I am just as surprised as you all: Toy Story 5 is actually good. As the world’s foremost hater of Toy Story 4, it feels almost wrong to say that. This franchise absolutely should’ve ended with the third one, and the fourth one is such a clear cash grab that retraces the narrative arcs of Toy Story 3 with bad new characters.

But for what it’s worth, that might’ve been a worthwhile endeavor if it ultimately led to this one, a movie brimming with fun new characters and a very timely and meaningful story to tell. And while it’s not perfect and certainly falls prey to a bit of nostalgia bait, it is ultimately trying to have genuine conversations and tell a good story.

Toy Story 5 Review

Back in 1995, Toy Story literally birthed Pixar and made history in the process. That animation style has stood the test of time, occasionally being modernized ever so slightly to make sure the movies that came after didn’t look dated upon release. Once again in Toy Story 5, the animation style is sublime, and it looks as crisp and clean as ever.

This time, though, there’s a bit more creativity. The imaginary play scenes are impossibly well-animated with an art style that almost begs to be featured in full in one of these movies someday. The pastel, painting-like manner in which those scenes are presented makes me wish there were more, even if they don’t serve a super important purpose.

That’s because the movie isn’t centered on play, but rather the lack thereof and the reasons for it. Today’s kids just aren’t playing because their heads are buried in a screen. That probably sounds like a ridiculous boomer take, but it’s not, and the conversation Toy Story 5 of all things is having about it is actually pretty nuanced.

The movie centers on Jessie, which is a stroke of storytelling genius. Woody has had his time in the limelight and two separate conclusions. He could honestly be removed from the movie, and it wouldn’t skip a beat, which is probably one of the few shortcomings in Toy Story 5. Woody’s inclusion is a little hamfisted, and it’s certainly trying to trigger your nostalgia.

Regardless, Jessie is the perfect vessel through which to explore this. She’s been abandoned multiple times and still carries those scars, so when technology threatens to leave her and her friends abandoned once more, she just can’t stand for that.

It would have been easy for Pixar to bag on technology. After all, nobody likes an iPad kid, and there’s plenty of evidence that technology is actually hurting kids today. The kids in the movie are no older than 10, and they’ve all got tablets and access to the internet. That just isn’t good.

But instead, what transpires over 102 brisk minutes is a nuanced conversation about the dangers and benefits of technology. Lily, the lilypad tablet that Bonnie and, it seems, every child in the world has, actually means well, and there are things she can do for Bonnie that regular toys just can’t.

And eventually, while Lily’s tech capabilities create most of the conflict, those abilities are also crucial to the solution of those problems. It paints a clear picture that technology isn’t inherently bad, but it is our use of it that determines its nature. You can use technology to distract and take away, but you can also use it to connect in ways that otherwise aren’t possible.

Yes, it can open children up to bullying from their supposed friends, but it can also bring together real friends and kickstart a true, meaningful friendship. It sure creates a lot of problems, but there are undeniable advantages, even for young children.

It’s really hard to tell where Pixar can possibly go from here. Toy Story 4 was a ridiculous, misguided attempt to keep the franchise going, but Toy Story 5 has something to say that actually fits with the times and isn’t just that the toys are having an existential crisis or someone’s growing up. Without rehashing storylines, it’s hard to see a path forward for the inevitable sequels.

Because even with an actual, important story for kids to see on screen, there’s plenty of nostalgia bait and filler that’s only meant to remind you how good this franchise used to be. Remember how Buzz Lightyear didn’t know he was a toy? Remember what it was like to hear “When Somebody Loved Me” for the first time? Remember how Woody and Buzz could never really get along? Remember the Buzz and Jessie love subplot?

Much of Toy Story 5 is meant to remind you how great the first three movies really were, but there’s more than enough that’s out to show you how great the next crop of movies can be that it pretty much offsets it. There is laughter, tears, and everything in between, just like that original trilogy.

Conclusion

I had my reservations about Toy Story 5, especially after the movie linked up with Taylor Swift in what seemed like a surefire cash grab. As it turns out, both the song and movie are pretty good, so what do I know? It just so happens that, as I suspected, there was a good enough story to tell to justify keeping this series alive, but I will keep pretending the fourth doesn’t actually exist.

Score: 4/5