“Toy Story 5” (Rated A)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Joan Cusack, Tim Allen, Greta Lee, Conan O’Brien
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Where to watch: In theaters
Dwight’s Rating:
This one requires a two-part review.
So if you’ve never seen or been interested in anything involving the now 31-year-old “Toy Story” franchise, but you are considering seeing the new blockbuster “Toy Story 5,” then “Part One” is just for you.
However, if you’ve watched most or all and are a fan of this beloved series of Pixar classics, I’ve got some special and specific messages for you in “Part Two”.
Of course, please feel free to read both!
Part One
Welcome! Your first time with a “Toy Story” film; it’s good to have you.
“Toy Story 5” follows the groundbreaking original from 1995, the beloved “Toy Story 2” in 1999, arguably the best of the franchise and for-a-time highest-grossing animated film of all time “Toy Story 3” (only the third animated feature ever to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar), and the likable “Toy Story 4” from 2019.
A separate Academy Award for Best Animated Feature only began in 2001. But both “Toy Story 3” and “Toy Story 4” have won.
So, everyone should be excited about the prospects of another installment in this series—no matter how many times it has previously seemed to have come to a natural conclusion.
In any event, the beloved toy characters—Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang—come face-to-face with Lilypad, a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what’s best for their child owner, eight-year-old Bonnie.
This is, undoubtedly, a very cool and timely storyline. All of humanity should be concerned about screens—be they mobile phones, tablets, computers, or whatever—consuming our lives, especially for our children.
We are already feeling the impacts of their lack of physical playtime and activities, or their ability to interact with other children and use their imaginations. And with many at shockingly young ages all over social media and putting everything out there, these are very scary times.
“Toy Story 5” delves head-on into this, presenting a nice family story about daring to be comfortable in one’s own skin and not seeking to conform to what’s popular, respecting others’ feelings and interests, and not being mean-spirited bullies.
These are important messages for children and for their parents, many of whom create the monsters making other kids’ lives a living hell.
Young viewers will appreciate how this story is told and will find it refreshingly relatable.
The best way to describe it all is simply “cute.” And be sure to stick around for a mid-credit scene following the Taylor Swift song that plays over the initial final credits.
Part TwoInsert awkward and uncomfortable smile here!
This movie is called “Toy Story 5.” But that’s like saying The Bahamas is in the Caribbean.
Now, that might be politically accurate, but geographically it is not factual.
Characters and voice actors from the four previous “Toy Story” films are here, but this feels like it has much more in common with Pixar’s other popular franchise, “Inside Out”.
The toys are really just side characters in this story, as this is much more about the kids and saving them from dangerous screen time than about anything else.
In any event, and as you know—from having seen the previous films—you too were asking, “Why do we need a fifth installment?”.
And clearly the answer is money—as anything branded “Toy Story” is guaranteed to attract monumental audiences.
But if what you felt was complete “love” for the previous “Toy Story” flicks, this will seem only somewhat adjacent to what those represented, and you’ll probably only “like” this edition.
- Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of “Morning Blend” on Guardian Radio and station manager. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on Twitter @morningblend969.
