Toy Story 4 - oh what joy.

Toy Story 4 - oh what joy.

Oh what joy this was. It was rather like your first day at primary school. You've no idea what you're supposed to be doing nor do you know anybody. You stare around at that terrifying assembly hall, look around at those beautifully painted classrooms, run out into the playground for the first time, sprint down the corridors and then settle down for those introductory lessons in English, Maths and Science. Then the headmaster or headmistress issues a firm and stern reprimand, a shouty telling off and the express order to walk rather than run.

This is pretty much where Toy Story 4 came in. Toy Story 4 is the latest and typically hilarious creation to come out of Disney and Pixar studios. You know the story now. A young child's toys come tumbling out of the cupboard and the toys come to very vivid and charming life. The rest is rather like that huge, themed amusement park in Florida where all your dreams literally come true.

 In keeping with the previous editions of this wonderful Disney fantasy, Toy Story 4 is another slice of Disney brilliance, an ingenious masterpiece that was so sumptuous that any other descriptive term would never do it any justice. The plot and characterisation are now legendary, the toys have now stolen our hearts and it all ends up in a slushy, gooey, delightful love affair. Ah!

But there was no marshmallow sentimentality in Toy Story 4 because this Toy Story had sinister villains, giggly villains but villains that you could identify with and boo at the same time.  Half way through the film, movie stardust was liberally sprinkled all over the screen. Suddenly, an army of dastardly dummies spring out of nowhere in particular and threaten havoc wherever they go. Their intended target is Woody and his pals. Now they seem to multiply for what seems like an indefinite period of time. It puts you in the mind of some surreal horror spoof movie designed to leave you jumping out of your seat for just a minute or two but without any real malice at all.

The central location for Toy Story 4 though is a dusty old antique shop where you can almost smell the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. Here Sheriff Woody, the always outstanding Tom Hanks, set out on one of their famous missions. Their task here is to reunite the cute little girl Bonnie with her new friend - wait for it- Forky. Yes Forky folks. Now, in the entire history of cinema there have been gallant heroes, romantic classics, delectable cartoon characters, action packed war movies and sci fi futuristic sheer escapism. Film has transported us to wild, rugged mountain scenes, cliff top fights between the baddies and tear jerking scenes that never fail to move us. And then there was Forky!

Yes folks there was Forky. You heard it correctly. Forky is the new movie superstar, a legend in our lifetime, a giant of the silver screen and barely believable. But there's nothing of the pampered prima donna about him, there are no airs and graces about Forky, no tears and tantrums, failing to turn up for certain scenes, no confrontations with the directors or producers. Forky is your real Fork, a genuine plastic fork who escaped from the Hollywood canteen just in time for the film.

Forky has a strange eye, pipe cleaners for hair and is very humble. One day Bonnie wakes up to find that her new cutlery friend has gone and this is where Woody the Sheriff, with that unmistakable stetson on his head and badge firmly pinned to his waistcoat, joins in with the hunt to save Forky from a fate worse than somebody's dinner plate.

Then Woody's most loyal ally Buzz Lightyear aka Tim Allen heroically accompanies Woody, Little Bo Beep and Mr and Mrs Potato Head on hair raising adventures to fairgrounds and intrepid, daring escapades over all of the obstacles they find in the antique shop. They plot their cunning manoeuvres to far flung places before finally rescuing Forky from a grotesque fate at the hands of the evil dummies.

And then there was Little Bo Beep, another cutesy, winsome but brave and fearless nursery fairy tale character who is both feisty and determined. Then Little Bo Beep finds her female match in Gabby Gabby, a potty mouthed and outspoken doll who speaks her mind in no uncertain terms. Now Gabby Gabby is far from being a radical feminist but she does make her opinions abundantly clear before jokingly winding herself up in another laugh out loud moment.

Now we find Woody and his toy chums at the fairground again. By the most unusual sequence of events Buzz, our friendly astronaut, is picked up accidentally by some geeky guy and then pinned to one of those targets where you normally win either a goldfish or some cuddly bunny. The sight of a toy astronaut struggling desperately to extricate himself from target practice will be hard to forget. Bunny, the voice of Jordan Peece and Ducky, the voice of Michael Key, sound like the gangsters in a James Cagney blockbuster. Superb.

And then there was the slippery Slinky Dog, the ultimate Hollywood icon Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom, the daredevil Canadian stunt rider, former Bond man Timothy Dalton as the stupendously named Mr. Pricklepants, Jessie, the ya hee American cowgirl and a magical cast of characters who you simply can't help but warm to. This is the kind of movie magic to take you right back to your nostalgic childhood when most of us would have quite happily spent a lifetime on the swings, slides and roundabouts of our youth.

So go on treat yourself. In the current era of high tech Computer Generated Imagery, Toy Story 4 has to be on your cinema go to list because it's gentle, kind and immensely funny. There is a heartwarming and childlike innocence about the movie which almost sounds as if it should be made  compulsory for your children's school summer holiday. Infinity and beyond, or so Buzz confidently proclaims, is the destination that only Woody and the gang have got tickets for. Let's hear it for Woody.