When Toy Story 4 was announced, it had fans reeling. After the third film in the series clearly ended things in a way that was a perfect conclusion, why taint that with another sequel that could very well ruin it? Afterward, though, when the film was actually released, the tune changed, with fans acknowledging that, yes, Toy Story 4 was a good call and proved that the series could carry on after what felt like a great ending. History has once again repeated itself, and now that Toy Story 5 arrives in theaters later this week, we’re approaching the second half of the cycle, and the same result has happened yet again.
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The only thing wrong with Toy Story 5 is that the characters are all so spread apart at the start of the story that bringing them together (and making sure everyone gets time to shine) means the film has to stretch a bit to make all the pieces align. That said, it’s an issue that is immediately overshadowed by the film’s humor, heart, and distinct, timely story that it’s telling. Toy Story has been a pillar franchise for Disney for thirty years, but with Toy Story 5, it’s time to start talking about it as one of the best movie franchises of all time.
Rating: 4 out of 5
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Proves the series still has something to say | So crowded that some characters get nothing to do |
| Incredible animation | |
| Emotional and funny |
Toy Story 5’s Story Is Familiar, But Delivers a Necessary Twist
Toy Story 5’s narrative feels familiar almost immediately. After a brief interlude of the toys playing out an elaborate scenario from Bonnie, it immediately becomes clear that there is an existential threat to the cast: technology. Kids are becoming addicted to screens and prefer to mindlessly scroll and tap than play with their toys. After Bonnie’s parents give her a tablet of her own (Greta Lee as Lilypad), Jessie (Joan Cusack) is suspicious of this new addition to the family, especially knowing Bonnie’s own personality.
If it sounds familiar, it’s because Toy Story 5 is kind of repeating a lot of the narrative beats and steps found in the original Toy Story from 1995. It’s a real case of “if ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but the good news is that Pixar has still managed to find a way to improve on this structure. Jessie’s reluctance to accept Lily as part of Bonnie’s life doesn’t stem exclusively from jealousy, like Woody in the original movie, but rather from actual concern about Bonnie herself. Her suspicions prove right, though, as Bonnie is very quickly sapped of her creativity by playing on the tablet all day, and that’s on top of the bullying that is derived from other girls playing on their tablets.
To that end, this is the real secret of what makes Toy Story 5 work. Yes, the basis for the story’s structure is somewhat familiar, but Bonnie is made a key component of the narrative. Not only are there multiple scenes where the toys aren’t even the focal point, but Bonnie’s own emotions and feelings about being mocked for her personality are a key piece of the narrative. For the first time in series history, the kid who owns the toys is a big part of the Toy Story 5 story, and the movie is way better for it.
The Cast for Toy Story 5 Is Huge, Maybe Too Huge
As much as Bonnie is a key component of Toy Story 5‘s narrative, the truth is that this film belongs solely to Jessie. Joan Cusack’s cowgirl has been a key part of the series since the sequel, but here she takes center stage, revealing exactly how this series can continue to find new life as it moves forward. By making Jessie the central toy to the narrative, the film is able to position itself in her emotions, making those work in tandem with Bonnie’s and building on what fans already know about Jessie to tell a great story.
Lest you think that this means no other familiar faces are in Toy Story 5, you couldn’t be more wrong. Despite leaving the toys for a life with Bo-Peep and the other lost toys, Woody does return, though in a supporting role for the very first time alongside Buzz. There are also a slew of brand new toys that they meet over the course of the film, like Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants, a potty training toy with an endless amount of PG poop jokes; plus Craig Robinson as Atlas, a GPS hippo, and Shelby Rabara as Snappy, a digital camera toy. Even Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear gets a surprising subplot too, though it is one that seems entirely out of place at first.
This is one of the only real downsides to Toy Story 5: the cast is almost too big. Thanks to the new additions to the series and the return of almost every classic toy from across the series, there are a TON of speaking roles and characters in the film. As a result, only a select few even really get much to do on the whole, meaning that some franchise favorites who have been part of the cast from the beginning may have so few lines in the film you can count them on one hand, like Annie Potts’ Bo Peep, who was a staple of the fourth movie but has maybe two lines here.
Toy Story 5 Builds on the Franchise and Becomes a Necessary Piece
One thing that’s clear about Toy Story 5 is that this is a franchise that has never forgotten any piece of what came before it. Easter eggs and inside jokes are aplenty in this one, but it also fully respects the larger journeys its characters have been on over the course of five movies (and countless specials on Disney+). As a result, one of the most distinct things about Toy Story 5 is how it manages to build on these details and story elements, not adding on to them for the sake of giving the franchise more “lore” but making the emotional resonance of them even deeper and more meaningful. Without spoiling it, the devastating backstory for Jessie gets an update, but it’s incredibly special.
At the end of the day, Toy Story 5 is a film that clearly has a lot to say, not only about how technology is alienating people, but also about how the addictive nature of it has an insidious side effect on children. It’s so much more than that too, though, with an emotionally rich story about the lingering effect and importance of friends and loved ones, but also about finding those people. It’s time to start talking about Toy Story 5 as one of the most consistent movie franchises of all time. What other series has made it this deep in terms of total movies without a single bad film in the bunch? At this point, I’m ready for Toy Story 6 in a few years to see if they can keep it up.
