by John Tillyard, Contributing Writer
The franchise that started the CGI era of animated films is back for a fifth instalment, having now spanned an entire generation. Which is fitting because I now have a niece who’s the same age I was when the original came out. Some believe the series should have ended with the third film because the way that one ended was the perfect way to wrap it up. While I wholeheartedly agree that the way Toy Story 3 ends is great, that doesn’t mean there can’t or shouldn’t be more story after that. The existence of subsequent films does not make the ending any less of an ending, nor does it make that ending any less effective. It wrapped up Andy and that particular chapter in the toys’ lives. There is also a clear indication that life will go on: the last line before the credits is Woody introducing his friends to Bonnie’s toys, and we see them continuing their lives during the end credits.
With Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) getting older and times changing, the toys start to worry that she might soon lose interest in them and become more committed to her new device, Lilypad (Greta Lee). Woody (Tom Hanks) returns to help Jessie (Joan Cusack) find Bonnie a real-life friend, rather than the ones she has made online. Meanwhile, a large group of High-Tech Buzz Lightyear toys are seeking out Star Command, while the original Buzz (Tim Allen) assumes a new role as Jessie’s “deputy” in Bonnie’s room. Jessie’s quest to help Bonnie also leads her to her original owner’s home and to new information about her past.
With all of that said, how does Toy Story 5 fare as a standalone story? The setup is actually somewhat similar to the first one, but with a modern spin. The toy owner is given a brand-new, shiny, cool-looking item, which means they are no longer playing with their old toys. The difference here is that, unlike Buzz in the first film, Lilypad knows what they are doing and has a clear aim to control Bonnie’s life in a way that reminded me of Anxiety in Inside Out 2. Lilypad believes this is the only way Bonnie can make friends, so, as is typical with Pixar villains, they think they are doing the right thing. It touches on modern real-life problems with children now being glued to screens all day, but it gives it a unique toy approach by having the device itself try to manipulate everything.
One thing that puzzled me before seeing this film was that Woody appeared to be playing just as big a role as in the previous films. I figured the ending of the fourth film, where he leaves Bonnie and the other toys, was a way to wrap up the character (maybe Tom Hanks had said he didn’t want to voice him again). So, bringing him back as the main character again suggests that Pixar didn’t know how to make a Toy Story film without Woody. Having now seen the film, I’m now willing to admit the story probably wouldn’t have worked without him, and the cast of characters would have felt incomplete. His relationship with Jessie and Buzz here adds a note of camaraderie to the group, and there are some good jokes about Woody being quite an old toy. Though the way Woody is brought back into the group and then departs at the end felt a little clunky, it felt like he was dropped into the adventure and then picked up from it at the end.
This isn’t to say the story is dependent on Woody to carry everything. A large portion of it focuses on Jessie and Bullseye as they take an unfortunate detour to her former owner Emily’s old home. It was interesting to see a bit more explanation of Jessie’s past, which adds significant growth to her character. A new child character named Blaze (Mykal-Michelle Harris) is introduced here, as are three new tech-based toys, Smarty Pants (Conan O’Brien), Atlas (Craig Robinson), and Snappy (Shelby Rabara) that Blaze has also tossed aside because tech advances so quickly. Their presence as older tech helps bridge the gap between old toys like Jessie and the super modern tech toy Lilypad showing that modern technology is not all bad; we just shouldn’t let it consume our lives. Smarty Pants, in particular, adds a lot of good humor. Blaze was also a fun addition, with a slightly different playstyle that made for some creative fantasy sequences. The ending to Jessie’s arc, where she discovers something about her former owner, makes for a very touching moment that I honestly didn’t expect. I felt sure there would be a twist reveal involving Blaze, so the fact they did something different made the moment all the more satisfying. Cusack’s performance here really shines through with real emotion at times, more so than in any of the other three films.
Another set of new characters is the large group of hi-tech Buzz Lightyear toys, all of whom appear to be under a similar delusion to Buzz’s in the first film: they believe they are real spacemen on a mission from Star Command. While their antics added a bit of humor to the experience, their subplot didn’t add much to the story, and they appear only to play a significant role in the climax. In general, a lot of the characters from previous entries in this franchise don’t have a lot to do here; the toys from the original film barely appear outside of cheering Woody and Buzz alone.
The original Buzz has a subplot here that I rather enjoyed. Ever since he discovered he was a toy near the end of the first film, Buzz has been a little insecure about his importance in the world and has struggled with issues of low self-esteem. It’s an interesting flaw for him that always makes him seem like a much deeper character, and it really culminates in what he does in this film.
The overall message of the story has a slightly preachy tone that felt more like something out of Black Mirror, directed at parents about how much screen time to give their kids. I’ve always admired how Pixar’s films appeal to both adults and kids, but I’m a little concerned that this one might lean too far towards adults and not enough towards kids. There is plenty for the kids to enjoy here, including an action-packed climax and a lot of fun new characters; however, the deeper messaging here will likely be lost on them.
Overall, this fifth entry is an enjoyable outing that offers satisfying development for some beloved characters and a modern take on the idea of being a toy. There are way too many characters, and the plot can feel a little muddled at times with so many subplots, but everything wraps up in a gratifying way. It finally gave Jessie the chance to be a main character on her own, and that alone made the whole experience worth it for me.
Rating: Liked It
Toy Story 5 is currently playing in Theaters
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