Toy Story 4: The funniest Toy Story film yet with delightful new characters like fan favourite Forky

A lot of people thought Toy Story 4 wouldn’t happen - but nine years after the last installment, it's delighted fans once again.

Set directly after the events in Toy Story 3, Woody (Tom Hanks) is confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. 

But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called Forky (Tony Hale) to her room, a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends shows Woody how big the world can be for a toy. 

We reveal the best bits about the movie, fascinating facts you didn’t know and Easter eggs you didn’t spot, who voices the characters, and more.

Toy Story 4: From Tim Allen to Tom Hanks - voice cast in a nutshell

Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Cast Away) is back as the voice of cowboy doll Woody, alongside Tim Allen (Home Improvement, The Santa Clause) as space ranger toy Buzz Lightyear. 

Annie Potts (The Big Bang Theory) is back as the voice of Woody's love interest, Bo Peep, plus Joan Cusack (Working Girl) returns as the voice of cowgirl doll, Jessie.

There's also some new faces / voices in the mix, as Keanu Reeves, Jordan Peele, Christina Hendricks, Keegan-Michael Key and Tony Hale join the cast.

Hale (Veep) voices spork toy Forky, Reeves (The Matrix) voices daredevil toy Duke Caboom, Peele (Big Mouth) voices Bunny alongside Key (Friends From College) as Ducky, plus Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) voices old-fashioned toy doll, Gabby Gabby.

All of the original classic Toy Story characters are back, including Mr and Mrs Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex, and Hamm.

Top 3 reasons to watch Toy Story 4…

1. It’s the funniest Toy Story film yet

Toy Story 4 is hands down the funniest Toy Story film yet - if not one of the funniest Pixar films to date.

It manages to be funny while heartfelt and emotional too, with the tear-jerking moments complimenting the humour.

As Hannah Wales from The World of Celebrity writes: “The previous three [films] were funny but this is hilarious and I laughed out loud a lot. 

“A new character, Canadian stuntman Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), was a great source of comedy, as were funfair plushies Ducky and Bunny (Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key), Forky, and the usual support characters like Rex (Wallace Shawn).”

Matt Goldberg from Collider.com agrees: “The film is painfully funny throughout (you’ll even want to stay to the Pixar bumper after the credits for a joke that had everyone in my audience cheering).”

2. The introduction of delightful new characters

Forky, Duke Caboom, and Ducky and Bunny indeed brought a revived sense of humour to the film - but that’s not the only thing they brought.

Forky in particular became a fan favourite thanks to his conflict of whether he’s toy or trash. Forky also forced Woody to explain what it means to be a toy - if technically a spork could be a toy! - which added to the film’s story, and the meaning of life for Woody.

Duke Caboom is another new but beloved character, with Eric Diaz from Nerdist calling it the film's “secret weapon” and Sarah Buddery from Cineworld saying you'll "fall in love” with Caboom who "steals Woody's thunder" in the film.

And while Gabby Gabby starts off as the film’s villain, you end up feeling unexpectedly sympathetic towards her (but she’s still terrifying!) 

3. It shows the importance of friendship

The world can be pretty daunting for a toy, but it’s a lot easier to take in with friends - whether that's old ones that have been there from the very beginning, or new ones!

From Andy's bedroom to Bonnie's, Woody and Buzz have been loyal comrades. They have very different personalities - Woody is his own harshest critic, whereas Buzz is the voice of reason - but it just shows the importance of surrounding yourself with people that are different to yourself.

Then there's Woody and his longtime bestie Jessie, who has replaced him as the playroom sheriff thanks to his inner anxiety about not being Bonnie's fave toy.

But just like you should nurture friendships over the years - you should never turn away the chance to meet new friends at any age, as Woody learns in the film.

It goes without saying that Woody was not expecting to meet Forky, who makes him question everything he knew about being a toy. Despite Bonnie being more fond of Forky than Woody - which could have led to a case of the green-eyed monster - he makes it his personal mission to protect Forky.

As Randy Newman has sung throughout the four Toy Story films, "You've Got a Friend in Me!"

Toy Story 4 trivia: Did you know...

1. According to ScreenRant.com, at the carnival, where Ducky and Bunny are hanging up as prizes, there's several classic guitars hanging up near them. They’re the same design as the one seen in Coco - which is Pixar's last original feature film before the release of Toy Story 4. 

2. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele were previously part of sketch comedy TV series Key & Peele - as a result they improvised a lot of their lines as Bunny and Ducky in the film.

3. There’ve been plenty of dogs in Toy Story movies over the years (hello, Buster!), but according to IMDB, Toy Story 4 is the first time there's ever been a cat in a Toy Story film.

4. Forky is the first toy character in the Toy Story franchise to be made out of handcrafted materials. Alongside a spork - which makes up his body - he’s also made of arts and crafts objects.

5. Speaking of Forky, he’s not just any old spork… he’s an old Pizza Planet spork! Pizza Planet is of course the restaurant that Andy and the toys visited in the original Toy Story film.

Fan reaction to Toy Story 4

Many fans, including TV presenter Holly Willoughby, thought Forky was the standout character from the film - with some even making DIY Forkys at home!

Toy Story 4 is available to stream with the NOW TV Sky Cinema Pass now.