TOY STORY 5

Toy Story 5 finds true storytelling magic in its exploration of technology, growing up and childhood friendships featuring cinema’s most beloved toys, that when paired with outstanding animation and winning voice performances from the entire cast, helps to create a meaningful and emotionally resonant film that captures the brilliance that has defined this franchise for over three decades.

When Andy said “now, you gotta promise to take good care of these guys. They mean a lot to me” at the end of Toy Story 3, it was not only a beautiful goodbye as he passed his toys to Bonnie, it captured the protective feeling of audiences who grew up with Woody, Buzz and the rest of the toys have towards these characters. Continuing the series after Toy Story 3 seemed like an impossible task, but Pixar proved fans wrong with a moving story in Toy Story 4 with a story that both captured that childhood wonder that captured the imagination of viewers when they were young, but also with a meaningful story that grew up alongside those who experienced the Toy Story films as a young child, and they have done that once again with Toy Story 5. With a timely focus of technology and its effects on young children and giving Jessie the leading spotlight she has always deserved, Toy Story 5 effortlessly captures the magic of the series with a moving sequel built around technology and growing up that hits all the right notes, ensuring a heartfelt and hilarious adventure that audiences are destined to fall in love with.

Saying technology is evil and harmful to children is easy, but that is not what Toy Story 5 has to say about it. Instead, using the isolating nature of screens that take away from imaginative playtime as a starting point, Andrew Stanton has something far more profound to say of the effect of technology on children growing up in today’s world. Touching upon the isolating nature of unlimited connectivity taking away from true social interaction, the unchecked bullying that occurs online that sadly goes unnoticed by parents, and the loss of childhood imagination that comes from playing with toys, the dangers of technology and its harmful effects on children develops a great villain in Lilypad, Bonnie’s new tablet who promises connectivity and instant friendship. Poking fun at the corporate evils of technology with Lilypad who is always watching and her ability to hijack anything with a wireless connection in Bonnie’s house, it's a timely threat for the toys to face off against. But, there is an insightful nuance that Stanton approaches technology with, showcasing its ability to build connections as the story progresses, showcasing its potential for good with the right personalities involved, feeding into the larger discussion of technology and the value of it in today’s society. It’s not something that younger viewers will be as moved by, but for audiences who grew up with the original Toy Story films and are now at the age of having their own children and experiencing this themselves, Toy Story 5’s story strikes close to home with its emotional exploration of unchartered territory that parents today are having to navigate for their children.

While the Toy Story films have always had Woody and Buzz as the main characters, Toy Story 5 shifts the spotlight to one of its most beloved characters, and seeing Jessie get her own story is a rewarding experience for any Toy Story fan. With Bonnie becoming addicted to screentime on Lilypad, the story forces Jessie to confront her past with Emily, as she feels herself losing Bonnie at a far younger age than Emily and Andy, and it's with this storyline where the film taps into the emotional core of the series. Touching upon the important part these toys play in the lives of their children, helping to prepare their children for life, but also healing Jessie’s past trauma with helping her realize the everlasting effects she has had on the lives of Emily, Andy and Bonnie, the story taps into the lasting magic of the series and delivers multiple moments that will have older audiences shedding tears with the writing’s beautiful honesty. Framing the story around Jessie not only provides a fresh perspective to the long-running series, but new emotional territory for the series to explore that helps to deliver an enriching story, even if there is a great longingness for more of Woody and Buzz together especially after their heartbreaking goodbye in Toy Story 4.

The film itself is never short on the genius comedic moments that have delivered countless laughs across the Toy Story films, this time featuring an insane amount of pop jokes with the new scene stealing character Smarty Pants that are so clever that even the most mature adult won’t be able to restrain themselves from uncontrollable laughter, and the everlasting friendship of Woody and Buzz that has made Toy Story the landmark series it is. This writing ensures that when not tugging on the heartstrings that every other scene of the film is endlessly entertaining that ensures that audiences will have the biggest smile on their face watching the toys on their latest adventure. There is no shortage of the Toy Story DNA throughout the film that guarantees entertainment for viewers of all ages, but what justifies the existence of this sequel is that Stanton creates a film that is more than just crowd pleasing entertainment, but an accurate reflection of childhood today in a modern technology based era that evokes the timeless and impactful storytelling that has defined Pixar films for over three decades.

Returning to voice their iconic characters, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack are nothing short of fantastic as Woody, Buzz and Jessie respectively. Hanks and Allen balance the playful fight between Woody and Buzz and the undying bond of their characters' friendship, finding magic together while bringing to life one of cinema’s greatest friendships. Cusack gets her big moment to shine as Jessie in this film, capturing the energetic and loving cowgirl that audiences have loved for decades, but this time with an aching vulnerability as she processes Jessie’s fears with a grace and intuitive insight that helps create the film’s beating heart. Greta Lee is a wonderful addition to the Toy Story universe as Lilypad, creating a calculating adversary for the toys with a voice performance that captures the far reaching powers of her character with a playful sinisterness, while also building a genuine albeit misguided care for Bonnie that makes for a complex and layered character. Though, it is Conan O’Brien who steals the show as Smarty Pants, delivering countless hilarious one liners with a zany voice performance that plays to O’Brien’s comedic talents while also becoming unrecognizable from the television personality we all know him as.

As with every Pixar film, the animation itself in Toy Story 5 is breathtaking, showcasing the best three dimensional animation that today’s animation technology allows for. Vibrant and colourful with a striking realism when it comes to building the world in which the story unfolds in, the animation is nothing short of perfection. Randy Newman once again knocks it out of the park with his musical score, weaving in many of the franchise's most iconic themes to help bolster the emotions of Stanton’s storytelling in every scene. Though, musically it is Taylor Swift’s original song “I Knew It, I Knew You” that stands out and continues the great tradition of original songs for the franchise. While it plays during the film’s closing credits, Swift’s writing perfectly sums up Jessie’s character arc over the film with emotional lyrics that take on a new meaning after seeing the film, delivering an upbeat song that goes back to her country roots that is sure to not be forgotten by audiences.

Even if Toy Story 5 does not deliver the gut wrenching emotional sledgehammer of the series’ third and fourth entries, there is no doubt that what Andrew Stanton has created is a brilliant sequel that honours the legacy of the series and pushes it into new and exciting territory. Once again featuring the stellar Pixar animation that gloriously brings to life the latest Toy Story adventure, and the always excellent leading voice performances of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack, the spirit of Toy Story thrives in the fifth film while exploring technology and the loss of that magical childhood outlook on life too soon. Bursting with laughter, moments that will leave you in tears, and once again making you believe that a toy can fly, Toy Story 5 confirms the series’ status as the crowning jewel of Pixar Animation with another heartfelt adventure grappling with timely and important ideas, speaking to both the inner child within all viewers and younger audiences to create a joyous cinematic event that hits all the right emotional notes.