Toy Story 5 – Movie Review
It’s quite rare that a movie series coming into its fifth entry over three decades still manages to create the anticipation and fanfare that Toy Story does. But, when the four films that have preceded the latest entry, Toy Story 5, are just consistently that great, the excitement is justified. And even though audiences will re-enter this beautifully animated and realised world created by Pixar and Walt Disney Studios with the original characters that are so beloved taking a slight backseat to the main story this time around, director Andrew Stanton and his creative team have managed to create another wonderful and touching film that captures all of the heart that made this franchise what it is – iconic.
In this fifth instalment, Bonnie is now eight-years-old, but is having the time of her life still playing with all of her favourite toys, including Buzz (Tim Allen), Bullseye, and the new leader of the toy group, Jessie (Joan Cusack), who has assumed the leadership role ever since Woody (Tom Hanks) decided to go live with Bo Peep and become a stranded toy rescue team. But, in this ever evolving technological world, Bonnie is considered an outsider for wanting to play with her toys rather than be on a screen like all of the other kids her age, making it hard for her to make friends. That is until Bonnie is given a tablet named Lilypad (Greta Lee), who instantly connects Bonnie with a whole world of friends. And Bonnie’s obsession with screens and the (dis)connection with these new kids creates more problems than not, for both Bonnie and the now unuseful toys.
After Toy Story 4 made the boldly emotional decision to have Buzz and Woody part ways after 25 years, it almost seemed like that was the natural conclusion to this story (and that’s coming after what is arguably one of the greatest trilogy endings in Toy Story 3). But what Stanton and co-writer Kenna Harris smartly do here is focus on Jessie, who in her own right is just as much a vital and iconic part of this series. Jessie’s connection to Bonnie and her new role as leader of the toys drives the story of Toy Story 5 in an exciting, fresh, and powerful direction. It also allows Joan Cusack, who has been very much impressive with her performance as the cowgirl in the previous films, to simultaneously have a lot of fun as the character, but also expand the emotional arcs of Jessie too as we go on a journey back to her childhood owner’s house and learns more about her own past. Plus, this is where we get to meet three new hilarious characters who bridge the gap between non-tech and tech toys – a toilet-training smart device called Smarty Pants who acts drunk when he is low battery (Conan O’Brien), a GPS hippo called Atlas (Craig Robinson), and an early 2000s digital camera called Snappy (Shelby Rabara), who all help Jessie try and connect Bonnie with the right friend.
The other smart decision the creative team behind the film made was to tackle the all too timely tale of toys versus tech. With the arrival of Lilypad comes a lot of hilarity as these millennial (bordering on boomer) coded toys try to understand what all the fuss about this machine really is, and quickly find out that the hypnotic nature of the glowing screen is far more powerful than they initially thought. There is also a really thought provoking moral dilemma at play with the introduction of the tablet, because while Lilypad would traditionally be recognised here as “the villain”, there are also interesting points raised about the pros of the tech as well, whether it is the way it can positively connect people or even be a tool for learning. The film’s real conflict lies in who Lilypad is connecting Bonnie with, which leads to some moving and heartbreaking moments involving bullying and changing who you are to impress people who don’t really care for you. And that’s where that classic Pixar magic lies with the exploration of such human themes in a wonderfully heightened world.
It’s no surprise that Toy Story 5 looks incredible. There is a scene where Jessie is illuminated by Smarty Pants in a dark, abandoned, plastic playhouse, and the way Jessie’s shadow moves in the light is astounding. And that is just one moment in a film that is so visually vibrant and dynamic from the opening scene until the last. There are 2D animated scenes recreating the playtime scenarios that the toys go through, which involve a wedding and a bomb threat at a fancy-gown ball, that look just as amazing as the 3D animation that has wonderfully evolved over the last 30 years. Toy Story 5 is also incredibly action packed, with a lot of exciting and adrenaline pumping set pieces that do a great job of bordering on intense enough to be exciting, but not too intense for the younger kids who will be filling the cinema seats.
Toy Story 5 may also just be the funniest film in the series. With a plethora of new and quirky characters that have joined the OG’s over the last three decades, the banter, one-liners, and absolutely absurd situations that occur in this film are genuinely, gut-bustingly funny. From the low-battery drunkard shenanigans of Smarty Pants (and the wonderful voice work that Conan O’Brien brings to it) to a truly insane side-story involving a horde of new and improved Buzz Lightyear toys who are washed up on a deserted island after the shipping container carrying them falls off the ship (trust me, it’s as insane as it sounds), there is rarely a scene in the film that doesn’t have 2 or 3 solid laughs occurring.
While Toy Story 5 makes the best decision narratively here to focus on Jessie within the culturally relevant themes it’s exploring, it is also hard not to miss the characters who made this franchise what it is. Woody and Buzz aren’t sidelined too hard here, and in fact play an integral part in the film’s third act. But there is this lingering sense over the film, and with how the characters finished their journey 7 years ago in Toy Story 4, that the golden age of their adventures are over. And that is something I believe this film is aware of. It’s not trying to overtly be nostalgic and shoehorn in our favourite toys again just because they’re iconic. But in an emotional parallel with the story’s themes about finding a purpose when you’re feeling useless and outdated, it’s all about making the right changes and decisions for ourselves as we grow up. It is the epitome of not crying because something is over, but being ecstatic because it happened. Toy Story 5 wasn’t made for millennial me who grew up on these characters over the last 31 years. It was made for the little boy or girl who is struggling now to find a connection in a world that promises that, but constantly fails at doing it well. If that little boy or girl is affected by Jessie’s journey in the same way I was impacted by Woody and Buzz’s all those years ago, then that’s exactly what Toy Story 5 needs to be.
This may not be the best Toy Story film in the series. But when these movies are even just “really good” by standard, they are great. The animation is vibrant. The characters are hilarious. The story is relevant and moving. Pixar has done it again with Toy Story 5.
Toy Story 5 releases in Australian cinemas on June 18
