Toy Story 5: A cash grab with a message.

Riot’s Reviews: Toy Story 5

“You’ve got a friend in me!” It’s crazy to think that only a month before I was born, Pixar started its journey toward defining a genre, simultaneously turning the world of animation on its head and eventually birthing a franchise that has lasted 31 years (and then some). Toy Story was so groundbreaking, so fun, so visually enthralling and so emotionally captivating that it set the new standard of animated filmmaking. It was a cultural phenomenon to say the least, which made the timeline of its inevitable sequels kind of surprising. The war between Disney and Pixar almost squandered their most reliable money-maker. But with 2 and 3’s release and having the extended time to really flesh out their story ideas, the Toy Story trilogy seemed to have closed with what most fans (I would think) believed to be a satisfying and fully-actualized tale.

And theeeeeeeen came Toy Story 4 and nooooooooow Toy Story 5. As far as I saw the fourth installment, criticisms about it being merely a cash grab seemed to ring true. I’m not calling it a bad film, but I would argue it was much more forgettable than its predecessors. Also, having Woody (Tom Hanks) go through another existential crisis that inevitably takes him out of Bonnie’s (Scarlett Spears) ownership, kind of derailed the whole point of Andy’s trust and sacrifice of Woody to her. You can’t blame a cartoon girl for not keeping a promise, but you can give bombastic side eye to writers who uprooted a core concept of what was a well-rounded trilogy. I could go on, but I’m supposed to be talking about TS5 here. The newest film is tooled to tackle a really important topic this time around, but will fans be asking the same questions about cash grabs that they did last time? Or would Pixar be able to cohesively evaluate a very real societal problem and keep a ragtag bunch of aging toys still relevant to today’s world?  

I won’t mince words to start, Toy Story 5 is most certainly a cash grab. But, it would absolutely prove false to claim it is a bad movie and I’d venture the opinion that it actually is better than the fourth. That being said, Pixar has been pushing the limits of what this IP is capable of for far too long. It’s difficult to defend how long they are stretching these IP’s out just by the simple fact that the voice actors for these characters are literally aging out. There’s five people that have passed away from the original cast(s) so far and while their replacements have done a noble job re-creating their voices, in much the same way as The Incredibles 2 just didn’t feel right anymore, the changes are just so noticeable. Toy Story 5 suffers narratively in a similar way that 4 did, it retells a story that has already been sufficiently covered. Jessie’s trauma and abandonment issues, while compelling, didn’t really need another full film’s worth of exposition. Woody’s presence in the story is an afterthought and likely would have been better had he not been around at all. And Buzz (Tim Allen) is completely relegated to a support character that’s less involved than his numerous clones (the B side to the story I actually liked more than the A side). Simply put, even if the structure of the IP could be essentially endless, it feels like society is aging out of Toy Story.

The main plotline, combating technology’s insidious influence on the hearts and minds of children and the next generation, is a narrative that feels 15 years too late, especially while the world sits on the cusp of the AI revolution, a literal technological takeover. The way the discussion is handled storyline wise also proves problematic, where the “villain” goes through a redemption arc that sort of undermines the whole point of highlighting the problem in the first place. If we go out of our way to showcase the literal zombification of children due to technology, it’s kind of a hard sell to try and say, at the last possible second, that moderation is the answer and tech can save the day. I don’t want to imply that I think this real-life decision is easy, I’ve reiterated enough that I don’t have children and therefore don’t have to struggle with this very real issue. Maybe moderation is the only path forward at this point, but I’ll give credit to the writers in showing that whatever the answer is, it has to come from stronger parental involvement in children’s lives and in the content they are consuming. Bonnie’s parents’ transition from a lackadaisical approach to active participation is a message worth portraying.

So here’s why you should see Toy Story 5. First, it’s visually incredible. There’s markers throughout the film where you can’t help but marvel at the advancements of animation and Pixar’s skill, particularly if you still remember what Sid’s dog looked like, versus a random dog that appears for a few seconds during a chase scene. Everything from big details like scenery down to the microscopic things like the texture of Jessie and Bullseye has been enhanced. It really is a treat to watch. Second, regardless of my qualms, it is a wholesome story and like I said, it uniquely and tastefully evaluates a very real problem within today’s society. Third, the overall voice performances, although aged, are still very strong and I was particularly tickled by the delivery of Conan O’Brien (Smarty Pants). The humor is still very strong and even though I can see this joining the growing list of Disney-related one-and-done films, I’m glad I saw it.

Riot’s Rating: 7/10: The movie overall feels a little too long and I couldn’t help but wonder, constantly, if this story would have been better told through an original IP that could take more risks. Still, it’s a fun for the whole family kind of film and I’m certain it will go on to rake in all the cash it’s destined to grab.