Toy Story 5

by Julian Spivey

Photo: Disney/Pixar

Director: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Joan Cusack, Tom Hanks & Tim Allen
Rated: PG (some thematic elements & rude humor)
Runtime: 1 hour & 42 minutes

 
“Toy Story 5” has proven that Pixar can probably do anything it likes with the ‘Toy Story’ universe, even without Woody and Buzz Lightyear at the forefront.
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“Toy Story 5” is Jessie’s movie, with Woody and Buzz taking supporting roles, and it doesn’t negatively impact the film.

In “Toy Story 5,” directed by Andrew Stanton and written by Stanton and Kenna Harris, Bonnie, the human child who owns the toys, struggles to make friends because she still plays with physical toys, while all the other children in her neighborhood have iPads and stare at screens all day. Yes, Pixar is taking on the proliferation of technology within our culture, especially with young children, but it’s not with the force of a hammer to the head, though Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, certainly has a militant attitude toward tech at first, but rather a reminder of how important imagination is for children.

When Bonnie’s parents get her a Lilypad, the film’s version of an iPad, she immediately connects with a few girls from her dance class, and voilà, she has made friends, but it soon turns out they’re more of a Mean Girls clique, who cruelly mock Bonnie when they realize she still has physical dolls.

“Toy Story 5” is the girl-oriented entrant in the ‘Toy Story’ franchise and should be an emotional experience for young girls and parents of girls. In some ways, the film is Pixar’s “Barbie.” But even I, as a 38-year-old male without children, found the film to be moving and enjoyable, though it is without a doubt the least humorous of the franchise – at least to my memory.

It’s interesting to see Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, and Buzz, voiced by Tim Allen, take a backseat in this entry – although there are actually more Buzz Lightyears than ever, as a misplaced shipment of the toys plays a huge role in the film. Even though it’s an obvious “hey, where are these guys?” moment while watching, you’re never disappointed by their lack of screen time because the Jessie/Bonnie storyline works.

There are some interesting additions to the ‘Toy Story’ world, the biggest being that of Greta Lee as Lily, the Lilypad screen, who plays the villain of the film, though one who certainly means well. This is where the film doesn’t take as hard a line against technology as some thought it might, but really, why would the franchise that changed how animated movies are made do such a thing? “Toy Story” once was the Lilypad of animation, after all.

My favorite character addition to the series is Conan O’Brien as the potty-training toy Smarty Pants. O’Brien just feels like someone who belongs in this series. Craig Robinson as Atlas, a hippo GPS, and Shelby Rabara as Snappy, a camera, are also nice additions to the large cast of toys. Old favorites like Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, Rex, and Slinky Dog are back, too, but might get one or two lines tops.

If you’re expecting a laugh riot, this isn’t going to be the ‘Toy Story’ for you, but once again this franchise proves its worth when it comes to emotional storytelling about growing up, as helped by our favorite anthropomorphic friends.