Cert U 99mins Stars 5

Woody and Buzz Lightyear make a triumphant and tearful return in this terrifically fun-packed and gorgeously animated sequel which is guaranteed to win the toys a whole new generation of fans.

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return again to voice our loveable heroes and the new characters are funny and adorable, especially the new baby of the group, Forky. and Keanu Reeves speeds by to deliver a wonderfully comic turn as the Evel Knievel-style stuntman, Duke Caboom.

While on a road trip one of the gang is captured by some very sinister dolls in a creepy old antiques shop and the friends rush the rescue, aided by a revitalised Bo Peep, whose absence from the previous film is fully explained.

Her newly independent spirit is a great example of how these characters have been allowed to grow since first appearing in, gulp, 1995, just as we’ve also grown.

Many of the parents who took their kids to the first film will be grandparents now, and the script is careful to speak to members of every generation, with a powerful emphasis on the importance of loyalty to family and friends.

Plus it works as a standalone adventure so little kids will enjoy it even if they haven’t yet seen the first three films.

The practically perfect previous film so comprehensively passed the bar for a five star film, it left enough leeway for this one to be not quite as incredible but still qualify as superb entertainment in its own right.

Rather than go bigger to try and blow our cinematic socks off, this gorgeously animated adventure goes a little smaller to focus on the characters, but still provides as much giddy excitement, joyous humour and heart-melting charm as you’d expect, and delivers a hugely emotional finale which will have you in tears. You have been warned.