Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they’re introduced to electronics, a new threat to playtime.
For many Pixar fans, the end of “Toy Story 3” offered a perfect, emotionally resonant conclusion. When “Toy Story 4” came out, the ending was widely debated, with some saying it offered a satisfying conclusion to Woody’s personal journey. In contrast, others said it betrayed his core character and unnecessarily undid the emotional closure of “Toy Story 3.” However you may feel about the series, one thing is for certain: “Toy Story 5” doesn’t conclude with definitive closure; it actually leaves the door open for more installments. Director Andrew Stanton has indicated that there is still plenty of room for more stories beyond this installment. If “Toy Story 5” makes a lot of money at the international box office (and there’s no reason to think it won’t), because this is Hollywood, you can be sure a “Toy Story 6” and possibly even Part 7 will be forthcoming.
In “Toy Story 5,” Jessie (Joan Cusack) has taken charge of the toys in Bonnie’s room, with Buzz (Tim Allen) as her second-in-command. Now an eight-year-old, Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) continues to play with her toys, unlike most other kids in her neighborhood. Unable to make friends with some of the neighborhood children because they are all busy with their tablets and cell phones, her parents buy her a new frog-like tablet named Lilypad (Greta Lee), so she can interact with them.
Initially, she is drawn to the device in wonderment and all it has to offer, and her toys, sadly, are left on the floor. When she makes new friends on the tablet with some local kids, she is invited to a sleepover, but it doesn’t go well when they mock her for bringing her toys. They continue to taunt and ridicule her online, leaving her in tears. Jessie, Buzz, and the rest of the toys enlist Woody’s help to conquer Lilypad, whom they feel is responsible, and try to put things back the way they were.
The CGI in “Toy Story 5” is absolutely flawless. Like its predecessors, it pushes the limits of photorealism with hyper-realistic results that blend the boundaries between animation and live-action filmmaking. Randy Newman, the legendary Oscar-winning composer who scored all four previous TOY STORY movies, returns once more and pulls at the heartstrings again.
The theme of “Toy Story 5” is very timely as it deals with traditional toys vs. digital entertainment, something we can all relate to. While Bonnie appears to be the only kid in her neighborhood who prefers playing with her toys over a tablet, the story introduces Blaze (Mykal-Michelle Harris), an 8-year-old girl who loves animals and her toys. She ties in perfectly because we learn that the ranch she lives on out in the country, with her parents, is the very same house that once belonged to Emily, Jessie’s original owner from “Toy Story 2.”
When Jessie and Bullseye, her trusty steed, are accidentally dropped off at Blaze’s ranch in the country, the toys realize that both girls are desperate to make new friends and are perfect for each other, so they formulate a plan that will bring them together. But will everything fall into place?
These days, technology is everywhere. But there are still kids who’d rather stick with a more analog way of life. That’s why the premise of “Toy Story 5” never feels implausible or contrived. Both Bonnie and Blaze use their imaginations, inserting their toys into fantastical scenarios that come to life onscreen. There’s no denying that tech plays a huge part in our everyday routines, but at the end of the day, traditional hobbies and the thrill of making something yourself bring a kind of joy you can’t replicate with a screen.
Lately, Pixar has been very hit and miss with their titles, but based on the previous four installments, every time a new TOY STORY comes out, you see folks of all ages lining up, especially those ‘90s kids who grew up with Woody and Buzz and are now bringing their own kids along for the ride. It’s a fitting echo of the movies themselves, where the bond between kids and their toys keeps coming full circle.
In Theaters Friday, June 19th
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