe of other Pixar sequels. In fact, while Toy Story 4 still primarily targets a young audience, this instalment is actually more relatable for adults, as it's a story about coping with loss and change. Toy Story 3 felt like the perfect conclusion to a perfect trilogy, but this fourth film is a worthwhile and welcome epilogue. Hilarious, visually stunning, exciting, swiftly-paced, and emotional, Toy Story 4 is further proof that, even with a few misfires under the studio's belt, it's foolish to underestimate Pixar. Be sure to stick around for additional material during the end credits.

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Transfer Quality

Video

    The critically and commercially successful Toy Story 4 comes to Blu-ray courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment, who present the movie in AVC-encoded 1080p high definition, framed at its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The movie sits on a dual-layered BD-50 with minimal audio tracks, and there isn't much in the way of extras on the disc, but it's only mastered with a mediocre average bitrate under 24 Mbps. (In fact, only 27 GB is taken up on the disc. The content across both discs does not even add up to 50GB, and could've comfortably sat on a single BD-50. Damn.) However, it's difficult to make this visually stunning animated movie look bad, and you can therefore rest assured that Toy Story 4 looks outstanding on Blu-ray - it's just that the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray alternative represents a noted improvement. Indeed, if available information online is to be believed, Toy Story 4 was actually completed with a native 4K digital intermediate, which is a rarity in animated cinema. And that 4K oversampling is why it looks so eye-popping in regular 1080p. It's worth pointing out that Disney has again eschewed a local 3D disc - Toy Story 4 is only available on Blu-ray and 4K in Australia, though you can get a 3D edition from the United Kingdom.

    During the opening sequence in the rain, every single drop of water and every blade of grass looks gorgeously defined, even in fast-moving or wide shots. And even despite the sophisticated lighting and use of shadows throughout Toy Story 4, texturing and shadow detail is consistently spectacular, positively leaping off the screen at every opportunity. When Woody and Buzz chat at the 21-minute mark, it's dark but the transfer ably resolves the complex textures on the two toys. Sharpness is excellent, too, as the finest elements of the frame are brought out with seemingly little effort, from Buzz's colourful buttons to the intricate stitching on Woody's hat. Even despite the restricted video bitrate, I found myself frequently wowed by the quality of the high definition image. When deliberate noise/grain covers the image, it usually looks finely-resolved, but it's a tad underwhelming - the 4K Blu-ray does a better job in this respect. Some shots look a little bit smeary, as well, and the transfer struggles to resolve fur at times (see any scene with Ducky and Bunny), but this probably won't even be noticeable to the average movie-watcher.

    The palette, meanwhile, is right in line with expectations - which is to say that the movie looks superb in terms of colours, with nicely saturated primaries and above-average contrast resulting in fantastic image depth. However, of course, the limited colour space and dynamic range of 1080p Blu-ray is evident at times, particularly in terms of vibrancy, luminance, and resolving highlight detail under harsh lighting (this is most evident in skies and at the carnival). This isn't a deal-breaker, though, and those who aren't familiar with the benefits of UHD with High Dynamic Range won't know what they're missing. On another note, Disney's video encode is hugely competent and never seems marred by any unsightly video anomalies - no banding, macroblocking, aliasing, crush, or anything else. This is simply a beautiful presentation from top to bottom, the best-looking in the Toy Story franchise to date, and it's difficult to imagine anybody having serious reservations with this Blu-ray.

    English subtitles (for the hearing impaired) are included. I had no issues with the subtitle stream.

*Video Ratings Summary*
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

As per usual Disney practise, Toy Story 4's Dolby Atmos track is saved for the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, while this Blu-ray only gets a DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack. The disc also contains an English DTS-HD HR 5.1 track, and a descriptive audio track (as well as the audio commentary). For whatever reason, just like with Coco, the disc actually defaults to the lossy 5.1 track, so make sure you switch to the 7.1 mix prior to viewing for the superior aural experience. As usual, be prepared to raise the volume above regular listening levels, but once you're there, this track offers a satisfying viewing experience. The crackling thunder in the opening sequence is appropriately deep, and makes use of the subwoofer to deliver effective low-frequency effects. The rainfall pushes to the rear channels, to boot, with panning and separation effects putting you in the thick of this frenetic storm. The music, as well as the use of Randy Newman's iconic "You Got A Friend In Me," push to the rear channels, with appropriate depth to boot. When the toys chatter in the dark at 7:30, voices are isolated to certain speakers. With the lossless encoding, there are no problems in terms of compression, as the track carries a sufficient bitrate.

Furthermore, the mix never experiences problems with prioritisation - the dialogue is always clear, and is never overwhelmed by sound effects or music. At the carnival, there's terrific LFE when Buzz runs underneath the rides. The skunk car also sounds appropriately loud as it drives off with Woody and Bo. Ambience is usually impressive, too. When Woody and Forky walk along the road, for example, the sound of crickets fill the speakers, while some scenes inside the antique store are accompanied by the creepy old-timey song "Midnight, the Stars and You" by Ray Noble. Unlike some other Disney presentations, I never felt that the audio seemed excessively compromised, tinny, or compressed - the mix is crystal clear and comprehensible from start to finish. At times, surround activity is a bit limited, especially in quieter scenes which seem overly front-centric (when music should be more apparent in the rear channels), but that's about the only complaint I have. It's not quite a reference track, but it's frequently impressive and enjoyable.

*Audio Ratings Summary*
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

This two-disc Blu-ray edition comes with several special features. There is a single-disc edition out there, as well. Note that several of these extras are also available to view on Disney+. At the time of writing, Disney+ also offers two additional special features that are not on this Blu-ray: Anatomy of a Scene: Prologue (5:10) and Deleted Scene: Bonnie's Playtime (7:39).

Disc 1 (Feature Film):

Bo Rebooted (HD; 6:21)

Pixar's animators and designers discuss Bo's evolution compared to the previous movies. The redesign is covered, along with the advances in computer animation and techniques in general since the first Toy Story in 1995. Appropriately, the team who brought Bo to life for Toy Story 4 are primarily female. Footage of Potts in the recording studio - both for the original Toy Story, and for this fourth film - is also included.

Toy Stories (HD; 5:38)

Several Toy Story 4 cast and crew members (including Hanks, Reeves, Cooley, Hendricks, Ally Maki, and more) discuss their personal experiences with toys. The interviewees reveal the toys they enjoyed as children, and we get to see the Pixar office which is chock-full of toys.

Audio Commentary

This feature-length audio commentary with director Josh Cooley and producer Mark Nielsen provides a detailed, scene-specific breakdown of the making of Toy Story 4. They first address their motivation for making a fourth film, explaining that they felt there was more story to tell, and Woody's story does not end after leaving Andy. They extensively go over the production, revealing elements of the creative process and going over the ensemble cast - including bringing back Laurie Metcalf to reprise her role of Andy's mum once again. I even learned that greats like Carl Weathers, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks are the film, thanks to this commentary. The pair also have a lot of praise for the animators, whose jobs sound incredibly complex and painstaking - even Cooley is in awe at the movie's gorgeous visuals. Another topic is the source of toy sentience - they deliberately chose not to answer the question, as Cooley likens such an answer to the midi-chlorian angle of the Star Wars prequels. A song from The Shining is included in the antique store, which was suggested as a joke by Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich, but wound up making the final cut. Easter Eggs are covered, including a book about the Pixar interconnected universe sitting in the antique store, and Star Wars toys in the background of a shot that I've never noticed before. There is a lot more trivia in this commentary, both minor and major, and I found this to be worth the listen.

Disc 2 (Bonus Disc):

Let's Ride with Ally Maki (HD; 5:41)

This surprisingly informative featurette takes a closer look at the process of recording the dialogue with the voice actors. Cooley, Ally Maki, and several other crew members walk us through the specifics, encapsulating several departments before the dialogue is finally incorporated into the movie. This extra is funny, involving and insightful.

Woody & Buzz (HD; 3:35)

The longstanding relationship between Woody and Buzz is the focus of this extra, with several cast and crew members (including, of course, Hanks and Allen) chiming in to discuss the pair's history.

Anatomy of a Scene: Playground (HD; 9:31)

Four key Pixar animators sit down to watch the playground sequence in the movie, and offer a detailed breakdown of the scene. They go over the design process (including the characters and costumes), storyboarding, creative choices, Easter Eggs, and more. Footage from early design tests is included, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of the Pixar team working on Toy Story 4 in the studio.

Carnival Run (HD; 1:00)

This is a simple walkthrough of the gigantic animated carnival set. A fun inclusion.

View from the Roof (HD; 0:29)

In the same vein as the previous extra, this shows the view from the roof of the antique store.

Toy Box (HD; 13:00)

Taking a closer look at some of the outstanding new characters, here we have five featurettes which each focus on the subject implied by their title. Design and creative choices are covered at length, while the actors talk about their personal experiences as well as their time making the film, and there's footage of the performers in the recording studio delivering their lines. Unsurprisingly, some of the stuff with Reeves is very funny, but I enjoyed the "Ducky & Bunny" featurette the most (Key and Peele recorded together, which is a treat to see). These are all worth watching.

Gabby Gabby & Her Gang (4:03)
Forky (2:43)
Duke Caboom (2:25)
Ducky & Bunny (2:37)
Giggle McDimples (1:11)

Deleted Scenes (HD; 28:00)

Six deleted scenes and an introduction are included in this section, which can be viewed individually or via a "Play All" function. Each scene is prefaced with an individual introduction, and these are all presented in their rough storyboard state; none of them actually went through to animation.

Introduction (00:48) - Director Cooley talks about his initial experiences with Pixar as a story artist, before briefly talking about Toy Story 4 to introduce these deleted scenes.
Scamming Playtime (3:57) - Some enjoyable extra antics at the playground, including a dog picking up Woody in its mouth.
Bo Knows Hippos (3:42) - This scene from an early version of the movie sees Woody finding an underground gambling den inside the antique store, which was originally envisioned as a bustling toy city. Toys playing a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos is quite funny.
Desperate Toys (3:21) - A scene that Cooley wishes was in the final film, this trimmed moment sees Woody and Bo meet some territorial figures in the antique store (including a dancing Santa Claus). Funny and creative.
Knock-Offs (4:18) - In this scene, Buzz meets cheap, knock-off versions of himself. This is pretty funny, and marks the first time that this series has delved into knock-off toys.
Recruit Duke (7:20) - An alternative version of the scene when Bo and Woody meet Duke Caboom for the first time. This has some funny moments, and there's even a Star Wars reference. The actual stuff with Duke is pretty close to the finished film.
She's the One (4:31) - This is an alternative ending sequence which involves Bo choosing to be adopted by a child. This is emotional, but the ending in the final cut is better.

Trailers & Promos (HD)

A small collection of promotional material.

Carnival Prizes (3:25) - Just a simplistic animated demonstration of the characters in action.
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)

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

Supplements are the same worldwide, assuming you buy the two-disc edition. Buy local.

Summary

Toy Story 4 may not seem necessary, but it's a wonderful epilogue to the exceptional Toy Story trilogy. It's miraculous that the Pixar team were able to find such fertile narrative and thematic material for this fourth instalment.

The technical presentation is marvellous, with a few minor caveats. The vivid animation (reportedly rendered at 4K) translates to Blu-ray with amazing results, and the lossless 7.1 track is impressive for the most part. The selection of extras is adequate, but I expected more, given the production's significance and success. All things considered, this Blu-ray comes recommended.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Review Equipment
DVD	Sony UBP-X700 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player, using HDMI output
Display	LG OLED65E6T. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 2160p.
Audio Decoder	Built in to amplifier/receiver. This audio decoder/receiver has not been calibrated.
Amplification	Samsung Series 7 HT-J7750W
Speakers	Samsung Tall Boy speakers, 7.1 set-up

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