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Blu-Ray : Highly Recommended
Ranking:
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Release Date: October 8th, 2019 Movie Release Year: 2019

Toy Story 4

Overview -

A rare cinematic sequel, Pixar's Toy Story 4 is a brilliantly insightful final installment, a worthy successor and richly satisfying conclusion to the franchise. The film finds purpose on Blu-ray with a stunning, reference-quality HD presentation, a great DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack and a nice set of supplements. This BD comes Highly Recommended for the whole family. 

When a new toy called "Forky" joins Woody and the gang, a road trip alongside old and new friends reveals how big the world can be for a toy.

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
Three-Disc Combo Pack, BD-50 Dual-Layered Disc / BD-25 Single-Layered Disc / DVD-9 Dual-Layered Disc, Region Free
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Length:
100
Aspect Ratio(s):
2.39:1
Audio Formats:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles/Captions:
English SDH, French, Spanish
Special Features:
Blu-ray Copy
Release Date:
October 8th, 2019

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

You can read our full thoughts on Toy Story 4 in our review of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray HERE.

 

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment brings Toy Story 4 to Blu-ray as a two-disc combo pack with a flyer for a Disney Digital Copy. The Region Free, BD50 disc sits comfortably atop another BD25 disc containing all the bonus material with a DVD-9 copy of the movie on the opposing panel. Both are housed inside a blue, eco-vortex case with an embossed, glossy slipcover. At startup, the disc commences with skippable trailers before switching to a menu screen with the standard options, music playing in the background and full-motion clips.

Video Review

Ranking:

The toys reevaluate their purpose and meaning on Blu-ray with a stunningly gorgeously 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode, easily making it the most beautiful and best-looking installment of the entire franchise. 

Over the last twenty-five years since the first movie hit cinemas, Pixar has always strived to improve the technology in the camerawork and for rendering the animation, and this fourth entry really demonstrates how far the studio has come. Randomly pause on any given scene and admire the incredibly well-defined stitching in the fabric, the tiny fuzzballs and hairs on the shoulders of some toys, and the razor-sharp lines inside the RV, the interior of the dusty antique shop or small scratches of the various, somewhat aged carnival rides. The most minute feature on Duke Caboom, the Dummies and Bo Beep is striking and highly detailed, and the trivial blemishes on Gabby Gabby and Forky are distinct and unmistakable. 

The freshly-minted transfer also displays crisp, spot-on contrast and exceptional brightness balance from beginning to end. The action continuously pops with pitch-perfect, resplendent whites that make daylight exteriors burst with life and energy from the lustrous sunshine, but inside the antique shop, the rays feel harsher and oddly oppressive without ever washing away the smaller details. Likewise, the highlights of the carnival have an intense, radiant snap to them, which makes those nighttime scenes all the more attractive and mesmerizing. At the same time, those same moments are also bathed in darkly rich blacks and silky, raven-black shadows while maintaining outstanding gradational differences and detailing in the darkest corners, providing the 2.39:1 image with a striking three-dimensional feel. 

All the while, every scene is endlessly permeated in a gorgeous, hypnotic array of colors. Sumptuous primaries lavish every location and situation with an ecstatic, electrifying palette, especially the reds of lights and the greens of the surrounding foliage. Likewise, lively, animated secondary hues shower the carnival with vibrant pinks, purples and sunny yellows while the antique shop is bathed in earthy-amber tones, except for the scene when the sun's ray's glow through the chandeliers, of course. The last quarter of the movie running through the carnival comes with warm layers of oranges and yellows, easily making this HD release pure reference quality and one of Pixar's most impressive yet. (Video Rating: 100/100)

Audio Review

Ranking:

As arguably the best movie in the series, Toy Story 4 also finds a home and a place of belonging thanks to an excellent if also somewhat slightly baffling DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack. Don't get me wrong. This is a good track with plenty of background effects that smoothly and convincingly moves back and forth between the front channels and into the off-screen space, generating a spacious and highly welcoming soundstage. Vocals are intelligible with outstanding intonation in the voice talents and the more dramatic moments while a palpable low-end provides a hearty weight and presence to the action and music.

The concern is the lack of surround activity, making this a very front-heavy presentation, which in and of itself is not a bad thing. However, the sides and rears are employed not only very selectively but also rather sporadically, sometimes calling more attention to themselves than creating a gratifyingly immersive soundfield. But on the plus side, a few scenes are satisfying and enjoyable with Duke's pinball-machine nightclub and the carnival sequence at the end bringing the room alive. 

When pointing out other issues of concern, we turn back to the front activity. As wide and broad as the soundstage can be, the mid-range seems rather lackluster. It's not all that terrible, as there is plenty of clarity and distinction worth admiring here and there, but in order to better appreciate it, the master volume needs to be raised to -5 from reference. More disappointing is the imaging feeling arguably flat and uniform while never really extending into the higher frequencies, making the louder action sequences ultimately feel restrained. 

In the end, the lossless mix still delivers a great listen that nicely complements the visuals. (Audio Rating: 84/100)

Special Features

Ranking:

Blu-ray Disc One

  • Audio Commentary: Director Josh Cooley is joined by producer Mark Nielsen to discuss various aspects of the entire production, the characters and the talent behind the sequel.
  • Bo Rebooted (HD, 6 min): All about the growth and evolution of the character.
  • Toy Stories (HD, 6 min): Cast & crew reminisce on childhood toys. 

Blu-ray Disc Two

  • Anatomy of a Scene: Playground (HD, 10 min): While screening the scene in question, the filmmakers provide an informative breakdown of the work that went into making it. 
  • Let's Ride with Ally Maki (HD, 6 min): The actress shares anecdotes of recording the voice for Giggle McDimples, the ADR process and working with the director. 
  • Woody & Buzz (HD, 4 min): Cast & crew discuss the characters' evolution through four films. 
  • Toy Views (HD, 2 min): A pair of POV shots, one from the ground and the other from above. 
    • Carnival Run 
    • View from the Roof
  • Toy Box (HD): Five shorter pieces dedicated to the new characters and voice talents. 
    • Gabby Gabby and her Gang (4 min) 
    • Forky (3 min) 
    • Duke Caboom (3 min) 
    • Ducky & Bunny (3 min) 
    • Giggle McDimples (1 min)
  • Deleted Scenes (HD, 28 min). 
  • Trailers (HD). 

Digital Exclusives

  • Additional Deleted Scene: Bonnie's Playtime (HD, 8 min). 
  • Anatomy of a Scene: Prologue (HD, 5 min).

Pixar's Toy Story 4 is not only one of those rare cinematic sequels that's just as good if not better than its predecessors, but it is also a brilliantly insightful and intelligent conclusion to the entire franchise. With a host of new, memorably hilarious characters, this third installment is worthy successor sure to satisfy loyal fans. The film finds a new home on Blu-ray with a gorgeous, reference-quality video presentation and great DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack. Featuring a nice set of supplements, the Blu-ray is highly recommended