Twenty-four years ago, before the first Toy Story movie landed, it might have seemed hard to believe that a 16-inch toy cowboy and his band of plastic buddies would be able to tug on the heartstrings of grown adults like the pull-cord that makes Woody say “There’s a snake in my boot!”

But after the utter devastation of the sublime third part, only a fool would walk into a Toy Story movie without a packet of tissues. This fourth part – a continuation that at face value might not have looked necessary – absolutely lives up to the franchise’s very high standards. It’s inventive, surprising, hilarious, warm-hearted, gorgeous to look at, and yes, extremely emotional. And if it’s not quite as perfect as the original Toy Story or Toy Story 3 – well those are some massive cowboy boots to fill.

If Toy Story 3 closed the trilogy that was Woody’s kid Andy’s arc – at the end Andy’s going off to college and bids a heartbreaking farewell to his favourite cowboy, giving him to neighbouring child Bonnie – then 4 brings an ending to Woody’s.

Missing Andy and living with most of the gang in a new house, Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is struggling with his identity. He’s no longer the favourite toy, not even the Sheriff of his own toy town, since Bonnie favours cowgirl Jesse, and Woody is beginning to feel obsolete. That’s until Bonnie has to brave her first day in kindergarten and Woody sneaks into her backpack to take care of her. At school, Bonnie struggles at first, then begins to thrive after she uses pipe cleaners and a spork to create a new toy for herself, which she names ‘Forky’. But when Forky comes home with Woody things start to get very weird and Woody suddenly finds himself with a whole new purpose.