Movie review
June 19, 2019 · 100 min · G
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Toy Story 4 follows Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the other toys as they join Bonnie on a road trip after she creates a new toy named Forky from a spork. The story centers on Woody’s questions about loyalty, purpose, and whether a toy’s job is only to serve one child, while reuniting with Bo Peep and facing new adventures. Bo Peep appears in a larger, self-directed role as an independent leader, and a brief background scene shows two women dropping off and picking up a child at kindergarten. These elements stand out to some viewers amid otherwise standard Pixar themes of friendship and change.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Toy Story 4.
Woke representation / casting
Bo Peep receives prominent screen time as an empowered, independent leader; a brief same-sex parents background shot appears; supporting cast reflects modern families without legacy character race or gender swaps.
Woke political dialogue
No activist language, political debates, or social-justice messaging in any dialogue or narration.
Identity-driven story themes
Toys explore personal purpose and belonging; Bo Peep’s independence arc carries light emphasis on self-reliance, but the narrative stays centered on friendship and individual choice rather than group identity or modern politics.
Western institutional / cultural critique
No portrayals of toxic masculinity, flawed traditional roles, anti-capitalist messaging, or critiques of Western institutions through an activist lens.
Woke character or canon changes
Bo Peep is significantly reimagined as a self-sufficient adventurer who no longer needs a single child owner; the update received public note as a modernized take.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
One Million Moms publicly protested the same-sex parents scene as agenda-driven and called for a boycott; scattered viewer comments flagged Bo Peep’s arc or Pixar’s direction as leaning progressive.
Creator track record context
Rashida Jones and Will McCormack made public statements about needing more diversity and equal creative voice for women and people of color at Pixar; most other writers and producers lack documented activist records.
Production
